Children's home run by Horizon Care Limited in Cannock Chase

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness . Following the last full inspection in May 2016, two recommendations were made. The registered manager has taken robust action to address these shortfalls. The recommendation relating to ensuring that a young person is able to meet an independent person after a period of being missing is met. There is now a clear structure and process in place for a return interview to take place on a young person’s return to the home. Furthermore, changes to young people’s risk assessments are now firmly embedded in young people’s risk assessment, formulation and management plans. This provides staff with agreed risk management strategies, should a young person display concerning behaviours. Three young people have left the home since the previous inspection. These moves were planned and agreed to be in the young people’s best interests. Two social

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

workers were positive about how the home has worked with the young people and the progress that they made during the time in the home. One said, ‘I and my team would like to thank the registered manager and the team. We feel our young person has been part of the team in the home for the last 12 months, and it has been a pleasure to work with the manager and staff involved in the care of our young person. Another said, ‘I feel it needs to be acknowledged how hard staff have worked and how, as a group of professionals, they have done their best for our young person.’ The registered manager ensures that young people’s admissions to the home are planned as thoroughly as possible. Strenuous efforts are made, to ensure that young people receive the support that they need in order to experience a supportive and nurturing transition. Compatibility is thoroughly considered, to ensure that young people do not have any negative impact on each other. These

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

arrangements prepare young people for their lives in the home and improve their chances of success and making progress in their lives. Although the young people have only been accommodated for a short period of time, they have settled well and are making progress. During this period, there has been one incident resulting in damage to the property. The manager ensured that the damage was swiftly repaired, so that the young people could see the importance that the team placed on having a homely environment to live in. The experience and the stability of the staff team ensure that young people’s behaviour is managed well. As a result, restraint is rarely used and young people sign up to the incentive and rewards scheme to address and modify their behaviours. The staff are supported in their responses and reactions to any inappropriate behaviours displayed by the young people. A visiting psychologist attends the home

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

regularly, is available to young people and provides them with therapeutic support, when needed. Young people, on occasion, go missing from the home. When young people are away from the home without staff permission, there is a coordinated response, including staff looking for them in known locations, contacting them and their friends or family, and liaising with the police as necessary. On return, they are welcomed back to the home, and staff support them to work through what has happened, which could prevent them from going missing again in the future. Return interviews are completed, and staff feel that these are beneficial to the young people. There are good links with the police missing-from-home coordinator, and strategies are agreed and known addresses or areas of concern are shared between professionals. This disrupts and reduces young people’s risk-taking behaviours and keeps them safe. Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding and their role to protect young

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

people. They understand the risks associated with going missing, child sexual exploitation, radicalisation and internet safety. Risk assessment, formulation and management plans are individual to young people, fully understood by staff and detailed in identifying likely risks and how they can be reduced or eliminated. There are no current safeguarding concerns for any of the young people living in the home. The registered manager is addressing the young people’s education needs. He is challenging some of the barriers that are currently preventing a young person from enrolling in a mainstream school. The manager is working effectively with the local authority’s virtual headteacher, in order to advocate for the young person and achieve an appropriate school placement. One young person is doing well in school and has 100% attendance. While home tutoring is currently being provided, some young people are not receiving an adequate amount of time. As a result, a

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

recommendation is made. This is to ensure that young people receive full-time education as soon as possible, so that they do not fall behind educationally. The three young people were observed during the inspection. They explained that they like the home and get along well with each other. Their relationships with the staff are sound, and they enjoy their free time. The young people enjoy sporting and other activities locally and are very much part of the community, where some spend time with their local fiends. One young person said, ‘I really like living here. My staff are kind and care for me, as do the other young people in the home.’ All young people have received information about the services that the home provides, which includes what they can do and whom they can contact if they have a concern or a complaint about the home. The registered manager and staff, who know the young people extremely well,

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

have taken a pragmatic approach to managing contact in a flexible but safe way for young people. This includes arrangements for transportation and meeting parents half way, so that young people continue as planned with their contact, including overnight contact visits. Staff are creative in managing risks in line with young people’s age and understanding. This common-sense approach has enabled young people to remain in touch with the significant people in their lives, and staff have built better working relationships with the young people’s families. The supervision of staff and the registered manager continues to be regular and effective. These arrangements enable the staff and manager to reflect on their practice and to identify any training needs. The home has a stable group of staff who are all experienced, and all but one have completed their required qualification. The new staff member will enrol on the required qualification once his

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

induction into the home is complete. The registered manager routinely undertakes monitoring of the operation of the home. Additionally, monthly reports from the home’s independent person support the quality assurance processes. The management team and staff act on shortfalls identified in these reports in a timely manner. This supports the home’s development and ensures ongoing progression and improvement. The management team understands what is needed to improve the home, and has clear plans in place to support improvement.

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Information about this children’s home

 The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.  The home is privately owned.  Young people, for whom the home intends to provide care, have a range of needs as written in the home’s statement of purpose. These include going missing persistently, exhibiting verbal/physical aggression, exposing themselves to risk of harm, being victims of abuse or self-harm, being in a cycle of criminal offending, or having poor life skills and approaching independence.  The home has an allocated clinical psychologist who visits twice a month to provide therapeutic input for the young people and care team, as outlined in the home’s statement of purpose.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

10/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recommendation

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation:  Where children placed in a home are not participating in education because they have been excluded or are not on a school roll for some other reason, the registered person and staff must work closely with the placing authority, so that the child is supported and enabled to resume full-time education as soon as possible. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection, we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the ‘Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection’.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children’s home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference that adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children’s home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after. This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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