Children's home run by Horizon Care Limited in Cannock Chase

Inspection report children’s home: SC366851 1 SC366851 Registered provider: Horizon Care Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run children’s home offers care and accommodation for up to three young people who may experience emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is operated by a suitably qualified and experienced registered manager who is supported by an experienced and enthusiastic staff team.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 17 to 18 September 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

Date of last inspection: 12 December 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC366851 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/12/2018 Full Good 13/09/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 20/04/2017 Full Good 30/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC366851 3

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Recommendations

 The home’s record of a serious event must include a description of the action taken and the outcome of any resulting investigation. Following a notifiable event under regulation 40 the home should contact the placing authority to discuss the need for further action. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.14)  Children should be actively encouraged to read their records and to add further information to them. They should be regularly reminded of their rights to see information kept about them and be given information about how they might be supported to access their records in later life. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.6)  Regulations 35–39 detail the records that must be kept in children’s homes. All children’s case records must be kept up-to-date and stored securely whilst they

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Recommendations

remain in the home. Case records must be kept up-to-date and signed and dated by the author of each entry. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3) Specifically, ensure that day-to-day records only include the most relevant information to avoid misinterpretation.  Local authorities have a duty under section 22 (3A) of the Children Act 1989 to promote the educational achievement of their looked after children, which includes, as set out in the guidance, seeking a school or other education setting that is best suited to the child’s needs. The local authorities’ responsibilities as corporate parent apply wherever the child is placed. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 27, paragraph 5.5)  When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity

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Recommendations

for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of the information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’ page 45, paragraph 9.30) Specifically, ensure that a record of the interview is held within the home and used to inform future risk management practice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last full inspection in December 2018, two young people have been discharged from the service. One young person has successfully made the transition to semi- independent living while another young person had a planned internal move to a children’s home nearer to their home community. At the time of this inspection, one young person remains in placement and there has been one new admission to the home. Inspection report children’s home: SC366851 4 Young people enjoy positive and warm relationships with the staff. Young people are settled, happy and on the whole make good progress. One young person commented, ‘The staff are really nice and listen to us. It is quieter than the other homes I have been in. I like it. I am doing good and was allowed two guinea pigs, which I love.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Residential care planning is good. Plans incorporate relevant and specific targets that are consistently reviewed and updated. Young people engage well with staff and understand their placement aims. Their individual progress and success are consistently praised and rewarded. Consequently, young people achieve and are proud of the progress they make. However, there is minimal evidence of young people reviewing the work undertaken with them, such as target-setting, reviewing risk assessments or planning key-work sessions. In order to develop further, the manager and staff should encourage young people to review and comment on this work and make changes where it is deemed appropriate. This enables young people to gain a sense of control over their lives and helps to build on future targets and goals. A recommendation is made to address this matter.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection in December 2018, the educational attendance and attainment of young people resident in the home have been consistent. Where appropriate, new admissions to the home are supported to maintain their educational setting. This reduces the impact of change and enables the young people to preserve relationships with both teachers and friends.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are occasions when young people struggle to engage in education. Staff work well with educational providers, ensuring that young people have options suitable to their needs. Records, including personal education plans, review meetings, incentives and key-work sessions highlight the home’s commitment to ‘going the extra mile’ in order to break the cycle of non-attendance. However, when services are assessed as not suitable in order to meet the needs of the young person, the registered manager must challenge the delay in the local authority securing appropriate long-term settings. A recommendation is made to address this matter.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Healthcare planning is good. Young people are registered with local practitioners and receive regular visits from the looked-after children’s nurse. In addition, young people are provided with a range of additional support, including child and adolescent mental health services, drug abuse counsellors, equine therapy and play therapy. Young people engage well and now lead much healthier lifestyles.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the value of including families where possible in the planning for young people’s care. Consequently, young people enjoy regular contact with important people in their lives. Staff support young people to build and sustain positive friendships within the community. This means that young people feel part of their community and have connections which are separate from the home. As such, young people have developed a range of positive friendships resulting in them enjoying sleepovers with friends and meals out with their families. Young people enjoy a range of recreational activities, such as horse riding, cycling, Inspection report children’s home: SC366851 5 gymnastics and attending the youth club. Some young people enjoy time with friends or stay in the home looking after their pets or playing board games with staff. Each young person enjoyed a separate summer break away from the home and said, ‘It was great, I

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

really enjoyed it. Staff are funny and do the activities with us. The staff are great here.’ Young people live in detached premises with ample indoor and outdoor space. The home is decorated and maintained to a suitable standard. Each young person has their bedroom decorated in a way that they feel reflects their personality and interest. Likewise, young people have access to a private telephone on which they can make and receive calls independently. The house is warm and welcoming, and young people make this their home.

