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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2586949 1

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Horizon Care And Education Group Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home is registered to provide accommodation for up to three children who may have emotional and behavioural difficulties or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has a registered manager, although he is currently absent from his post.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit took place due to concerns arising from the review of safeguarding and scheduled notifications. Concerns from safeguarding notifications were around staff ability to manage escalated behaviour and over-reliance on the police to intervene. The independent person report raised concerns about almost all aspects of the care provided to young people and the lack of good management of the home.

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This monitoring visit

Managers present for the inspection reported that they were aware that recording and reporting in the home was sub-standard. They stated that incidents were not always being recorded. Young people had caused significant damage to the home and not all of the incidents were evident in records. Young people spoke about an alleged assault that had occurred and inspectors found there was no record of this, despite a member of staff recalling such an incident.

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This monitoring visit

Yong people’s risk assessments were not all up to date. One young person had been assaulted while out alone in the community. His risk assessment did not provide direction for staff to safeguard him from this risk. Records were unclear about whether he was, or was not, allowed unsupervised time in the community. Staff spoken to were unclear about the rules and boundaries for him.

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This monitoring visit

Young people were not in any form of education or were not completing any of the education work supplied to them. They were in poor routines, often awake all night Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2586949 2 and sleeping for most of the day. They were spending large amounts of time on their gaming consoles or mobile phones. Until recently, staff had not challenged or tried to address this.

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This monitoring visit

Two young people had issues regarding food. One had gained a significant amount of weight and the other had lost weight. Again, until recently, this had not been monitored or addressed.

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This monitoring visit

There were issues reported around the cohesion and unity of the staff team. Managers, staff and young people all reported that there was a divide within the staff team. This resulted in inconsistencies in care and young people were left unclear about rules and boundaries in place for them. This had contributed to a number of incidents of heightened behaviour and damage. On several occasions staff had reported these incidents to the police because they did not have the skills or the relationships with young people that would have enabled them to manage the incidents themselves. One record showed a senior manager threatening a young person with calling the police to manage his behaviour.

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This monitoring visit

Staff had not been supervised in line with the stated frequency. One member of staff, who should have been supervised fortnightly, had not had supervision since she started in her post five weeks previously. Staff reported they did not feel supported when the previous manager was in post. They stated that he openly undermined their efforts to implement routines and boundaries for young people. They also reported he did not have appropriate expectations about staff conduct.

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This monitoring visit

There was no clear management oversight of the home. Records were not evaluated by managers. Training for some staff was not up to date. Inappropriate behaviour of staff was not challenged.

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This monitoring visit

The home’s responsible individual has taken some appropriate actions to begin to address the above issues. Senior managers understand and accept that there are some serious shortfalls in the provision of care and are keen to rectify this. A manager from another of the company’s homes is working part-time in this home to try to improve standards. Other senior managers are also stepping in to provide support and direction.

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This monitoring visit

There are early signs that improvements are being made. Young people were observed to be in positive routines. Staff were observed to be interacting well with the young people, and young people reported they felt safe. Two of the young people spoke positively about living at the home.

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This monitoring visit

The home environment has been repaired and furniture replaced, although there are still some areas to be improved. One young person has started to engage more with staff and come out of his room for short periods. Staff have altered the way they offer him food and are monitoring his weight, which has resulted in a weight gain. Another young person has reduced missing from care incidents. He is also getting into a more positive routine. He has started exercising and has lost some weight. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2586949 3 This monitoring visit has resulted in seven requirements being made and one compliance notice being served, under Regulation 13. A further visit to the home will take place to monitor compliance. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2586949 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans.

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Requirement Due date

The enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

develop the child’s interests and hobbies;

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Requirement Due date

participate in activities that the child enjoys and which meet and expand the child’s interests and preferences; and

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Requirement Due date

make a positive contribution to the home and the wider community.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 9 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)) 30/09/2020

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that— the health and well-being needs of children are met; 30/09/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2586949 5 children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(ii)(iv))

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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—

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Requirement Due date

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—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; 23/08/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2586949 6 ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

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)(a)(b)(c)(f)(h)) *

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Requirement Due date

A person may only manage a children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

the person is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

having regard to the size of the home, its statement of purpose, and the number and needs (including any needs arising from any disability) of the children— the person has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills to manage the home effectively and lead the care of children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry.

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2586949 7

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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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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Inspectors

Charlie Bamber, social care inspector Catherine Fargin, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2586949 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.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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