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 improved effectiveness . Young people maintain positive relationships with each other and the staff team that provides a good level of individualised care. Warm and nurturing relationships between the staff and young people are evident, and young people confirm that they feel happy and settled in their home. This is because young people’s relationships with each other and the staff are enhanced and nurtured, as young people benefit from stable and permanent placements. The high level of individual care that young people receive from the staff supports young people with their ongoing development, which enables them to make good, and in some instances exceptional, progress in many areas of their lives. Parents and professionals report that young people are safe and supported in the home. Parents and professionals are very complimentary about the relationships

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

that the staff have fostered with the young people and themselves. Parents and professionals confirm that the high quality of care and support that is provided by the staff enables and contributes to the progress that young people continue to make. A parent said, ‘The staff are brilliant. They do a brilliant job with him, and he has really come on. They provide stability and rules. He does push the boundaries, but they do look after him well and care about him. The manager has tried every avenue going for him to sort his education out.’ A professional said, ‘We had concerns that [Name] would not manage with the transition from their school to a mainstream college. The staff worked closely with the young person, me and the college, and this is going well. [Name] is excelling.’ They went on to add, ‘The staff are supporting [Name] well to develop his life skills, and he is doing really well with this. [Name] now manages a budget well, can cook, shop and look after himself.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff promote his life skills well.’ Good interagency working ensures that young people’s needs are met. The manager has forged positive and effective working relationships with partner agencies and is passionate about young people receiving the services that they are entitled to. Furthermore, the manager ensures that she does everything within her power to achieve this, when this is not the case. The manager and staff value education and training for young people and view this as a platform for young people from which to achieve their goals and ambitions in adulthood. When barriers occur and services are not forthcoming for young people, the manager is proactive in raising these shortfalls with the relevant agencies to ensure that the required meetings take place to redress this. This ensures that young people receive suitable packages of support, which will support and assist them with moving onto their chosen career pathway.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager and staff are committed to helping young people to make a real difference to the quality of their lives, regardless of the challenges that young people face. Young people’s achievements are acknowledged and celebrated by the staff. The manager and staff are very positive about young people’s strengths and are proud to share the progress that young people have continued to make. The staff are quick to identify and record young people’s achievements in the young person’s individualised journals, which support young people to see the progress that they make. Furthermore, young people understand and work well with the staff in meeting their own specific aims and objectives, as these recording systems clearly demonstrate to young people the areas where staff are going to continue to support them. This care practice and good care planning support and enable young people with their continued progression.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager and staff are fully aware of the risks and vulnerabilities that are prevalent in their work with vulnerable young people. They work hard with young people and other agencies, such as the police, to safeguard young people at all times. The manager makes informed judgements that support young people to take age-appropriate risks, in line with their peer groups, and based on their ages and individual needs, as part of their development into adulthood. For example, young people have mobile phones and can access social media sites and they spend increasing amounts of time with friends away for the home, when this is safe and appropriate. Young people acknowledge the rules and expectations placed on them in accessing these activities and, on the whole, respect and conform to these. When young people do not comply with the expectations that are in place, the staff intervene quickly and effectively. The staff remove young people’s

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

privileges and educate young people about the risks and consequences that are associated with their behaviours through individual direct work sessions. This allows young people to reflect and learn in a safe and managed way. Young people are supported well by the manager and staff to make good and safe decisions. Consequently, there have not been any reports of bullying, self-harm, criminality or substance and alcohol misuse. Although one young person was reported as missing from the home on two occasions and was leaving the home regularly and not returning on time from May 2016 until July 2016, good interagency working, robust care planning and effective individual planned sessions have resulted in a reduction in this particular behaviour, with no further recorded incidents noted since 31 July 2016. Subsequently, young people have become safer in this regard. Physical interventions have not been used in the home since the last inspection, as

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

the staff use their positive relationships with young people well. Good behaviour is promoted through positive role modelling, support, praise and incentives. Young people are aware of their individual goals and targets and agree that the sanctions used are fair. Staff celebrate young people’s achievements and commend and reward young people when they achieve their goals and objectives. Consequently, young people’s general behaviour continues to improve. Staff are dedicated and committed to providing a high standard of care to all young people. They speak fondly of all the young people and understand their needs and vulnerabilities well. The manager ensures that the consistent and stable staff team receives appropriate training opportunities and has the fitness of members to perform their roles appraised annually to ensure that they do their jobs well. The manager has high expectations for all young people and expects staff to

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

consistently deliver a good standard of care. She and her staff team are clear about young people’s aims and objectives and have realistic plans in place to achieve these. In this way , young people continue to make good progress in many aspects of their lives. The leadership and management arrangements remain effective. The manager has suitably addressed the three recommendations raised at the last inspection. Young people’s safety and welfare are now promoted, as their risk assessments are clearer and specific as to how each perceived risk would be managed and addressed by the staff team. Furthermore, young people’s case records now contain the relevant and up-to-date information to enable staff to deliver good- quality care and support in the identified areas. In addition, the manager now ensures that all the correct safeguarding agencies are informed when any significant incidents arise. This further supports and enhances young people’s

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

safety and well-being. The manager ensures that young people continue to make progress and are kept as safe as possible. This is because she uses the internal and external monitoring systems well. Any shortfalls or areas for development that the manager identifies through her improved and updated internal monitoring systems are highlighted and addressed quickly. In this way, the manager ensures that the staff continue to deliver a high standard of good-quality care to meet young people’s individual needs, and that any areas of improvements are dealt with sufficiently and promptly. The effective management arrangements of this home ensure that young people continue to make good progress in a safe, nurturing, positive home environment. There have been no breaches in regulation identified in this inspection and no good practice recommendations made.

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Information about this children’s home

This home is one of a number of children’s homes operated by a private company. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

07/01/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

17/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against ‘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 who 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 ‘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

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

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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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