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

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

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 plans for the future. Staff aim to promote self-esteem through recognition, achievement and praise.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

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

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1249184 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/03/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 25/04/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 25/10/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 12/06/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: 1249184 3

p.2

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

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. 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)) 25/07/2019

p.3

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other. (Regulation12(1)(2)(a)(iv)) 25/07/2019

p.3

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)) 25/07/2019

p.3

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. 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)) 25/07/2019

p.3

Recommendations

 Ensure young people live in an environment which meets their basic day to day needs. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’ page 15, paragraph 3.7) In particular, the registered manager needs to ensure that institutional language and behaviour used by staff is challenged. Improvements are also required to the Inspection report children’s home: 1249184 4 home environment.

p.3

improvement to be good

Young people have positive relationships with staff and managers. Young people are not happy about living ‘in care’ but are confident and comfortable to share this with staff. Inspectors observed good interactions between staff and young people, and young people spoke positively about staff.

p.4

improvement to be good

The home environment needs some attention to refresh the decor and repair damage. The registered manager has a home improvement plan that includes creating a games area and fitting blinds to the downstairs windows. The current home conditions do not help young people feel valued and do not create a homely environment.

p.4

improvement to be good

Young people have made some progress since living in the home. Staff have supported young people to improve their personal hygiene, communication skills and emotional health. All professionals the inspectors spoke to recognise the progress that young people have made from their starting points.

p.4

improvement to be good

However, young people’s education achievements have been hindered because they have not been in formal education. The registered manager has not challenged other professionals to ensure that these delays are addressed and young people’s needs are better met. This has caused some drift and delay, which has an impact on young people’s potential.

p.4

improvement to be good

The registered manager and staff care about young people and talked positively about them. Staff confidently described the progress that young people make and actions that they take to keep them safe. However, staff use institutionalised language and approaches. For example, staff are not discrete when young people need a high level of supervision and use language such as ‘on site’ and ‘off site’. This is not challenged by the registered manager. On a daily basis, this approach may contribute to the negative feelings that children have about living away from their families.

p.4

improvement to be good

Young people feel safe. Staff take appropriate action when young people are missing and follow the protocols that are in place. However, staff respond reactively rather than being proactive. This is because monitoring and review systems are not effective, and the registered manager does not fully review incidents. Consequently, there is a lack of reflection and analysis about how to reduce future risks.

p.4

improvement to be good

Young people’s relationships are not always positive. Staff try and address the negativity Inspection report children’s home: 1249184 5 between young people with some success. However, on one occasion a young person was fearful about returning to the home after he was assaulted by another young person living in the home. On this occasion, the young person was not kept safe. However, staff intervened to prevent further injury, and the registered manager reviewed the young person’s placement and took action following the incident.

p.4

improvement to be good

Risk assessments vary in detail and quality. Staff have incomplete historical information for young people. Consequently, not all risks are adequately identified, and satisfactory guidance is not available for staff. Despite this, staff recognise risks, and understand how to safeguard young people.

p.5

improvement to be good

Staff manage complex behaviours without the use of physical interventions. Staff understand that restraining young people is the last resort and utilise other strategies. However, they do not always manage young people’s behaviour consistently. On occasions, staff have rewarded behaviour that should not be encouraged. The registered manager does not review these incidents adequately. Consequently, she had not challenged staff until these issues were identified by inspectors. This lack of challenge does not support staff in developing a culture of positive behaviour in the home.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager has been in post for a year and has started to establish a consistent staff team. There has been some use of agency staff due to the high levels of supervision needed in the home. The registered manager has reduced the impact on young people by utilising consistent workers whenever possible.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager does not review incidents effectively. When young people have gone missing from care, staff complete debriefs between themselves without the registered manager. Thus, there is no critical review. Risk assessments are not updated, and revised strategies to support behaviour are not identified.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager has not challenged others to achieve the best outcomes for young people. This has delayed access to education for young people. In addition, the registered manager has not been proactive in requesting a review of young people’s therapeutic support plans. This has resulted in staff following out-of-date guidance. This demonstrates a lack of ambition for young people.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Despite these shortfalls, staff spoke positively about the registered manager and the support that they receive. Staff receive regular supervision. An extensive range of training is available that is relevant to the young people’s needs, and staff attendance is monitored. Inspection report children’s home: 1249184 6

p.5

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.

p.6

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: 1249184 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Horizon Care and Education Group Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

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

p.7

Inspectors

Lisa O’Donovan, social care inspector Joanna Warburton, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1249184 8 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.7

Inspectors

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 http://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.8

Inspectors

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

p.8

Inspectors

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

p.8