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

Inspection report children’s home: 1277734 1 Registered provider: Horizon Care and Education Group Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned children’s home. It is registered for up to three children aged eight to 17 years who have experienced adverse childhood experiences that have led to associated trauma and presenting complex behaviours.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is managed by a qualified manager who registered with Ofsted in June 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1277734 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This is the home’s first inspection since registration.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are cared for by a committed team of staff who quickly build up trusting relationships with the children. This trust means that children feel comfortable to discuss their worries and concerns and know that the staff will listen to them and take their concerns seriously.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children with their independence. Children are encouraged to help out around the home, such as keeping their bedrooms tidy and helping prepare meals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to participate in social activities. Children attend swimming lessons, join trampoline clubs and go to watch their favourite football teams play. One child is given the freedom to play with friends in the local area and to invite them back to the home to play. As a result of these varied activities, children become more confident, improve social skills and sustain friendships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff prioritise children’s education. Staff make sure that children are on time for school regardless of the distance that children need to travel to attend school. As a result of the commitment to education, all children are thriving educationally.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff make sure that children stay in touch with their families. This means that children maintain important family links.

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

Staff ensure that risk assessments identify children’s vulnerabilities. These plans are regularly reviewed and help staff to identify triggers that can increase children’s vulnerabilities. As a result, children become increasingly safe.

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

Staff ensure that children receive a high level of supervision and support. As a result, children do not go missing from the home.

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

Staff closely monitor the children’s use of the internet and social media. Staff carry out key-work sessions with children to help them to understand the risks and how to keep themselves safe. Parental controls are fitted to the home’s WiFi and checks are made on children’s mobile phones. These safeguarding measures help to keep children safe.

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

When children make historical disclosures, staff take immediate action to record the details and to report the concern. This prompt action helps to ensure that children receive the right protection. Inspection report children’s home: 1277734 3 Staff receive training to help to increase their awareness of the risks that children can face from child sexual exploitation, gangs, trafficking, radicalisation and knife crime.

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

Managers follow safe recruitment procedures. This ensures that all staff are suitable to work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by a competent manager who is qualified to level 5 in leadership and management of residential childcare. The manager is child-focused and passionate about ensuring that children have positive outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Core staff receive good-quality, reflective supervision that focuses on children’s needs. However, the manager has not provided reflective supervision for agency staff in line with the home’s policy. This represents a missed opportunity to help develop the agency’s members of staff’s practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff have good working relationships with children’s families and professionals. One social worker told the inspector that the manager and staff ‘go above and beyond’. When a parent was asked about their child’s progress, they responded with ‘where do I start’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children are supported to express their views through day-to-day discussions, children’s meetings and by being asked to complete questionnaires. However, the manager does not always scrutinise children’s responses when they have completed a questionnaire. This represents a missed opportunity to show how children’s opinions on the quality of their care are considered and how their views influence change. Inspection report children’s home: 1277734 4

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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 ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience.

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Recommendations

 Children must be consulted regularly on their views about the home’s care, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. Due consideration should be given to the child’s cognitive ability in the development and implementation of any consultation processes. Children should be able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted upon. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11)

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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: 1277734 5

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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

Debbie Bond, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1277734 6 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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