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

Inspection report children’s home: SC374939 1 SC374939 Registered provider: Horizon Care Limited Interim 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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Information about this children’s home

Date of last inspection: 1 September 2017

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: None

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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

Since the last inspection, the registered manager’s effective leadership and management have continued to improve the quality of support and professional practice provided to young people. This high standard of care has brought stability to young people’s lives. Young people live in a safe, calm, friendly, nurturing and comfortable home. Young people receive the help that they need to recover from traumatic experiences and make sustained progress, leading to improved outcomes. Based on their starting points, young people are making excellent progress in education, dealing with their worries and frustrations, expressing their wishes and feelings, and taking part in activities in the wider community. The registered manager and staff effectively plan the arrangements for young people’s care. The registered manager carefully selects the young people to come to live at the home. She makes sure that staff have the experience and expertise to respond properly

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

to meet the young person’s needs. The registered manager also carefully matches the Inspection report children’s home: SC374939 2 needs of the young person with those of the others already living at the home. Young people move into the home in a planned way and they are actively involved in making the decision. Young people have the chance to visit, meet staff, and even stay overnight to help them to decide whether it is the right place for them. Likewise, young people influence the arrangements for their care and future plans. The registered manager and staff really listen to young people’s wishes and feelings and respond to them appropriately. They supported a young person to challenge successfully the local authority’s decision to move her from the home. The registered manager closely monitors the arrangements for young people’s care in order to have a clear understanding of the progress that they are making. She identifies

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

when the plans are not fully meeting young people’s needs and takes appropriate action to overcome any barriers to their progress. The registered manager makes sure that social workers, schools, colleges and health services take the necessary action to provide young people with the best possible support. For example, the registered manager has challenged health services to complete an assessment of a young person’s emotional health in a timely way to inform his plan. She has also worked together with the partner agencies to get a young person with additional support in school to help him manage his anxieties and have opportunities and support to make friends. The registered manager and staff make sure that young people are protected from harm. Young people report that they feel safe and that they are able to talk to staff about their worries. A young person said, ‘I can talk to staff if I’m upset. Sometimes I

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

can’t tell them, but they know I’m upset and ask me if I’m ok.’ The registered manager and staff have a good understanding of the risks to young people’s safety, including risks associated with self-harming behaviour and the use of the internet and social media. The staff have the skills to identify and understand risk, and use suitable and proportionate protective measures to handle situations safely. Since the last inspection, staff have had training to develop their skills and knowledge to respond to children’s emotional health needs, including responding to emotional distress, trauma and self-harming behaviour. They are working effectively with the organisation’s psychologists to gain a clearer insight into the reasons for young people’s behaviour and to find the best ways of working with them. For example, the use of a nurturing and consistent bedtime routine is helping to reduce a young person’s anxieties around going

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

to bed. Staff are able to see beyond young people’s presenting behaviour and can clearly understand how young people’s experiences may leave them feeling rejected, anxious and angry. Staff use language carefully to help young people build a positive view of themselves. For example, staff talk about ‘silly behaviour’ instead of referring to a young person as ‘naughty’. Staff work effectively to develop safe, reliable and stable relationships that help young people build secure attachments and a strong sense of belonging and emotional well- being. The staff provide young people with warmth, structure and clear boundaries that meet their needs. Young people know what is happening each day and they understand the expected standards of behaviour and how they will be treated. A young person said, ‘People look after me here. It can be difficult to follow the rules, but I know the rules are there because people care about me.’

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff help young people when they struggle to manage their feelings or control their Inspection report children’s home: SC374939 3 behaviour in a safe manner. The staff take appropriate action to help young people feel calm and safe, thus avoiding the need to use restraint. For example, staff give young people time and space to calm, and one young person finds he can relax by watching his pet fish. The registered manager and staff’s approach is effective in helping young people to feel less anxious and more confident in taking part in activities outside of the home. The registered manager has an accurate and detailed understanding of the strengths of the home and the areas for further development. Thorough independent monitoring of the home provides a useful and evaluative assessment of the home’s effectiveness in safeguarding and meeting young people’s needs. It shows steps taken to improve the service and notes the effectiveness of these measures. The registered manager has

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

made sure that the shortfalls found at the last inspection have been addressed. Young people now have access to the internet to help them complete their homework and assignments for college. The home provides a safe environment for young people to live. The front door bell is now working and fire doors have been fitted with devices to ensure that they close safely. No requirements or recommendations have been raised as a result of this inspection.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/09/2017 Full Good 24/05/2017 Full Inadequate 07/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 11/08/2016 Full Requires improvement

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Information about this inspection

Inspection report children’s home: SC374939 4 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 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

Nick Veysey, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC374939 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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