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

Interim inspection report children’s home: 1241975 1 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 children’s home is registered for up to four young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is part of a private company that provides children’s homes and schools.

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Judgement at last inspection: good

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 declined in effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people living at the home since the last inspection have experienced disruption due to new young people moving in on an emergency basis. This disruption has resulted in one young person, who was previously settled, having her placement break down. The initial plan was that this home would be her long-term placement.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The compatibility of the existing young people with prospective new young people is not fully considered. There are occasions when full information about a new young person is not available at the point of their admission. As a result, staff do not have sufficient time to prepare the young people already in placement, and to be ready for the new young person’s arrival. Interim inspection report children’s home: 1241975 2 The registered manager has recognised that young people arriving at the home on an emergency basis has had a negative impact for young people and staff. Both the registered manager and the responsible individual are reviewing their admission processes to address the appropriateness of emergency admissions.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people have caused damage to the home that staff have been unable to prevent. The ratio of staff to young people is not always sufficient to ensure that the safety of both young people and staff is secured.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Although staff encourage young people to attend health appointments, young people do not have their health assessment records on file.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some young people have not made progress in their education. This is despite it being identified as a shortfall at the last inspection. A social worker told the inspector that, although there were initial difficulties in obtaining a school place, one young person has only attended eight times out of a possible 30 days. Staff have not been consistent with regard to helping young people to see the importance of good school attendance.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

More positively, the registered manager advocated for an increase in family contact for one young person, to help to rebuild their family relationship. This support has now enabled the young person to successfully move back home with her family.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff are good at supporting young people to develop their life skills in readiness for adulthood. Staff have helped one young person to move on to semi-independent living. Staff supported the same young person to achieve her aspiration by securing a place on a work-based agricultural course.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager has reviewed the complaints procedure. This has enabled young people to be more confident in raising a complaint. The registered manager has also ensured that young people are increasingly involved in the future plans for the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people going missing from the home is rare. On the rare occasion this does happen, the staff make sure that young people receive a return home interview.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager monitors and reviews the quality of care. She has addressed safer staff recruitment practice and improved the quality of staff supervision.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

One requirement has been raised again. This relates to ongoing shortfalls in young people attending school. Interim inspection report children’s home: 1241975 3

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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 help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1)(2)(a)(viii)) 20/04/2018

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that helps children aspire to reach their full potential and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child and that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1) (2)(d)(e)) 20/04/2018

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14 (1)) 20/04/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which include the information and documents 20/04/2018 Interim inspection report children’s home: 1241975 4 listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child. (Regulation 36 (1) (a)) In particular, ensure that health assessments are on the young person’s file.

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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

Balsinder Jaspal-Mander, social care inspector Interim inspection report children’s home: 1241975 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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