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

Inspection report children’s home: SC374939 1 SC374939 Registered provider: Horizon Care Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The children’s home provides care and accommodation for up to three young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is owned by a private organisation.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Four compliance notices were issued on 26 May 2017 in relation to regulations 8, 12, 13 and 23. A monitoring visit took place on 1 June 2017 and, as a result, a restriction of accommodation notice was issued on 2 June 2017 for a 12-week period. Further monitoring visits took place on 8, 16 and 27 June 2017 and 18 July 2017. All of the compliance notices have been met, and the restriction of accommodation notice expired on 2 August 2017. Inspection report children’s home: SC374939 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people now live in a safe, friendly, supportive and comfortable home.  The new registered manager has brought structure and effective leadership to the management of the home. Her systematic approach is resulting in significant improvement, and all areas of concern identified at the last full inspection have been addressed.  The registered manager is providing guidance, support and coaching to staff to continually improve the quality of care that they give young people.  The registered manager and staff fully understand their responsibilities in promoting young people’s welfare. They identify, understand and manage the risks to individual young people. This includes the risks from exploitation, radicalisation and self-harm. Staff know the action to take when they have concerns about a young person’s safety.  The young person living in the home enjoys positive daily experiences. She has formed trusting relationships with staff over a short period of time and is

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Key findings from this inspection

already making good progress.  The registered manager and staff have created a nurturing and reliable environment where the young person feels safe.  Staff provide the young person with clear and unambiguous routines and boundaries.  Impact risk assessments are detailed, and the registered manager carefully planned the young person moving to the home.  The registered manager and the organisation now have a realistic understanding of the home’s strengths and the priority areas for improvement.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development:

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Key findings from this inspection

 The registered manager needs to ensure that repairs to the front door bell and the fire doors are completed.  Ensure that the young person has access to a computer and the internet to support her education and learning.  Develop staff members’ skills and knowledge in responding to children’s emotional health needs, including responding to emotional distress and self- harming behaviour.  Ensure that the registered manager always receives a copy of her practice- related supervision. Inspection report children’s home: SC374939 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/05/2017 Full Inadequate 07/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 11/08/2016 Full Requires improvement 04/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC374939 4

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet 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.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home. (Regulation 25(1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, every fire door is fitted with suitable overhead door closers that ensures the fire door closes safely. 04/09/2017

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the home always meets children’s basic day to day needs and physical necessities. In particular, ensure that the doorbell is working. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that children have access to a computer and the internet to support their education and learning. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 29, paragraph 5.19)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to respond to children’s emotional health needs, including responding to emotional distress and self-harming behaviour. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.12)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the registered manager has a copy of the record of the content and outcomes of their practice-related supervision. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraphs 13.3 and 13.4) Inspection report children’s home: SC374939 5

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person is enjoying positive experiences living in this safe, friendly and supportive family home. She is receiving a good quality of individualised care that consistently meets her assessed needs and is helping her to reach her full potential. She has only lived in this children’s home since 18 August 2017, but the registered manager and staff have already gained a good understanding of her interests, background, and family circumstances, and are making very good progress in meeting the priorities set out in her local authority care plan. Her social worker said, ‘This is a positive placement and staff have supported her really well. She appears happy and has already started to settle. It is really good that she was supported to attend all outstanding health appointments and enrol at college in a very short time frame. This was really good for her, and she is responding well to staff at the home.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person has started to build positive relationships with the registered manager and staff. The registered manager and staff engage with her naturally. Their open and friendly manner has helped her to feel at home and to understand that they want what is best for her. The young person said that she gets along with the registered manager and all the staff. However, she said that she gets along best with her keyworker. She said, ‘I have a good relationship with him. I can talk to him because he is laid back, listens and enjoys a laugh. He gives me good advice.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager and staff are enabling the young person to express herself as an individual. Staff are making every effort to get to know her and her interests. They talk to her to find out her views about the house, how she is being looked after and to ask if there are any changes that she would like to see. The document titled ‘My interests and preferences’ is detailed and demonstrates how the young person is supported in her care. This document includes decisions about her life, including family contact, education and training, and plans for her future. The registered manager and staff listen carefully to her wishes and feelings and respond to meet them appropriately. For example, they have acted upon her wishes to organise and decorate her bedroom, and her wish to see her friend. Staff arranged for her friend to visit the house for Sunday lunch and for them to go to the fair together.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager planned the young person’s placement at the home effectively. She gathered all the available information about the young person’s needs and the support that she required. This helped her and the staff to consider carefully whether they had the relevant skills and expertise to respond effectively to the young person’s needs. The registered manager also gave the young person the chance to visit and be actively involved in the decision about whether it was the right place for her to live. The young person was positive about coming to live at the home, and its location is helping her to see the important people in her life. The young person, registered manager, staff and social worker have a clear understanding of the outcomes they are trying to achieve and how this will be done. The registered manager has completed a detailed compatibility assessment that Inspection report children’s home: SC374939 6

