Children's Home run by Horizon Care and Education Group Limited in Bradford

Inspection report children’s home: 1245572 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 privately run home provides care and accommodation for up to four children and young people who may exhibit emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home offers short-, medium- and long-term residential placements for children and young people aged between eight and 18. The home currently does not have a registered manager.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 19 to 20 November 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 requires improvement to be 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: 19 September 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1245572 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/09/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 12/06/2018 Full Good 03/10/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 20/06/2017 Full Inadequate Inspection report children’s home: 1245572 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 registered person must— keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)) In particular, provide information about the practice of locking internal doors to communal rooms in the home. 31/12/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if— there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and the registered provider— is an organisation or a partnership; is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home. If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of— the name of the person so appointed; and the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(iii) and (2)(a)(b)) 31/12/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45(4)(a)) 31/12/2019 Inspection report children’s home: 1245572 4

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Recommendations

 The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. Professionally qualified staff employed by the home, e.g. teachers or social workers, should be provided with relevant professional or clinical supervision by an appropriately qualified and experienced professional. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2) In particular, that supervision is reflective, and that all of the supervision records are on file and include information about the children and young people.  Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should

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Recommendations

record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) In particular, improve the records to ensure that they provide consistently clear and accurate information that informs care practices with children and young people. Ensure that the records confirm that the children and young people have seen the feedback following consultations with them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and young people enjoy living at this home. This is because the staff provide good-quality, individualised care and protection, which has enhanced their progress and experiences from their starting points. The strong and nurturing relationships that are forged between the children and young people and the staff help them to trust the adults enough to express their worries. They are engaged in most of their plans, gaining in confidence and maintaining a proud cultural identity. The good parenting and nurturing environment enable the children and young people to reach their potential and feel happy and settled. The children and young people’s physical and emotional health needs are fully understood by the staff team. This helps staff to support the children and young people’s access to primary healthcare appointments. Staff talking to children and young people about the risks of substances is helping them to make better health choices. Partnership

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

working with specialist health services support children and young people to improve their mental health and emotional well-being. The children and young people benefit from staff who support their access to education. All of the children and young people attend school daily and most are committed to their Inspection report children’s home: 1245572 5 learning. This is notable progress given that some children and young people had moved to the home without an interest in attending school. Those children and young people who are struggling in school are kept involved through bespoke timetables to support and help them to maintain a clear focus on the importance of learning. The children and young people’s access to a range of activities, such as going to the cinema, playing sports, day trips, visiting places of cultural interest and eating out exposes them to new and positive experiences. Children and young people feel listened to. They trust the staff who advocate for them

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

effectively. The staff make sure that children and young people are fully included in their day-to-day plans and the running of the home. Examples of children and young people leading their own statutory reviews and complaining when they have felt unfairly treated reflect an open and learning culture. The staff understand the importance of maintaining family relationships. They ensure that the children and young people maintain positive contact with family, friends and significant others. This helps the children and young people to maintain a strong bond and positive cultural identity.

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

Children and young people’s vulnerabilities are safeguarded by the trained and vigilant staff who understand the risks and know how to protect them. The children and young people do not go missing from home. They are not subject to sexual, criminal or any form of exploitation. Good risk management of the children and young people’s behaviours promotes a shared understanding of individual risks and the potential impact on the child and others. The strategies are reducing some children and young people’s risky behaviours, which is keeping them increasingly safer. Children and young people benefit from good, nurturing parenting within consistent routines and boundaries. Challenging behaviours are addressed by the staff who spend one-to-one time with the children and young people, helping them to reflect on their behaviour and to consider the other children and young people’s feelings when they display inappropriate behaviour. These interventions are enabling children and young

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

people to show remorse and apologise. Children and young people who have difficulties expressing their emotions are using useful learning tools to help them to communicate their feelings effectively. The children and young people respond well to praise and rewards for positive behaviour, which gives them a sense of pride and achievement and it promotes socially acceptable behaviours. Physical intervention is not a regular feature for the children and young people due to embedded de-escalation practices. Good partnerships with the local police community support officer and the youth offending team offer an extra layer of support that helps to divert children and young people from a life of crime.

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

Inspection report children’s home: 1245572 6 There has been no registered manager at the home since April 2019. The provider has appointed a new manager after the previous efforts to appoint a manager failed to take full effect. Management cover has been provided by the qualified and experienced responsible individual since July 2019. Further support has been provided to the staff team by the registered managers from the other children’s homes owned by the provider. Changes in the staff team due to some staff leaving and new starters have not been detrimental to the children and young people’s positive overall experiences and progress. The staff team is aspirational for the children and young people to prosper. Staff have a coherent understanding of the children and young people’s needs and meet them competently. The independent visits provide scrutiny and challenge, which contributes to the provider’s understanding of most of the home’s strengths and weaknesses. The six-

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

monthly report had not been sent to Ofsted within the required timescales. Although it was made available at the time of the inspection, this did not provide sufficient time to review the contents. Management oversight has missed opportunities to identify and improve the gaps in some records. For example, impact risk assessments for children and young people with specific needs do not include information to show how the gaps in staff knowledge will be filled to meet the need. Not all children and young people’s placement plans make their additional needs clear from the outset or indicate how their additional need manifests itself. It is not always clear from the children and young people’s consultations how the responses have been shared with them. Supervision records are not consistently reflective about the quality of the staff member’s practice and the care of the children and young people. Not all of the supervision records

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

are available. Despite these shortfalls, the new and existing staff feel well supported through regular supervision and training. Internal doors have been locked during times of disruption in the home. This practice is not included in the home’s statement of purpose, which lacks transparency for stakeholders reading the document. Good feedback from professionals and parents indicates their high level of confidence in the staff team’s care and protection of the children and young people. One parent said, ‘I couldn’t speak highly enough of them, they are amazing. I could wax lyrical about them.’ The recommendation made at the last inspection has been met. This relates to the provider obtaining children and young people’s care planning documentation from the local authorities.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: 1245572 7 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: 1245572 8

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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

Jacqueline Malcolm, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1245572 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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