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

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2572132 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

The home is part of a large private organisation. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children with social and emotional needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and manager were registered in March 2020. The registered manager has resigned from her post and is due to leave in April 2021.

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This monitoring visit

On 15 February 2021, Ofsted carried out a monitoring visit in response to information provided by the independent visitor, who identified that children had caused harm to each other. The inspector identified that children were not effectively safeguarded. As a result, a compliance notice was issued under regulation 12 (the protection of children standard).

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This monitoring visit

On 24 February 2021, Ofsted carried out a second monitoring visit in response to a complaint received identifying further concerns with safeguarding in the home. Inspectors identified serious safeguarding failings resulting in children being at risk of harm. As a result, Ofsted took the decision to suspend the registration of the home. A compliance notice was issued under regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard).

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This monitoring visit

On 19 March 2021, Ofsted carried out a further monitoring visit to monitor the compliance notice issued under regulation 12 (the protection of children standard). The monitoring visit concluded that insufficient progress had been made to meet the steps outlined in the compliance notice. As a result, the same compliance notice was re-issued.

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This monitoring visit

This latest visit was carried out to monitor compliance with the notice issued under regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard) by Ofsted on 24 February Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2572132 2 2021. The notice had been issued as leaders were not ensuring that children were adequately safeguarded and protected from harm in the home. Furthermore, management oversight in the home was found to be inadequate.

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This monitoring visit

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), Ofsted completed a risk assessment and made the decision to carry out the inspection on site.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders are taking action to improve the quality of care for children in the home. The home is being refurbished and redesigned to meet the needs of children. For example, a new lounge area is being created to give children more space to relax in the home. However, this work is ongoing and has not yet been completed.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have refreshed their previous training and undertaken further mandatory training to enable them to support and safeguard children. Leaders have also ensured that staff have received additional training specific to the shortfalls identified in the home. For example, staff have recently completed focused safeguarding training delivered by the company’s quality assurance improvement partner. This training has allowed staff to reflect and learn from previous experiences in the home. Furthermore, the registered manager has followed up this session with a team meeting to test the knowledge and learning of staff in relation to specific risk assessments. Consequently, staff feel more confident in their ability to safeguard children.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has submitted her resignation to Ofsted and is due to leave her position in April 2021. Senior leaders have appointed a new manager and a handover will take place before the current registered manager leaves. In addition, an interim regional operations manager has been recruited to provide managerial support to the home. There is also a continual programme of staff recruitment and plans are in place to recruit to the one remaining vacant position in the staff team.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager does not supervise staff during their probationary period at an appropriate level to support them in their role. For example, one staff member in her probationary period had not received regular supervision from the registered manager in line with the company’s supervision policy. This policy states that during this period staff should receive supervision every two weeks. Consequently, staff do not receive the level of support and guidance they need to fulfil their role.

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This monitoring visit

While management oversight in the home is improving, the systems have failed to identify shortfalls. For example, senior leaders are currently working with the relevant professionals in response to allegations made by children against a member of staff. However, they have failed to ensure that Ofsted is updated on developments with the ongoing child protection investigation. As a result, the regulator is unable to carry out its monitoring function to ensure that appropriate action is taken by the provider to safeguard children.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders have introduced new monitoring systems to raise standards in the quality of care provided for children. For example, new recording documents have been Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2572132 3 developed for the manager to use when completing staff supervision sessions and team meetings. These are child focused and provide staff with opportunities to discuss their understanding of children’s risk assessments and plans. In contrast, the new monitoring systems have failed to identify that one staff member had not received regular supervision. Furthermore, they have not identified shortfalls in the sharing of key information with Ofsted. Consequently, the provider is not able to demonstrate that these systems are effective.

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This monitoring visit

As a result of this inspection, a compliance notice was re-issued under regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard). The requirements and recommendation raised at the last inspection were not reviewed at this visit.

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Recent inspection history

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2572132 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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them;

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(x)(xiii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to staff understanding and knowledge, in being able to identify both the signs and impact of bullying in the home. 9 May 2021

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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— 9 May 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2572132 5 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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to staff understanding and implementation of children’s risk assessments, and their role in keeping children safe.

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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

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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; 9 May 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2572132 6 ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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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)(c)(d)(e)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to management oversight in the home. It also relates to the manager’s oversight of staff supervision and ensuring that staff receive support and guidance relevant to their role.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to appropriate care planning for children and staff following and adhering to local authority care plans. 9 May 2021

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Requirement Due date

have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the responsible individual’s oversight and monitoring of the home and ensuring that the home’s child protection policies are followed. 9 May 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2572132 7 The registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction.

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the registered manager ensuring that staff working in the home receive appropriate induction and support. 9 May 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to serious incidents in the home where Ofsted has not been notified and updated in a timely manner. 9 May 2021

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should 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)

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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. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2572132 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: Horizon Care and Education Group Limited, Venture House, Unit 12, Prospect Business Park, Longford Road, Cannock, Staffordshire WS11 0LG

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Inspector

Dean Wilton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2572132 9 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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