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

Inspection report children’s home: SC475347 1 SC475347 Registered provider: Horizon Care and Education Group Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned. It provides care for up to two young people. The statement of purpose states, ‘We seek to maximise each young person’s potential for social and educational growth and development by working in partnership with education, health, social workers and families to provide a nurturing environment. Children should be loved, happy, healthy, safe from harm and able to develop, thrive and fulfil their potential.’ The manager is qualified and experienced and has been the registered manager since April 2014.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 13 to 14 November 2018

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC475347 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

31/08/2017 Full Good 22/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 01/09/2016 Full Good 15/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC475347 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Over a period of three years, staff have maintained a positive, child-centred approach that has resulted in two young people making exceptional progress. Young people feel extremely safe because staff consistently provide strong, caring support that has developed from a considered and therapeutic model of practice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff work closely with professionals, carers, parents and community groups. For example, staff work with social workers to provide life story work for young people. They work with community leaders to encourage young people to take part in volunteering. Staff welcome parents and relatives to the home and take young people to significant family events. Empathic, nurturing, open-minded staff have significantly helped young people to come to terms with their past experiences and to develop a much more positive sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff have taught young people how to make and sustain relationships, including coping with one another’s differences. Both young people now show insight into the feelings of others. They enjoy spending some time together playing games in the recently converted, detached garage. They enjoy holidays and weekend activities with staff, who always organise things well. Young people are now self-motivated to keep to a healthy daily routine and to help around the house. Staff consistently explain the importance of this and spend time supporting them to do it.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff provide young people with excellent help and support to achieve as much as they can in education and to live a healthy and stimulating lifestyle. One young person is attending school full time for the first time in many years and his behaviour, in and out of school, has improved immensely. Another young person gets extra support after school to help him catch up in subjects that he struggles with, while also regularly taking part in canoeing and swimming clubs that are extra-curricular activities organised by his school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people are well prepared to move forward with plans for their futures. This is as a result of the efforts made by the staff and the manager over the past three years. One young person is ready for a move to foster care and the other young person is going to live with his brother prior to returning to a parent’s care. The staff and the manager have provided exceptionally sensitive practical and emotional support to help both young people come to terms with the bringing forward of one young person’s move. The whole staff team celebrates and empathises with the young people, helping them to talk about their excitement, fears, gains and losses. Staff already have well-organised files of memorabilia for him to take with him, including photos of times that he has spent with his brother and other family members. The whole staff team is going out for a farewell meal with both young people, and staff have made commitments to keep in touch once

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

the young person moves out. Inspection report children’s home: SC475347 4

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

Staff manage situations and young people’s behaviour extremely well. They are vigilant, calm and consistent. Staff spend quality time with young people and take opportunities to advise, explain and show young people how to manage their behaviour. They always ensure that they are applying the full range of their therapeutic skills, bearing in mind the underlying reasons that may cause a change in a young person’s behaviour. Young people listen and respond to staff because they have strong, respectful relationships with them. Young people follow staff’s advice about techniques to help them calm down such as taking time apart, using the punch bag or doing something active. Both young people have made outstanding progress towards managing anger, frustration and risk- taking behaviour.

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

Staff show an interest in young people’s friends and encourage positive pastimes. Time is spent carefully checking with young people to ensure that they understand what is okay and what is not. They maintain open discussions with young people in the way that good parents and positive adult role models do. This means that young people rarely go missing from the home, damage property or hurt themselves or others.

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

Staff and the manager are proactive and creative safeguarding practitioners. They regularly welcome the local police into the home to spend time with young people. The local police describe staff as ‘structured, passionate and amazing with the boys’. Staff also engage well with the youth offending service that has supported staff to provide individualised sessions to help one young person. The young person said that he learned that ‘anger is a feeling that you are allowed to feel but as long as you don’t use it in an aggressive way’. Together, these professionals have worked innovatively to significantly improve young people’s safety and ability to keep themselves safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager leads the staff team extremely well. He makes himself available to them all and shares research-led therapeutic practice ideas with them. He is confident that his staff team members have the right skills and trusts them as practitioners. In addition, he continuously works to develop the strengths of each member of staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is a trusted and positive male role model to both young people. He is compassionate, insightful and ambitious for them. Both boys come to him for advice and hugs, openly talking to him about their day and expressing their wishes and feelings. He is proud that he and staff have provided a loving and nurturing environment that has enabled both young people to make outstanding progress from their level of functioning and understanding three years ago.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager actively challenges partner agencies when the services that they are providing are not effective. He is skilled in championing young people’s rights and ensuring that they receive their entitlements to education, health and social opportunities. By working collaboratively with other professionals, the manager has consistently helped young people to fulfil their potential and to extend their range of Inspection report children’s home: SC475347 5 experiences. An independent reviewing officer said, ‘They challenge provision where appropriate and aim high for the young person. From an outside professional looking in, they appear to take the role of corporate parent very seriously and will have no hesitation in advocating on the young person’s behalf.’

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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: SC475347 6

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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

Rachel Britten: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC475347 7 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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Inspector

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