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

Inspection report children’s home: 2509452 1 Registered provider: Horizon Care and Education Group 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 home is owned by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for three children with emotional and/or behavioural problems.

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Information about this children’s home

The current manager was registered with Ofsted in March 2019 and has the required qualifications.

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Information about this children’s home

This is the first full inspection since the home’s registration in March 2019.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

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

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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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.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: This is the first inspection since registration

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: None Inspection report children’s home: 2509452 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

This is the first inspection since registration. Inspection report children’s home: 2509452 3

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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.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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.

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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.

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Requirement Due date

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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(h)) 28/11/2019

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. 28/11/2019 Inspection report children’s home: 2509452 4 (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Recommendations

 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 for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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improvement to be good

Progress for children is variable. Most children have positive experiences and have formed trusting relationships with the staff team. Children told the inspector that they are happy at the home.

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improvement to be good

The transition to move into the home for one child was well planned and sensitive. A social worker told the inspector that the staff were ‘very genuine and nurturing’ and this helped to alleviate the child’s anxieties about the move.

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improvement to be good

However, another child was accepted to live at the home who had exhibited absconding behaviour. This is against the home’s statement of purpose and safe area assessment. The manager failed to robustly assess the impact of this decision, and this led to poor outcomes for this child and caused an unsettled period of time for other children in the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff arrange appropriate contact with family and friends. Staff ensure that there are clear arrangements and structure for contact. This has led to improved relationships with family members for some children.

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improvement to be good

Children are given opportunities to share their views on their care, through regular meetings. These are well attended by children. Positive relationships with staff enable the children to raise any concerns at any time. They know how to make a complaint and whom to talk to if they have a concern. A complaint made by a child, regarding staff Inspection report children’s home: 2509452 5 conduct, was investigated in line with procedure and not upheld. However, the response to the child does not fully reflect the investigation process that took place to reach this decision and does not help their understanding of the process.

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improvement to be good

Children are making progress in education. A designated teacher told the inspector that staff take an active role in supporting education and communication is ‘brilliant’. Staff support children to learn independent living skills. One child is being supported to manage their own finances as part of independence planning. However, a lack of formal independence plan makes it difficult to monitor their progress and learning.

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improvement to be good

Medication has not been handled in line with procedure. Although this does not appear to have had an impact on children, subsequent medication audits have failed to spot an error, and the manager was alerted to this by the inspector.

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improvement to be good

One child who has exhibited self-harming behaviour does not have an up-to-date risk management plan. At the time of inspection, a plan was still being formulated. As a result, there are no agreed written strategies or guidance for staff to follow to help keep her safe.

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improvement to be good

Incidents are poorly recorded. They do not fully reflect the behaviour demonstrated or all actions staff take to keep children safe. Consequently, there is no learning taken from incidents or updates to plans.

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improvement to be good

Direct work undertaken with children does not demonstrate the advice and support offered to children to help reduce behaviours such as substance misuse. As a result, it is not clear whether the sessions are effective in helping children.

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improvement to be good

The registered manager took decisive action when a child posed a risk to themselves through absconding behaviour. Multi-agency meetings were requested to agree a planned response. Subsequent action to end the placement to keep the child safe was timely.

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improvement to be good

There have been no incidents of physical intervention and few sanctions. Children are rewarded for positive behaviour and respond well to the system in place. A social worker told the inspector that staff set clear boundaries but are flexible to meet the needs of individual children.

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

The registered manager exudes warmth and is nurturing towards the children. Other professionals recognise the strengths and passion she brings to this home.

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

The registered manager has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home. The registered manager and the staff team, together, are committed to Inspection report children’s home: 2509452 6 raising standards for children.

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

Staff benefit from a structured thorough induction process and receive regular supervision. However, following incidents there is limited reflection on practice, and although de-briefs take place with staff they are not recorded to provide a learning opportunity. Furthermore, monitoring and oversight of records do not provide sufficient challenge to shortfalls in recording.

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

Staff are either qualified to the appropriate level, are currently undertaking the relevant course or are new to the service. Staff receive the training they need to care for children. There is a clear recruitment process in place to ensure that children are cared for by suitable staff.

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

Staff work effectively with a number of agencies, including the youth offending service, education providers and police, who receive regular updates on the progress of children.

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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: 2509452 7

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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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Inspector

Jessica Forshaw, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2509452 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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