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

identifies the young person’s needs and the strategies for staff to meet them. The home’s placement plan matches objectives and actions set out in the local authority’s plan. The registered manager and staff are working effectively with her social worker, college, and health workers to make sure that she receives the best possible support. They are also good at keeping the social worker updated about the young person’s progress and experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are actively helping the young person to maintain and rebuild relationships with her parents and other members of her family. The young person has had contact with her mother and enjoys staying overnight with her father. Staff take and collect the young person when she sees her family. This has given staff members time to get to know and develop relationships with the important people in her life. They work sensitively with the young person and her family to try to overcome any difficulties and improve relationships. This has included offering advice and support around activities to make sure that seeing family and friends is a safe and positive experience for the young person. Her social worker said, ‘I cannot fault the support that staff have put in place around contact. It has been excellent and they have really helped her to start to build back up positive relationships with all her family members.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager and staff are actively promoting the young person’s education and learning. Within a short space of time, the young person has received support from staff to attend a local college. She has found an appropriate course that she is interested in and has enrolled, starting in September 2017. Staff have a detailed understanding of the young person’s educational needs, interests, plans and recent achievements. They have spent time with her discussing any potential barriers to her learning and are helping her get ready to start college. However, she does not have access to a computer and the internet to support her education and learning. The registered manager and staff have supported the young person’s wish to get a part-time job by helping her to complete job applications and compile an up-to-date CV. The young person also has plenty of opportunities to develop and share her skills through informal learning. This

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

has included baking a chocolate cake and making chicken Kiev from scratch. She gave staff tips about how to prevent the garlic butter from leaking out of the chicken Kiev.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager and staff consistently promote the young person’s good health. A detailed and individualised health care plan clearly sets out all her health needs. She is registered with a local GP, dentist and optician, and staff have working relationships with specialist advice and health services. Staff have successfully encouraged the young person to attend health appointments. They have persevered when she has refused to attend. They have helped her to understand the importance of these routine checks for her future health needs. They are supporting and encouraging the young person to have a healthy lifestyle. They have involved her in planning, shopping for and cooking meals using fresh ingredients to promote healthy eating habits. They are encouraging her to be physically active, and she has joined a gym and accessed the local swimming pool. Staff understand their roles and responsibilities around managing medication for young people

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

safely. However, the young person is not taking any medication; as a result, staff were unable to show how effectively they are following the correct procedures. Inspection report children’s home: SC374939 7 The registered manager has identified that more work needs to be done to get a better understanding of the young person’s emotional needs. The organisation’s psychological service is due to start an assessment of her needs and identify a suitable care plan to improve her emotional well-being. Staff would also benefit from further guidance and training opportunities to develop their skills and knowledge to be able to respond to young peoples’ emotional health needs, including responding to emotional distress, trauma and self-harming behaviour.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager and staff have significantly improved the quality of the house. It is now a pleasant place to live and work. The house is clean, tidy, bright, homely, furnished, and decorated to a good standard. There is plenty of personal space for young people in comfortable bedrooms. The young person has arranged and decorated her bedroom; she has put up photographs of her family and friends and has plenty of space for all of her personal belonging.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The young person living in the home is receiving a good standard of care that is keeping her safe from harm. She feels safe and able to talk to staff if she has any worries or she feels unsure. She knows that they will listen to her, take her seriously and help her sort things out.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The registered manager provides staff with clear guidance and support that has helped them to understand their responsibilities in protecting young people from harm. Staff have had opportunities individually and as a team to reflect critically on the times when young people have been at risk of harm. This has provided an opportunity for the registered manager to challenge poor practice and to help develop practice that helps to keep young people safe.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff have recently renewed their training in safeguarding. They are able to recognise the signs and symptoms of abuse and neglect, and are aware of the young person’s vulnerability to sexual exploitation and radicalisation. They are clear about what they must do if they are concerned about the young person’s welfare, and the safeguarding professionals whom they must contact. However, there have been no safeguarding concerns about this young person for staff to demonstrate how they have responded. The young person has not gone missing from home since she moved in. Nevertheless, staff know what they must do if she does, including contacting her by telephone, looking for her, checking with her family and friends, and reporting her as missing to the police and children’s services.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The registered manager and staff show a good understanding of the risks to the young person’s safety, including risks associated with self-harming behaviour and the use of the internet and social media. They have the skills to identify and understand risk and use suitable and proportionate protective measures to handle situations safely. A member of staff showed that he had identified that the young person was in a low mood and spent time with her to find out what was wrong and how best to help her. They Inspection report children’s home: SC374939 8 worked out together that she struggled emotionally when she felt bored and that keeping busy helped her cope with her feelings. This is now incorporated into the daily plans for her care.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff carefully balance the young person’s protection with providing her with an appropriate level of freedom, supervision and choice about how she spends her free time. This means that she is enjoying the same experiences as other young people of the same age, including spending time with her friends and family.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The registered manager and staff are providing the young person with a warm, friendly and reliable home environment. This has helped her form positive relationships with them, despite only living there for a few weeks. The registered manager and staff are providing her with clear and unambiguous routines and boundaries that meet her needs. This has ensured that she knows what is happening each day and the support available to her. The registered manager and staff encourage and reinforce positive behaviour through lots of praise and rewards.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The young person’s behaviour is excellent, and she appears to be happy and to have a sense of belonging. On the rare occasions that she has been angry or upset, the registered manager and staff have managed the situation well. They are clearly developing a good understanding of the best ways to help the young person to manage her feelings and solve problems. The registered manager is leading by example. For example, when the young person was upset about a decision about which computer games she can play, the registered manager gave her space and time to calm down. She followed the young person when she left the house, keeping her distance, but was close enough to check on her. The young person came to the registered manager when she was ready to talk. The registered manager explained that the young person had not given her a chance to explain her reasons and to offer a solution. They agreed to trade

