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

Inspection report children’s home: 1258089 1 Registered provider: Horizon Care and Education Group 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

A private company operates and runs this home. It provides care for children and young people whose plan is to live in a medium- to long-term residential setting. The manager has 14 years’ experience in residential care and has held registered manager status since 2010. She became registered manager of this home on 26 January 2018.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: this is this home’s first inspection since its registration on 2 February 2018.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1258089 2

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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 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 fulfil their potential and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13(2)(a)(c))

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Requirement Due date

With particular reference to staff completing the therapeutically informed parenting training, and training on attachment and trauma issues, in order to care for the children and young people. 08/08/2018

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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. (Regulation 13 (2)(d)) 22/08/2018

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a system in place so that all serious events are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. The system should cover the action that should be followed if the event arises at the weekend or on a public holiday. Notification must include details of the action taken by the home’s staff in response to the event. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.3)  Any sanctions used to address poor behaviour should be 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. Equally, staff should understand the system for

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Recommendations

Inspection report children’s home: 1258089 3 rewarding and celebrating positive behaviour and recognising where children have managed situations well. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraphs 9.38 and 9.39)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and young people enjoy living in a spacious, detached property which is very well equipped and furnished to meet their needs. The homely surroundings enhance the children’s and young people’s sense of belonging. The home is within easy access of a number of leisure facilities and the town centre. The proactive manager ensured that positive relationships were built with neighbours prior to the home opening. This contributes effectively to the children and young people feeling that they are accepted members of their community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Detailed and comprehensive records detail every aspect of the children’s and young people’s needs and how they are to be addressed. The thorough day-to-day care plans provide the children and young people with a good picture of their agreed timetables. There have been some occasions when events have not taken place due to staffing pressures.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and young people are settled and comfortable. They enjoy close relationships with trusted staff team members. The children’s and young people’s sense of security and belonging empower them to engage with the care and make good progress. A young person said, ‘This is the best children’s home I’ve ever lived in and I’ve lived in a lot before coming here.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Where appropriate, and as detailed in the child’s or young person’s care plan, parents, carers and family members are welcome in the home. Contact arrangements are carefully planned, enabling the children and young people to maintain, and in one case rebuild, important familial relationships. One young person is successfully being prepared to return to live with a family member. This is a notable achievement for this young person.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff team members work hard with education providers to ensure that the children and young people have appropriate education provision. One child is on roll at a mainstream school, but her attendance is sporadic at this time and a new timetable is being trialled to improve her commitment. The staff team members actively encourage the children and young people to participate in learning and build time for study and homework into their days, as good parents would.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and young people are healthy. Good relationships with mainstream health providers ensure that all of their generic health needs are met and that they are able to access specialist services. This includes working with the children and young people to dissuade them from smoking tobacco. Support from the company’s clinical psychology Inspection report children’s home: 1258089 4 team allows the staff team members to understand and support the children’s and young people’s emotional and psychological needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and young people grow in the confidence to express their wishes and feelings as a result of the opportunities they have to share their views. The children’s and young people’s self-esteem and physical and emotional health improve as they participate in regular hobbies and activities within the community. They enjoy these pursuits where they have fun, develop social skills and build new, positive friendships within the community. A social worker said, ‘Since she’s been there she’s got involved in all sorts.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team members are sensitive to the needs of the children and young people who live a considerable distance from their home location. In partnership with her placing authority, one child is now able to have respite care with a foster carer in her home city, which enables her to maintain cultural and community links.

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

The staff team members are supporting the children and young people to start to develop an understanding of other cultures and each other’s diversity. On occasion the children’s and young people’s behaviour and language, including displaying racist attitudes towards staff members, are unacceptable. Although such situations are addressed in key-work sessions with the children and young people, it is not clear whether they receive appropriate consequences for their behaviours. The children and young people do have a reward system to encourage them to aim towards achieving goals. However, the children and young people can be confused by how long it takes them to achieve these rewards. The children and young people are not being fully supported to understand the impact their attitudes and behaviours can have on others.

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

A comprehensive range of appropriate risk assessments ensure that each child’s and young person’s individual vulnerabilities are known and planned for. The children and young people state that they feel safe in the home and know that the staff team members will protect them. There are no bullying episodes. A child said, ‘This is one of the happiest places I’ve ever lived.’

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

The children’s and young people’s sense of security and belonging mean that they do not want to be away from the home unless it is part of planned activities. As a result, there have not been any missing episodes. This is a significant improvement for some of the children and young people in the home.

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

The consistent and patient staff team members are good role models for the children and young people. They implement individual behaviour management plans, in line with the company’s therapeutic model, so that the children and young people learn more acceptable ways of behaving. The children and young people receive constant verbal praise and positive messages which enhance their sense of self. Consequently, physical interventions are not necessary and there have not been any recorded restraints since the home opened. A social worker said, ‘I think [Name] is safe and doing very well Inspection report children’s home: 1258089 5 there.’

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

Good safeguarding arrangements are applied effectively. Senior managers are aware of the potential risks of the children and young people becoming involved in radicalisation. The staff team members have completed an online training course, but arrangements have also been made for them to attend face-to-face training to ensure that they can protect the children and young people and promote their welfare.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The experienced and efficient manager has worked extremely hard to open the home and put all relevant systems and policies in place. The manager knows the children and young people in her care well and is committed to supporting them to achieve to the best of their ability.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There have been a number of changes in personnel since the home opened. Staff team members from other homes are covering staff vacancies at this time but there are significant gaps, for example two senior care workers. A small core group of permanent staff team members are well supported to fulfil their roles and must be applauded for their resilience and commitment to the children and young people. Their warmth and use of humour enable the children and young people to engage with them. However, the staff team members report that at times they have been struggling and have got very tired. This is because, at this time, there are not enough experienced and qualified staff team members specifically for this home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home’s statement of purpose states that ‘all staff are trained in therapeutically informed parenting’, but this is not the case. Only two of the eight members of staff currently working in the home, including the manager, have had the full training. Although all staff team members receive an introduction to the company’s way of working as part of their induction process, children and young people are placed in the home in order to receive the specific service detailed. The home is not presently complying with its statement of purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The staff team members receive training on core subjects including child protection and the risks posed by child sexual exploitation. This benefits the children and young people and contributes towards their safety and well-being. However, some children’s local authority care plans stipulate that they need work to be undertaken around trauma and attachment issues. The staff team members have not had the specific training they need to do this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Ofsted has been receiving notifications with regard to serious incidents, which allows the regulator to maintain an overview of care. However, it is evident that staff team members who do not fully understand what information is necessary have completed and submitted reports in the manager’s absence.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager uses her knowledge of the children and young people, and regular communication with partner agencies, to identify and build on the progress the children Inspection report children’s home: 1258089 6 and young people are making. This includes challenging placing authorities if necessary.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Good external monitoring visits contribute towards the children’s and young people’s well-being and safety. The manager’s internal auditing procedures under regulation 45 incorporate the views of all interested parties, including the children and young people. Her detailed report provides an evaluative picture of the care that has been provided. The majority of professionals spoken with by the inspector were very positive about the care the children and young people receive. They reported that the manager and staff team members work in partnership with them, enabling the children and young people to receive consistent care. A social worker said, ‘The placement are very good at working with us and keeping me informed.’

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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: 1258089 7

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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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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Catherine Fieldhouse

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Inspector

Ann-Marie Born, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1258089 8 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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