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

Inspection report children’s home: 1249184 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 home is one of a group of homes operated by the same organisation. The statement of purpose indicates that the home provides up to three young people with a period of stability to reflect on their difficulties and make future plans. Staff aim to promote self-esteem through recognition, achievement and praise.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post for almost one year and recently started her level 5 diploma in leadership and management.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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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 requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Six young people have lived here since the last inspection in April 2018. Young people receive care and protection that varies in quality. Staff’s skills in therapeutic care vary. This is despite their receiving regular advice from the organisation’s clinical team.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people said that it is ‘all right’ here and that they like the staff. Staff spend time with them, take them out, give them choices and make sure that they are helped to see Inspection report children’s home: 1249184 2 their families.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some staff have good relationships with young people. They provide good-quality key working sessions and hold helpful conversations. In contrast, other staff do not build on this work. Staff do not help young people to make good progress in developing healthy routines in eating, sleeping and personal hygiene.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff continue to make records that are not helpful to young people. Young people are suspicious of what is written about them and they do not want to read, sign or keep any of their records or plans. The manager does not routinely read what staff write and is not proactive in identifying new strategies to try and help staff develop their practice.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Most young people do not engage in education. The manager reported that young people who have moved on are now doing better in education. Staff and managers provide some encouragement to young people and they liaise with education providers. However, staff and the manager do not proactively plan their work to help young people overcome their difficulties that are blocking their ability to learn.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some young people struggle to get on with one another and occasionally can cause severe damage and harm to other people and property. The manager and staff keep young people apart with some success. Some staff advise young people about safe, positive relationships and social behaviour. Staff and the manager try hard to avoid young people being unnecessarily criminalised. However, staff and the manager sometimes aggravate situations because they do not give reasons for restrictions that make sense to young people. In addition, the manager and staff have not thought about the potential grooming risks associated with internet gaming.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager matches young people carefully despite frequently taking placements at short notice. However, she has struggled at times to make and retain a skilled and creative staff team. She supervises staff adequately and identifies when staff need to improve. However, the manager does not sufficiently assess the impact on young people of delays and confusion about legal proceedings, investigations and decision-making. She does not prioritise finding out about what is happening or advocating for young people. Young people have less confidence in the manager and staff as a result. Inspection report children’s home: 1249184 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/04/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 25/10/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 12/06/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good

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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 each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1)(2)(a)(i)) 15/04/2019

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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.

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Requirement Due date

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 the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)) 15/04/2019

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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. 15/04/2019 Inspection report children’s home: 1249184 4 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(h)) 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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)) 15/04/2019

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)(2)(f)) 15/04/2019

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Recommendations

 Staff should be skilled in understanding the range of influences that friendships can have and should encourage those with a positive impact and discourage those with a negative impact. Homes that care for children who have, or are likely, to sexually offend should establish the extent to which friendships can be supported, in line with the child’s relevant plans and subject to the safety of all concerned. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 38, paragraph 8.8)

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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 Inspection report children’s home: 1249184 5 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

Rachel Britten, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1249184 6 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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