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

Inspection report children’s home: 1249184 1 Registered provider: Horizon Care And Education Group Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is one of a group of homes operated by the same organisation. The home is registered to provide care for up to three children. The home provides therapeutic care for young people who may have experienced neglect, abuse or trauma.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered since June 2018 and is completing the level 5 diploma in leadership and management.

p.1

Inspection date: 18 February 2020

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

Inspection date: 18 February 2020

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1249184 2

p.1

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Risk assessments for children are not comprehensive, detailed or clear. They do not always include known information about the potential risks that children present to others or identify children’s own vulnerabilities sufficiently. Risk assessments are not updated in response to significant incidents or behaviours and it is not clear who writes them or that there is management oversight. As a result, staff are not given clear guidance on how to keep children safe.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Consideration of risk prior to children arriving at the home is poor. Impact risk assessments do not adequately consider how specific behaviours and risks for children might interact with those of children already in the home. This means that the dynamic of children in the home is poorly matched. Despite this, staff work hard to ensure that transitions into the home are considered to help children to settle in.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children’s relationships are not always positive. On at least one occasion, a child has been significantly assaulted by an older peer in the home because staff did not intervene to avoid this. This means that staff are not keeping children safe from predictable harm.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Incidents in the home are poorly recorded. Key information, such as which children were involved, is not consistently captured. The registered manager does not provide sufficient oversight of these incident records to identify where practice should be challenged and improved. For example, on one occasion, a child was threatened with police involvement. This approach does not appear to be in line with the home’s statement of purpose. The lack of management oversight means that children are cared for by staff whose day-to-day practice is not scrutinised. As a result, the quality of care provided does not improve.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff in the home have made some positive changes to the home environment since the last inspection. However, there are areas of the home, such as bathrooms, that need cleaning and repair, and there are some parts of the home that appear dirty and dusty, such as children’s bedrooms. This means that children live in an environment that is not consistently of a good quality.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Rotas in the home are confusing and there is more than one rota for staff for the month. This means that it is not clear who is working in the home and when.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager has not ensured that requirements and recommendations which were made at the last inspection have been met. Concerns about risk management, children’s relationships with each other, and monitoring and review have not been addressed and are now subject to compliance notices. Inspection report children’s home: 1249184 3 Children leave the home for the right reasons, such as court directions to return home, and staff in the home support these transitions.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff care about the children they care for. When children are finding things difficult, staff offer their time and comfort and children respond well to this. This emphasises to children that they are important and that staff want to help them.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff in the home respond well to requests from other professionals. This helps children to be supported by a well-informed network. However, where an issue was rightly raised with the designated officer at the local authority, the home did not then ensure that they were aware of the closure of an internal investigation. This means that partnership working and scrutiny from external agencies regarding safeguarding are inconsistent.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children do make some progress in the home and all are attending school. Staff support children who are on part-time timetables and advocate for them to get the help they need. Staff support children to maintain and develop their relationships with their families, sometimes going the extra mile to help, as they understand how important this is for the children they care for. Inspection report children’s home: 1249184 4

p.3

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/06/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/03/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 25/04/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 25/10/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: 1249184 5

p.4

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.5

Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

p.5

Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.5

Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

p.5

Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (2)(c)(i)) 17/04/2020

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

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. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i))* 17/04/2020

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

that staff— 17/04/2020 Inspection report children’s home: 1249184 6 manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(iv))*

p.5

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—

p.6

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.6

Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(h))* 17/04/2020

p.6

Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

p.6

Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4. (Regulation 37 (1)(2)(a)) 17/04/2020

p.6

Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

p.6

Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

p.6

Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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: 1249184 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Horizon Care And Education Group Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

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

p.7

Inspector

Karol Keenan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1249184 8 to 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.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

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

p.8