Children's home run by Horizon Care and Education Group 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 . Children continue to do well. Their progress is good across all aspects of their development. Children continue to be kept safe and they learn about how to keep themselves safe. The difference that the manager and the staff team make to children’s lives has increased, especially over the last few months. The increased difference that staff and the manager now make is because they work in a more therapeutic way than before. Children already have trusting, warm and respectful relationships with staff who are dedicated, nurturing and act like good parents. Staff now use their positive relationships more specifically to enable children to discuss their difficulties and feelings. Staff have undergone training in a method of therapeutic care that is described in the home’s statement of purpose.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

They are using a more accepting approach to the ways that children’s difficulties present themselves. They ask questions, show an interest, and create time and attention for children to explore their feelings. This is helping both children significantly. One member of staff said, ‘[Child] just has amazing trust in us now from the boy that he was.’ Staff and the manager have recently extended their more therapeutic style across into their behaviour management techniques. The staff have reduced the use of repetitive sanctions, such as going to bed early, or not having television in the bedroom. They are being more careful to link any sanction to the problem behaviour that they are trying to tackle. Most of all, staff are using more restorative ideas. For example, staff discuss with children how they might make up to the person that they have hurt, or repair the thing that they have damaged. Children are making genuine apologies and are helping to clear up. They are walking away

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

from situations that are angering them. All this is clearly helping children to understand the impact of their behaviour on other people. It is also improving children’s self-esteem because they are pleased when they take control themselves and find positive, safe outlets for their feelings. Staff and the manager were working well with placing social workers and children’s schools at the last inspection. The staff have improved on this by taking clear action on a recommendation to work more on children’s difficulties and to report about this more clearly to their placing authorities. Staff and the manager have taken effective action to ensure that children have a better idea of their problems and what they have to do in order for their long-term plans to become a reality. Staff have added a section about this to each child’s care plan and to each report for the child’s six-monthly ‘looked after review’. Children

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

look at these reports and talk about them with staff. The manager plans to take this further by giving a professional opinion about children’s long-term plan, including whether they are on track to achieve it, or whether the long-term plan itself may need to be changed. Children are more secure now that their plans clearly cover these areas. Children’s sense of identity and self-worth are increasing. Staff are more confident in giving therapeutic help and recording how their practice helps children. The manager is both liked and respected by children and staff. He is present in the home and fulfils the requirements of registration well, despite being a mentor for a number of other home managers in the area. He is insightful, warm, supportive and clear with staff. Staff work very effectively as a team because of this support and guidance. The manager is self-motivated and uses the support and advice of

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

the organisation’s clinical team to the full. The organisation chose this home to receive the first rollout of its therapeutic care training because of the aptitude and interest of the manager and the team. All staff are convinced about the model being used and are striving to use it to best effect. The professional support and supervision that the manager receives are sufficient. However, he does not receive, retain or use notes from his supervision sessions.

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and is registered to provide care for up to two young people who 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

15/03/2016 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:

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Recommendation

 Ensure that a note of the content and/or outcomes of supervision sessions is kept and ensure that both the person giving the supervision and the staff member have a copy of the record. This pertains particularly to the registered manager’s own supervision sessions. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.4)

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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 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 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 0300 123 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, 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,

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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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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