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

in the games for another game that the young person wanted. The registered manager has talked to staff about what happened, to demonstrate how to deal with potentially difficult situations in a calm and supportive way and achieve a positive outcome for the young person.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The house now provides a safe environment for young people to live in. However, repairs still need to be completed. The front door bell is not working, which may mean that the young person is unable to let staff know that she is home and needs letting in. It also means that staff may not be aware that visitors have arrived. In addition, the fire doors to the office and the front lounge are not fitted with overhead door closers to ensure that the doors close safely.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A vastly experienced and qualified manager started work at the children’s home in June 2017 and was registered with Ofsted in August 2017. She has brought structure and effective leadership to the management of the home and has made significant improvements. Her systematic approach means that all the areas of concern identified at Inspection report children’s home: SC374939 9 the last full inspection have been addressed. Consequently, young people now live in a safe, friendly, supportive and comfortable home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has created the right environment for staff to provide young people with a good quality of care and support. Staff have regular opportunities through practice-related supervision and team meetings to reflect on young people’s progress, the expectations for good childcare practice and their own performance. Staff have also recently completed training in managing medication, first aid, positive behaviour strategies and preventing radicalisation. They clearly understand the ethos of the home and ways of working, their roles and responsibilities, and the systems for the protection of young people and administration within the home. The registered manager and staff keep records of their discussions and detailed action plans showing the steps that staff should be taking. The quality of these plans means that the registered manager is able to easily monitor progress and areas for improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has a clear overview of the strengths of each member of staff. She has put in place a high level of support to improve and develop their confidence and practice. For example, she is focusing on improving the quality of young people’s progress reports and has provided each member of staff with advice that is helping them to detail the young person’s experiences and progress. The manager has simplified the recording system, which has made it much easier for staff to use. Young people’s plans and records are now straightforward and contain the information needed to understand their needs and look after them properly.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staffing arrangements ensure that there are always enough suitably experienced staff available to meet the young person’s needs. The enthusiastic staff clearly enjoy spending time with young people and are keen to make a positive difference to young people’s lives. The registered manager has made sure that the day-to-day care of all young people is planned and individualised. The introduction of properly scheduled handover meetings each day has improved communication and the sharing of information between members of staff. These meetings now take place for longer and include information about the young people’s care that help staff to plan for the day ahead. This provides a clear and consistent structure to the day and makes sure that everyone, including young people, know what is happening and who is carrying out each task. This includes information such as who is contacting a social worker, going shopping

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

with a young person, arranging a health appointment, or attending a meeting.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager’s continuous monitoring of practice provides her with a realistic and accurate understanding of the quality of care and support that young people receive. She can clearly show and measure where things have improved and identify the right priorities for further development. The quality of the monitoring means that she has a detailed understanding of the progress that each young person is making and the priorities for their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The organisation has improved the quality of the independent monitoring of the home. The independent visitor’s report now provides a thorough and evaluative assessment of the home’s effectiveness in safeguarding and meeting young people’s It shows steps Inspection report children’s home: SC374939 10 taken to improve the service and notes the effectiveness of these measures. The organisation is also monitoring the registered manager’s performance through practice- related supervision from a senior manager. This is giving the registered manager opportunity to reflect critically on her practice with a person who can provide her with effective professional challenge, support and guidance. However, the registered manager has not received a written copy of the content and outcomes of supervision. It is important that she has this information to help her reflect on her performance and the progress being made.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, 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’. Inspection report children’s home: SC374939 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Horizon Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Venture House, 12 Prospect Business Park, Longford Road, Cannock, Staffordshire WS11 0LG

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Inspector(s)

Nick Veysey, social care inspector Michelle Edge, social care regulatory inspection manager Inspection report children’s home: SC374939 12 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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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