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

Inspection report children’s home: 1257073 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 home is operated by a private provider. It can accommodate up to three children or young people. The home offers short-, medium- and long-term placements for children and young people aged between eight and 18 years. The aim of the home is to provide a period of stability to allow children and young people to reflect on their difficulties and to make plans based on a comprehensive assessment of their social, emotional, behavioural, physical and educational needs. The manager was registered with Ofsted in June 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: A compliance notice relating to the protection of children was issued after the last full inspection. A monitoring visit was carried out on 11 June 2019 to monitor whether the provider had met the notice. Inspection report children’s home: 1257073 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/05/2019 Full Inadequate 14/11/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: 1257073 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children build good relationships with the staff. The staff take the time to get to know the children well. The children enjoy spending time with the staff and they benefit from lots of individualised attention.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children maintain good health. The staff encourage the children to attend routine health appointments. The children access specialist health services to ensure that their individual needs are met. The children successfully engage with other health agencies, which helps them to understand any risks to their health, such as substance misuse.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children learn the importance of education. They have gone from not attending education to engaging in personalised tutoring sessions. Some of the children are preparing to start school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children enjoy positive life experiences. They try new activities for the first time, such as trips to the caravan, seaside and holidays abroad. They enjoy a range of daily activities, such as climbing, the gym, going to the cinema and meals out.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children learn a range of life skills. The skills that they learn include cooking, shopping and cleaning. This is preparing them well for independence in later life.

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

The children feel safe in this home. The children have clear boundaries, which staff consistently maintain so that they are safeguarded. The children trust the adults around them and feel that they can talk to the adults about any issues, concerns or just to have a chat.

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

The children’s risk assessments are clearly written. The staff follow the actions set out in the risk assessments to help keep them safe.

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

When the children become upset, staff proactively support them to understand their feelings and to regulate their behaviour. Through taking this calm and caring approach, the children feel valued and listened to. The children learn strategies to manage their feelings positively and they have started to make positive choices about their own safety.

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

The children have not been missing from home since the last inspection. If the children do go missing from home, the manager has put in place clear procedures to ensure that the children are located and returned home as quickly as possible.

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

The children’s views are listened to and discussions take place so that they understand the boundaries set and the reasons for these, which are to keep them safe. The children can take controlled risks, such as increased internet usage. This strategy is well Inspection report children’s home: 1257073 4 monitored and is effective at testing children’s understanding and their ability to keep themselves safe.

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

The relationships between the children have improved. This is due to increased staff supervision and the staff creating opportunities to help the children to get along and to build trust between them. There have been no incidents of bullying or allegations between peers. This ensures that the children live in a positive environment where they can flourish.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The new registered manager has taken a positive and reflective approach to making robust changes to addressing the shortfalls found at the last inspection. She has carried out extensive work to make sure that a compliance notice, requirements and recommendations have been met. The registered manager is ambitious for the service to continue to improve and for the children to achieve. She leads the staff team by this positive example.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff report feeling well supported by the registered manager. The staff receive regular and reflective supervision, which helps them to feel confident to do their jobs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has improved her monitoring systems, allowing her to identify strengths and any potential issues in practice. She has addressed shortfalls recorded in the external visitor’s monitoring reports to ensure that any practice and safeguarding issues are scrutinised and reflected upon.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager ensures that the children have access to all the services that they need. She has improved communication with other professionals and is working in partnership with social workers, specialist health agencies and education staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

This home is now operating within the statement of purpose. It is providing the children with stability and it helps them to achieve positive change.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: 1257073 5 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: 1257073 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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Inspectors

Jamie Richardson: Social Care Inspector Rachel Holden: Her Majesty’s Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1257073 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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

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