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

Inspection report children’s home: 1253501 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 three-bedded home provides care and support for children and young people who have additional learning needs. The manager registered in 2017. He is a qualified social worker and possesses a management qualification.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 19 to 20 December 2019

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1253501 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/03/2019 Full Outstanding 26/02/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 24/07/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1253501 3

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Recommendations

 Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5) In particular, all children should have the opportunity for a regular fire evacuation practice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

This home provides young people with high-quality, individualised care. The home environment is designed specifically for young people with autism spectrum disorder and other disabilities. The young people all have individual needs, and the home adapts and changes to ensure that these needs are met. Some areas of the home provide a low-stimulus environment, while other areas have more decoration. Partnership working with families is excellent. Families feel fully involved in the care of their child, and their views are routinely sought. Families are offered help and support when their child is staying at their home. Staff have a detailed understanding of all young people’s communication methods. There are many opportunities for young people to communicate their choices, wishes and feelings. Menus, the complaints policy and other important information are in an accessible format. This means that young people are involved in choices about their care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Healthcare passports have been developed. These provide essential health information for appointments. The healthcare passports help young people who have difficulty waiting, as they have their health needs met more quickly, reducing their anxieties. Transitions from the home to school are effective. Staff work closely with school transport to ensure that there is a consistent approach with all young people. For example, the same taxi drivers and escorts are used to provide familiarity for the young people. This means that the transition to school is improved, and young people are better prepared for their school day.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Managers have applied to charities to enable them to buy specialised equipment for one young person. This will enable the young person to move their hands up to their face. This will make a huge impact on their independence, especially around eating and touching their face. This is outstanding practice and shows clear determination by managers to provide the best care possible to the young people. The attention given to young people’s individual needs enhances their life chances and helps them to achieve their potential. Inspection report children’s home: 1253501 4

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

Staff manage young people’s behaviour very well. They do this by following detailed behaviour support plans. Staff manage incidents and challenging behaviour quickly and effectively. Managers carefully and thoroughly analyse incidents and reflect on practice. Because of this work, the number of incidents reduce. Support for staff is optimised by regular supervision and team meetings. Staff hold their colleagues in high regard. They feel supported by a highly effective management team and are keen to continually improve their own practice. Training is up to date. This means that staff have the skills and confidence to provide excellent care. Staff have an in-depth understanding of the young people. They demonstrate a thorough understanding of young people’s needs in relation to their disability and their communication methods. Strenuous efforts are made to support young people’s communication to enable

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

them to express themselves and have a sense of safety and wellbeing. Staff understand and follow young people’s care plans and risk assessments. A recommendation has been made for all young people to take part in a full building fire-evacuation practice, and for this to take place routinely. This would provide additional safeguards for young people. Healthcare is prioritised for all young people. Staff keep meticulous records. For example, staff record all young people’s seizure activity on a chart. This information is shared with health colleagues to ensure that there is an effective response to managing this condition. One young person’s bedroom has been made safer to meet their needs in relation to epilepsy and other health issues. Training for staff has improved. Safeguarding training now takes place more regularly. This means that staff maintain and improve their knowledge about keeping young people safe.

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

Managers deliver research-based training on autism spectrum disorder. This is positive for staff as it improves their practice. This training is shared more widely with other services to enhance their provision.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The managers are outstanding leaders. They have extensive knowledge, gained from substantial experience of working with children and young people in residential childcare who have disabilities. Managers have significant knowledge of autism spectrum disorder and continue to undertake research. They speak confidently and passionately about this. They are proud of the achievements at this home, and they remain firmly rooted in providing child- centred care excellence. Managers are innovative. They strive to improve the care for the young people. Managers have developed a new way for young people without speech to show that they are unwell. Young people can point to a teddy to identify any areas of the body that hurt and let staff know that they need help with their health. This evidences a management team that is continually seeking new ways of gaining the views, wishes and feelings of young people. This

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

means that young people’s health outcomes also improve. The managers are complemented by a stable and reliable staff team. Staff turnover is very low. Managers understand the importance of a consistent approach with the young people. Inspection report children’s home: 1253501 5 This consistency is an important theme running through the excellent care the young people receive. For example, young people often see the same staff in the morning who helped them at bedtime the previous evening. These simple but important daily structures demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the young people. Managers demonstrate excellent partnership working with families and professionals. Families are confident in the home’s ability to care for their child. They ask staff for advice about behaviour and health management. This means that when young people stay at their family home, this is successful. Additionally, relationships between young people and their siblings

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

and parents improve. Professionals say that staff adapt and change how they work to meet all the young people’s individual needs. They also say that communication with staff is very effective. Managers have a consistent monitoring system which is effective. Monitoring identifies themes and patterns within records. This means that when behaviour patterns are identified, these are analysed, and behaviours are reduced. Managers have systems in place for ongoing and continual improvement.

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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: 1253501 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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Inspector

Simon Hunter, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1253501 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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