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

Inspector Rachel Britten

This monitoring visit . At Ofsted’s interim inspection on 23 November 2016, the inspector found that the quality of care and leadership in the home had declined over a six-month period. Outcomes for young people between May and November 2016 were poor. Numerous regulatory requirements were therefore raised about the quality and purpose of care; education; positive relationships with young people; protection of young people; leadership and management; and care planning.

p.2

Inspector Rachel Britten

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the level of progress being made.

p.2

Inspector Rachel Britten

The core staff team has remained in post and most of the staff team members are motivated, skilled and more confident than before. One young person said, ‘Everyone cares – there is not one who is here for the money.’

p.2

Inspector Rachel Britten

Staff are spending time with young people and are planning their work more ambitiously. They are using a more skilful, positive parenting approach. This is helping young people to trust staff. This is creating opportunities for staff to help young people with their emotional and behavioural problems. For example, one member of staff has done some very meaningful work with a young person about his feelings and why he is not with his family. He said to her, ‘Thanks for helping me with stuff.’

p.2

Inspector Rachel Britten

The manager has ensured that the advice from the young people’s therapeutic action plans are now included in their behaviour management plans. Staff have read these and are now trying the approaches, responses and strategies that the psychologist has advised. For example, the staff have successfully used these approaches to deal with an incident of bullying in the home.

p.2

Inspector Rachel Britten

Young people are better supported in learning how to live a safe and healthy life. This applies particularly to helping young people with keeping their bedrooms tidy. Young people now know that staff will balance their requests for privacy with an insightful parent’s assessment of their emotional needs.

p.2

Inspector Rachel Britten

Staff are now helping young people to collect memories of their time at the home. This is helping to make sure that when they move to another children’s home they will have memorabilia to take with them.

p.2

Inspector Rachel Britten

There have been no instances of young people running away from home since the interim inspection. The manager feels that one young person has made a real turnaround in recent weeks. The manager feels that the young person is more secure because staff are in control and are taking a more positive parenting approach.

p.2

Inspector Rachel Britten

Staff are more attuned to young people’s needs. For example, the manager and a member of staff listened when a young person chose them to accompany her to see relatives whom she had not seen for a long time. The staff member and the manager worked supportively and proactively to ensure that the young person could behave calmly and maturely, so that the visit was enjoyed by everyone.

p.2

Inspector Rachel Britten

The manager has invested more time in the home, advising staff and role- modelling good care practice and positive relationships.

p.3

Inspector Rachel Britten

Staff have attended a team-building day and training on safeguarding practice. The responsible individual has delivered one-to-one teaching to staff on providing good quality, well-planned key work with young people. This has inspired staff to practise in a more planned, proactive way, including identifying how much their work actually helps young people.

p.3

Inspector Rachel Britten

The manager is working more proactively with other professionals in the team around each young person. For example, she has organised for professionals to get together about one young person’s education.

p.3

Inspector Rachel Britten

The manager is notifying serious incidents to Ofsted more consistently. Notifications contain evidence that she and staff reflect on incidents, look for trends and patterns, learn from things that go wrong, and take more responsibility for their care practice.

p.3

Inspector Rachel Britten

The manager is now receiving direct support from the responsible individual. This includes briefing about therapeutic practice and more collaboration about new referrals. This has improved the manager’s confidence.

p.3

Inspector Rachel Britten

There are ongoing shortfalls. Young people’s attendance at education has declined further. Incidents have led to exclusion. The manager and staff are still not doing enough to understand and overcome the barriers to learning that young people face.

p.3

Inspector Rachel Britten

Young people have still not received help that enables them to understand and manage the impact of their past experiences. Young people are not yet resilient enough to successfully make safe, appropriate relationships with their peers.

p.3

Inspector Rachel Britten

Five serious behaviour incidents have happened involving two young people in the seven weeks since the last inspection. Most of these happen when the manager is not there. Although staff practice is improving, staff do not yet demonstrate sufficient skills in helping young people to understand personal, sexual and social relationships.

p.3

Inspector Rachel Britten

Staff have not yet received the therapeutic practice training that will help them provide the kind of care that is promised in the home’s statement of purpose. For example, some staff do not yet explain to young people about the help that they are giving and why. They do not yet openly and regularly tell young people that they are committed to helping them. Only two staff have the required qualification in residential care of children and young people. One of these members of staff is only at the home on a temporary basis. Some staff members are taking a very long time to complete required training.

p.3

Inspector Rachel Britten

Staff and the manager are seldom using records in ways that help young people understand how they are doing and what they need to do to progress.

p.4

Information about this children's home

The home provides care and accommodation for up to three children or young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is privately owned and operated and forms part of a larger organisation.

p.5

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that must be taken so that the registered person(s) meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

p.5

Requirement Due date

6. The quality and purpose of care standard

p.5

Requirement Due date

In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard, the registered person must: (2)(b) ensure that staff: (v) help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect (vi) help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult. 06/03/2017

p.5

Requirement Due date

In order to meet the education standard, the registered person must ensure: (2)(a) that staff: (iii) understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers. 06/03/2017

p.5

Requirement Due date

In order to meet the positive relationships standard, the registered person must ensure: (2)(a) that staff: (iii) encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding (vi) help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and 06/03/2017 understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful. 14. The care planning standard

p.5

Requirement Due date

In order to meet the care planning standard, the registered person must ensure: (2)(f) that staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child. 06/03/2017

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that individuals who work in a care role have the appropriate qualification for their work within two years of the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32(5)(a)) 06/03/2017

p.6

Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children's home since its last Ofsted inspection. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. out in 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 this guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

Information about this inspection

to 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, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for children looked after 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,

p.8

Information about this inspection

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

p.8

Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

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

p.8