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

Inspection report children’s home: 1253501 1 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 three-bedded home provides care and support for children who have additional learning needs. The manager registered in 2017. He is a qualified social worker and possesses a management qualification.

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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

Date of last inspection: 26 February 2018

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1253501 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/02/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 24/07/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1253501 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The staff enthusiastically provide children with a loving home, stability, structure and boundaries. This enables children to receive nurturing care. The three children have lived together for several years and are flourishing. A parent said that staff provide, ‘more than care: there is love’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Families and professionals list several ways in which the children are progressing. Children’s progress is exceptional, given their starting points. A nurse praised the home for promoting children’s independence. Children learn to carry out their own personal care so that they are less reliant on staff. They grow in confidence as a result. Because children are praised for their achievements, they have higher self-esteem and are proud of the progress that they make.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Following a review of relevant research, the staff have introduced the use of specific communication tools, such as social stories. These are helping the children to address their anxieties about pending changes to their routines. Families now replicate these approaches in their family home. A parent spoke about how family life has improved as a result. She said that her child, ‘now stays with us at weekends. Things are so much better than three years ago.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The staff adore the children and say that they love working at the home. They know the children exceptionally well. Staff have a detailed understanding of the children’s non- verbal communication. One parent described her child’s keyworker as, ‘his second Mum’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff work creatively with the children to ensure that they attend their health appointments. This is particularly effective for children who have previously refused to attend health appointments. For example, the optician now visits children in the home. In another case, staff arranged for the dentist to conduct a basic examination while a child remained in the car. These versatile approaches ensure that children receive their routine check-ups while helping them to gradually overcome anxieties.

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

The staff have a great awareness of how children communicate through their behaviour. They often ‘read’ the children’s behaviour and take steps to prevent children becoming frustrated. This proactive approach means that the home is a calm, safe and stable environment.

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

The children are becoming more able to self-soothe and regulate their own emotional responses. This is because staff provide consistent support and encouragement. Staff are consistent in the way that they respond to poor behaviours. As a result, incidents of children lashing out at others or hurting themselves are significantly reduced.

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

Although children do not go missing from home, each child has a missing from home Inspection report children’s home: 1253501 4 protocol for staff to follow should this ever occur. The staff have a grab bag in place that contains items such as contact information, prescription details and toiletries. This ensures that the staff have access to essential information in the event of an emergency.

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

The staff are familiar with the whistleblowing process and say that they have no hesitation in using it should the need arise. Staff training covers a wide range of safeguarding topics. This ensures that staff are familiar with all aspects of safeguarding, not just issues affecting the children in the home. Managers are skilled at sourcing additional training materials that enhance the team’s awareness of issues such as autism and epilepsy.

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

Staff put their training to good use. Recently, they have been collating a child’s history of seizures for health professionals. The analysis of this information assists medical staff in assessing whether the child is on the correct type and dosage of medication.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has substantial experience in residential care and is suitably qualified. He and his deputy are ambitious for the children, the staff and the home. They are an effective leadership team. Managers have a good awareness of the strengths of the home and have clear plans to ensure continual improvement. Managers are confident to disseminate their knowledge and skills throughout the organisation. They also support children’s families and other organisations. As a result, they are spreading best practice to the wider community.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The managers welcome feedback and suggestions from children, their families and other professionals. This reflects a learning culture in which opportunities to improve are not missed. For example, by creating children’s memory files and expanding their photo albums, managers are able to give children more lasting memories of their time in the home. In addition, managers have recently enhanced the children’s sensory assessments and communication passports. These now provide more detailed information and clearer descriptions, which assist the staff in meeting the children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Supervision and the appraisal process are comprehensive. The staff describe their managers as supportive. Managers set high standards for staff. They analyse and reflect on any incidents that occur to ensure that they can identify any patterns or trends. This helps staff to reflect on their own practice. Managers make good use of independent visitor reports and their own quality assurance processes to identify development opportunities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers and staff are strong advocates for the children and their families. Staff celebrate diversity and make sure that each child’s preferences are well understood. One parent complimented the home by saying that her ideal scenario would be for the organisation to open a home for adults, so that her child’s care could continue into his adulthood. This demonstrates the trust and faith that the parents have in the staff. Inspection report children’s home: 1253501 5

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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: 1253501 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: 1253501 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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