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

Young people’s safety is prioritised effectively within the home. Detailed impact assessments ensure that all young people placed at the home are assessed against the needs, interests and aspirations of those already resident. Likewise, individual risk assessments are balanced against a full chronology of life events. This means that risk is measured, and appropriate individual strategies are in place to address any concerns.

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

Behaviour management is effective. Young people and staff form good relationships based on trust and mutual respect. Consequently, young people work with staff to identify areas for development and a suitable reward for the progress they make. Staff are consistent in their approach, and this enables the young people to work within the house boundaries. A social worker said, ‘The staff work really well with young people. I think this is a great placement.’

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

Young people know how to complain, and receive valuable information from the home and their placing authority to guide them in this area. Since the last inspection, there has been one complaint. Although this complaint was retracted, the manager followed the home’s procedures and informed the placing authority. This means that the manager maintains a record of all complaints made, the action taken and any patterns or trends emerging within the home.

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

Staff confirm that physical intervention is only used as a last resort in the home. Since the last inspection in December 2018, there have been no incidents where an intervention of this nature has been deemed necessary. Staff continue to have annual training in this area and pride themselves on their successful conflict resolution and de- escalation techniques.

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

Young people come to the home with a history of absenting themselves from their previous placement. Staff work with young people to identify risks and to develop an individual missing-from-home plan. This document is supported by an individual record of incidents and key-work sessions. From young people’s initial starting points, missing- from-home episodes have significantly decreased. A social worker said, ‘Since living at the home, they have settled, and risks have dramatically reduced. The staff know how to respond. This is why it works.’ Consequently, although young people present with risks, these risks are managed effectively and have shown to have significantly reduced since Inspection report children’s home: SC366851 6 the young people became resident in the home. However, although records confirm that return home interviews have taken place for some young people, information provided in these interviews is not shared with the manager or staff of the home. As a result,

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

pertinent information gleaned from such interviews does not inform future risk assessment or the proposed management of risk-taking behaviours. A recommendation is made to address this matter.

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

Young people live at a home with consistent routines, boundaries and expectations. Young people thrive. They feel safe, cared for and develop goals and aspirations for their futures.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has been in post since December 2018. He has a number of years’ residential experience working with children and young people and is qualified at NVQ level 5. The registered manager is supported by a strong and stable staff team. Young people live in a home that is managed in their best interests. The home meets the aims and objectives of the statement of purpose, and young people, social workers and families are clear about the service and support the home provides.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Good internal monitoring systems provide the home with an improved approach to the overall monitoring of care. Some records are further developed and highlight areas for development and reflect some of the matters identified within this inspection. However, some records require further development. For example, certain live records refer to historical information which is no longer prevalent in the young person’s life. Consequently, these records are open to misinterpretation. A recommendation is made to address this matter.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home employs a committed and enthusiastic staff team. The majority are suitably qualified at level 3 and new members of the team are enrolled to complete this training. The preparation of staff at this level ensures that they are suitably qualified in the care and management of young people. Likewise, staff receive relevant training in the home. A staff member said, ‘Training is good. We have face-to-face and online training. We also have external agencies visit the home, such as counsellors, advocates and health professionals. This provides us with additional knowledge and a better insight into how they work.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive support from the registered manager. A staff member said, ‘We have worked really hard to improve the service. We are proud of our achievements and of the positive impact we have on young people’s lives.’ This committed team works tirelessly in order to create and develop positive outcomes for young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is aware of the procedure for notifying Ofsted of incidents under regulation 40. However, details contained in some of the notifications received by Ofsted have been limited and required additional clarity. The manager must ensure that notifications made to Ofsted are recorded in accordance with the guidance under regulation 40. A recommendation is made to address this matter. Inspection report children’s home: SC366851 7 The home’s development plan highlights the targets identified to achieve within the forthcoming year. Both the registered manager and staff are excited and committed to ensure the further development of practice, building and grounds.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff demonstrate commitment to developing and improving practice. The effectiveness of this approach is measurable in the progress young people make from their initial starting points.

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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: SC366851 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Horizon Care Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Maria McGranaghan, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC366851 9 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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