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

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This three-bedded home aims to provide children with a warm, homely and non- institutionalised environment. The manager was registered in January 2019 and is due to commence the required level 5 qualification.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 18 to 19 February 2019

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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 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: 24 January 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC483710 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/01/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 19/04/2017 Full Good 19/10/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness 03/08/2016 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: SC483710 3

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Recommendations

 The registered person should be skilled in anticipating difficulties and reviewing incidents, such as learning from disruptions and placement breakdowns. They are responsible for proactively implementing lessons learned and sustaining good practice. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children living at this home have made good progress. Children are settled. Their school attendance has improved, with one child’s attendance improving from 50% to over 90% since the last academic year. Staff are in regular communication with the children’s education providers. Staff have been proactive in supporting children to access good- quality education. They have appropriately challenged the provisions, when necessary. These actions have addressed the shortfall raised at the last inspection. Children have positive, well-established relationships with staff. A therapeutic model of care underpins how staff work with children and this is reflected in their relationships. Equality and diversity are entwined through all aspects of the children’s care and through the diversity of the staff team. The children have an active voice in their home and they participate in house meetings. This forum enables them to share their views and wishes about life in their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Following the meeting, the manager responds to each child via a personalised card. The children say that they like receiving these cards as it lets them know what actions are going to be taken. These simple but effective responses also demonstrate that the manager is aware of the children’s likes and interests. This is because she incorporates their likes and interests into the design of each card. The children participate in activities and outings that reflect their interests. They are encouraged to try new things. Staff creatively encourage participation in exercise that the children may otherwise avoid, such as incorporating a long walk into a museum trip. This creative approach enables the children to exercise by default while having fun. The children’s rewards scheme enables them to earn their requested items through positive behaviour. One child described how this has helped him to earn additional items

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

for his pet hamster. The children are supported to access specialist services, such as child and adolescent mental health services. Inspection report children’s home: SC483710 4 Staff work closely with the children to ensure that they can move on to supported living or adult services in a positive way. This is evident in the preparatory work that was undertaken with a child who moved out recently. He spoke with pride about the way the staff had helped him to move and about their continued support.

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

Children are encouraged to take age-appropriate risks such as going out unaccompanied with friends. The children have established routines regarding maintaining contact with staff while they are out. One child discussed having emergency funds to cover any unforeseen eventualities. This approach ensures that children have fun, while being aware of keeping safe. Children have an awareness of potential areas of risk, such as exploitation. The team’s knowledge of the children’s behaviour and their triggers enables them to manage escalating behaviours well. Specific risk assessments and safety plans are put in place when the children’s behaviours escalate. This ensures that staff are consistent in their use of any strategies agreed with the clinical team. Although children do not go missing from home, staff are aware of the protocols that should be followed should this occur. Debriefs are held after significant incidents and events. These reviews allow the

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

manager to assess the lessons learned and detail any required follow-up actions. Sometimes, the follow-up actions identified by the manager have not been carried out. This omission negates the purposefulness of the debriefing process. Staff training is arranged to ensure that they have the relevant training and knowledge to address specific issues. This training has addressed potential issues in the home, such as ligature training. Staff ensure that children know what to do in the event of a fire. Children understand the importance of practising evacuation procedures.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, there has been a change of manager. A new registered manager is in post. The new manager was already familiar to the home and the children as she has been promoted internally. This arrangement has provided the children and the staff with continuity. The manager has carried out a self-assessment audit to identify areas that need to be addressed and improved. This work has enabled the manager to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the home, and identify the needs of the staff team. She has plans to make improvements but is measured in her approach. She is introducing changes at a pace that ensures that staff are onboard. Several changes have already been implemented regarding the paperwork and recording systems. These changes are in their infancy and yet to be embedded into staff practice. Inspection report children’s home: SC483710 5 The manager advocates on behalf of the children with passion and determination. Some

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

professionals have said that they admire this because they know that children benefit from this approach. The manager leads by example and staff appreciate this. They describe her as supportive and approachable, with a good understanding of the pressures that they face because she has worked alongside them. The home is meeting its aims and objectives and the staff are becoming better at evidencing this. Staff receive positive feedback from family members and the professionals involved in the children’s lives. A social worker spoke positively about how the home functions and this has led to the placing authority making plans to enable a child to remain at this home for longer.

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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: SC483710 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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Kenneth Farrimond

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Inspector

Sonia Hay, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC483710 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 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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