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

Inspection report children’s home: 1256795 1 Registered provider: Horizon Care and Education Group Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children or young people who may exhibit emotional and/or behavioural difficulties together with mild or moderate learning disabilities. The home offers short-, medium- and long-term residential placements for children and young people aged eight to 18 years of age.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The aim is to provide a period of stability to allow children and young people to reflect on their difficulties and make future plans, based on a comprehensive assessment of their social, emotional, behavioural, physical and educational needs and a dynamic care plan.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since February 2019.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

p.1

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.

p.1

and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, children and young people have made progress in key areas, such as education, behaviour and sleep routines. The majority of the requirements and recommendations set at the last inspection have not been met. Children and young people are now attending health appointments, such as the dentist, the looked after children’s nurse and the optician. However, children’s and young people’s mental health Inspection report children’s home: 1256795 2 needs are not being proactively addressed. Children’s and young people’s past experiences are impacting on their current behaviour, and this is being dealt with on only a superficial level.

p.1

and young people since the most recent full inspection

The failure to prioritise and ensure that education is available to all children and young people in the home remains a concern. Children and young people have been admitted to this home without a plan of attendance at an education provision. Education assessments have not taken place, which means that education in the home is not based on the child’s or young person’s level of understanding. Children and young people are mainly refusing to engage in any meaningful education activities. The children and young people in the home have no consistent structure to their day, despite the best efforts of staff.

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

Behaviour management remains an issue in this home. Children and young people are not given sufficient clear and consistent boundaries to ensure that the home is settled. This has had an impact on other children and young people in the home, who are being kept awake and are upset about the disruption in the home. Behaviours have escalated over the past few weeks, and disruptions have affected other children in the home. The manager has taken appropriate action to end a child’s placement.

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

Pre-placement matching assessments are not robust. The lack of an education provision for one child, combined with children and young people already in the home not attending their education provision, was not taken into account when a child was placed. This poor matching has led to the home being disrupted and a child having another move of home.

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

The monitoring of the home by the independent person and by the home’s manager is not effective. This is not ensuring that children’s and young people’s plans are promoting improvements. Children’s and young people’s case files are not updated, and key documents are absent. This does not support staff members’ understanding of children’s and young people’s needs.

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff make every effort to safeguard children and young people. They follow children and young people when they leave the home, and are a presence when disruptive behaviour is taking place. If they lose sight of children or young people, they follow the robust missing-from-home procedure effectively. Staff have good relationships with children and young people, and this enables the children’s and young people’s behaviours to be de-escalated when they are angry and upset, so that restraint is not necessary.

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home’s Statement of Purpose sets out the home’s ethos and overarching principles, which are based upon a theoretical model. However, no evidence of these was seen in children’s files, plans or day-to-day practice. In addition, the emphasis on education in the Statement of Purpose has not been realised. The leadership team needs to be more effective in setting the ethos and boundaries within the home to ensure that children make progress. Inspection report children’s home: 1256795 3 Children know how to complain in the home and, since the last inspection, the complaints procedure has been updated. Although there have been no complaints since the last inspection, sufficient steps have been taken to strengthen the process.

p.2

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/01/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 28/11/2017 Full Good

p.3

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.

p.3

Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff–

p.3

Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5(c)) 31/05/2019

p.3

Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

p.3

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure–

p.3

Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

p.3

Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of 31/05/2019 Inspection report children’s home: 1256795 4 exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8(1), (2)(a)(i)(viii)) The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that–

p.3

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to–

p.4

Requirement Due date

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;

p.4

Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a), (2)(a)(f)) 31/05/2019

p.4

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children–

p.4

Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure–

p.4

Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home. (Regulation 14(1)(a), (2)(b)(ii)) 31/05/2019 Inspection report children’s home: 1256795 5

p.4

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 difference 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.

p.5

Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

p.5

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: 1256795 6

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Horizon Care and Education Group Limited

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Venture House, Unit 12, Prospect Business Park, Longford Road, Cannock WS11 0LG

p.6

Inspector

Rachel Holden: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1256795 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.

p.6

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7