Children's Home run by Horizon Care and Education Group Limited in Derbyshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC483710 1 SC483710 Registered provider: Horizon Care And Education Group Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and is registered to provide care and accommodation for three children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has improved effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people make good progress as a result of the consistent care and support that staff provide. Comprehensive care planning underpins the care provided. Young people and staff have positive relationships.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Partnership working is effective and provides a strong base to support improving outcomes for young people. Stakeholders consulted during this inspection gave positive feedback. They are happy with the level of communication from staff. Social workers were able to identify the progress that young people have made since the start of their placements. Young people are more settled and more able to regulate their behaviour and emotions. Young people respond well to the individualised care provided. A social worker said, ‘Staff are very patient with my young person.’ Inspection report children’s home: SC483710 2 Young people engage well in education. Their attendance levels continue to improve and they are making academic progress. Newly admitted young people receive tuition in the home until a placement in a school is secured. One social worker said, ‘Staff offer lots of support with my young person’s homework and they use lots of creative ways to support

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

them. They have been to the theatre and to the library.’ However, the inspection found that one young person currently receives only two hours of tuition a day. Staff are not always promoting informal educational opportunities, as there is not a clear plan in place. This is a missed opportunity to engage the young person in educational activity and prepare them for reintegration into school.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people’s health needs are met and there is good liaison with all relevant agencies. Staff encourage young people to take part in individual activities and follow their interests. This helps young people to explore and understand more about their individual identities. Staff support young people to have time with their family and friends.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Behaviour is managed effectively by staff. Any incidents of difficult behaviour are quickly de-escalated. The admission of a new young person resulted in an increase in the use of physical intervention. As this young person became more settled, their behaviour improved and there has been no further use of physical intervention.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people understand the complaints process and they know how to make a complaint. A small number of complaints have been made, and these have been resolved appropriately.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the last inspection, two requirements and two recommendations were made. These shortfalls have been fully addressed. The staff team has become more stable. There have been some changes in staffing since the full inspection, but a core of staff has remained the same. When agency staff are required, the manager tries to ensure that familiar staff are used to minimise the impact on young people. The manager has developed a more rigorous system to ensure that agency members of staff have the required employment checks in place. In addition, agency members of staff now complete an induction when working at the home for the first time. All of these measures mean that young people are now receiving better continuity and consistency of care.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

A requirement was made at the last inspection relating to the safe redeployment of staff within the organisation. This may happen, for example, in the event of an allegation being made. The manager now has a risk assessment template in place should this happen. This will help to ensure that young people are better protected and will improve information sharing.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Leadership and management have improved. The manager has effective systems in place to ensure that he has oversight of the functioning of the home, the progress of young people and where things need to improve. These systems, in conjunction with information from the independent visitor’s reports, provide the manager with a comprehensive overview and insight into how the home is functioning. Since the last inspection, staff have integrated the company’s therapeutic parenting approach into Inspection report children’s home: SC483710 3 practice. The manager described the ways in which the approach has improved outcomes for young people. An example of this is helping young people to understand and regulate their emotions. The staff team and the manager have regular consultation with the company’s therapists. This consultation provides staff with time for reflection and time to consider young people’s progress and the impact of therapeutic strategies.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/04/2017 Full Good 19/10/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness 03/08/2016 Full Requires improvement 14/01/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness

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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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff promote opportunities for each child to learn informally (Regulation 8(2)(a)(v)) 16/02/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC483710 4

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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

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

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’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Horizon Care And Education Group Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Catherine Honey, Social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC483710 5 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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