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 . The two boys continue to make good progress. No staff have left in the three months since the last inspection. This helps children to feel secure. Staff continue to be well organised, warm, nurturing and committed. One child recently said, ‘I like spending time with staff.’ The home’s monthly visitor said in January, ‘The staff team alongside the manager are extremely knowledgeable about the young people in their care.’ Both boys enjoyed their Christmas. Members of staff made sure that the children were treated and felt valued. This included providing the boys with plenty of presents and staff working hard to provide happy and memorable experiences. Staff are now helping children to celebrate and remember these experiences. Each child now has a photo album that staff regularly update by adding photographs.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children also have a special box for memorabilia and a diary. Staff write positive daily messages about the child in their diary and then share these messages with the child. This practice has helped to enhance children’s self-esteem and sense of belonging. Both children are coping reasonably well with full-time school because staff and the manager help them to deal with the difficulties. For example, staff assist children with their difficulties with peer relationships, school transport, meal arrangements and personal hygiene arrangements. Staff and the manager communicate promptly, clearly and sensitively with all relevant adults who are involved with each child’s education. This effectively minimises children’s difficulties and helps them to benefit as much as they can from their education placements. Children continue to struggle with their emotions. Their frustrations occasionally boil over into physical and verbal attacks on peers and members of staff. Staff and

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

the manager often successfully de-escalate children’s behaviour with calm, helpful discussion and distraction. However, staff and the manager are still issuing sanctions that are not restorative in nature. The manager does not always review these measures of control promptly or work out whether they actually work to prevent the difficult behaviour reoccurring. For example, staff often disconnect the wi-fi or ban children from using their computer games as consequences for unsafe behaviour that arises when they are using electronic devices. Staff and the manager keep on doing this, but the difficult behaviour continues. The manager and staff have not analysed this situation sufficiently, or sought more restorative, creative and preventive approaches. The manager and staff have positive relationships with the local police. The local support officer visits regularly to talk to children about safe conduct in the

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

community and about respect for adults. However, the manager and staff have followed police advice that is at odds with their usual behaviour management strategies. One instance of racial abuse resulted in unnecessary police involvement and criminalising of a child. It has also escalated tensions unhelpfully between staff and children. Police have also asked the manager to implement a system of reporting to police on all behaviour incidents in the home. This removes responsibility for behaviour management from the registered manager. It has de- skilled and confused staff. Overall, the registered manager maintains good morale and a positive atmosphere that children thrive in. She has recently completed training in the organisation’s model of therapeutic care practice. She has started to help staff work with children in a more empathic, accepting and interactive way. She is planning to develop staff through individual supervision sessions and team meetings with the psychologist

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

clinician for the home. However, she is not yet using her learning to inform her evaluations and analysis of staff’s work with each child. This means that her skills in anticipating difficulties and reviewing incidents are adequate rather than good. As a result, the manager is slower to identify shortfalls in practice and to implement more effective behaviour management and care practice. One occasional member of staff who works at the home one weekend per month has still not completed the required qualification in residential childcare.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care for two children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home forms part of a large social care company.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

24/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

10/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person(s) meet(s) the Care Standards Act 2000, the 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.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that individuals who work in a care role have the appropriate qualification for their work two years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32(5)(a)) 27 May 2017

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Ensure that the registered person agrees with their local police force procedures and guidance on police involvement with the home to reduce unnecessary police involvement in managing behaviour and criminalisation of behaviours. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 47, paragraph 9.40)  Ensure that any sanctions used to address poor behaviour are restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. In some cases it will be important for children to make reparation in some form to anyone hurt by their behaviour and the staff in the home should be skilled to support the child to understand this and carry it out. (‘Guide to the children’s homes

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Recommendations

regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)  Ensure that all incidents of control, discipline and restraint are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair and that the principles set out in paragraph 9.35 are respected. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36)  Ensure that the registered person actively seeks independent scrutiny of the home and makes best use of information from independent and internal monitoring (including under regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. They should be skilled in anticipating difficulties and reviewing incidents. They are responsible for proactively implementing lessons learned and sustaining good practice. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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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. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the

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Information about this inspection

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

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

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

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