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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1241975 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 home is owned by a large private provider. It is registered to provide help and support for four children who struggle to manage their emotions and behaviour.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since June 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

The home’s registration is currently suspended.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was undertaken to monitor the provider’s compliance with the suspension notice that was imposed on 10 March 2021. This notice was issued due to concerns about children’s safety. The areas of concern detailed in the suspension notice have not yet been addressed. As a result, the suspension will remain in place, and requirements issued at the previous inspection have been restated.

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This monitoring visit

There has been a good start to making the home environment better for children. This has included redecoration, a new cooker and a new heating system. The home has a clear maintenance plan to continue to improve the environment. As the heating work was ongoing during the visit, the upstairs of the house, including the office, was inaccessible for safety reasons. Although a good start has been made, the environment remains unsafe for children to live in.

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This monitoring visit

During the previous monitoring visit, senior managers began an internal audit of the home’s systems and practice. This has resulted in the manager being suspended while an internal investigation is carried out. The responsible individual is also currently suspended and is under investigation for their role in the failings of the home. This means that the home is currently without consistent and effective leadership to improve practice. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1241975 2 An interim manager has recently moved to the home from another part of the organisation. Their role will be to develop and implement the provider’s action plan to address the failures that led to suspension.

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This monitoring visit

The provider is yet to review the allegations against members of staff that inspectors identified at the previous monitoring visit. This means that the provider is yet to determine the action to take with staff or the learning from these incidents. However, senior managers are keeping the designated officer informed and are following their guidance.

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This monitoring visit

Senior managers have considered recent decisions relating to allegations and practice. In one case, managers identified a flaw in the investigation and disciplinary process. The outcome of this process did not reflect the full allegation against a member of staff. This led senior managers to resuspend a member of staff, to reconsider the concerns about their practice. Senior managers are clear that where action needs to be taken, even if this contradicts past decisions, this will be addressed.

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This monitoring visit

Senior managers have made the decision to redeploy staff to other homes within the organisation. Two staff remain in the home with the interim manager to address systems and processes so that they are better suited to the care of children. The statement of purpose has been amended to reflect the changes in the staff team. However, this also makes it difficult to be clear on the substantive team for this home.

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This monitoring visit

Senior managers are clear that a culture change is needed and that child-focused decisions should drive practice. They are sharing the learning from the shortfalls within this home with the wider organisation and using it as a catalyst for change. Senior managers have expressed significant regret at the situation leading to the suspension of this home. It is heartening to see that learning from this suspension is being shared more widely, with a focus on children’s experiences.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 22/08/2018 Full Good 07/03/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness 04/10/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1241975 3

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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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (a)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last monitoring visit and is restated. 23 May 2021

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to— 23 May 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1241975 4 meet the needs of each child; and

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last monitoring visit and is restated.

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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.

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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

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children;

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Requirement Due date

understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; and

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them. (Regulation 11(1)(b) (2)(a)(vi)(vii)(ix)(x)(xi)(xii)(xiii))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last monitoring visit and is restated. 23 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— 23 May 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1241975 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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last monitoring visit and is restated.

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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 have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; 23 May 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1241975 6 ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(d)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last monitoring visit and is restated.

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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

manage and review the placement of each child in the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(b)(ii)

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last monitoring visit and is restated. 23 May 2021

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Requirement Due date

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

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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—

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Requirement Due date

the person has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills to manage the home effectively and lead the care of children. (Regulation 28 (1)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last monitoring visit and is restated. 23 May 2021

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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. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last monitoring visit and is restated. 23 May 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1241975 7 The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children’s home from abuse or neglect.

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Requirement Due date

The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular—

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Requirement Due date

provide for the prompt referral of an allegation about current or ongoing abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the home is located;

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Requirement Due date

provide for the prompt referral of an allegation about past abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the alleged abuse or neglect occurred;

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Requirement Due date

provide for records to be kept of an allegation of abuse or neglect, and the action taken in response;

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Requirement Due date

describe the measures which may be necessary to protect children following an allegation of abuse or neglect; and

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Requirement Due date

describe how and to whom staff are to report, without delay, any concern about abuse or neglect of a child. (Regulation 34 (1)(a) (2)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last monitoring visit and is restated. 23 May 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (‘the behaviour management policy’) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last monitoring visit and is restated. 23 May 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1241975 8 Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (1) (3))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last monitoring visit and is restated. 23 May 2021

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Recommendations

 The registered person must ensure that a record of supervision is kept for staff, including the manager. The record should provide evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with regulation 33(4)(b). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.3)

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Recommendations

This is in relation to the supervision of managers of the home, ensuring that the records of supervision detail an clear action plan and oversight of the home.

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Recommendations

This recommendation was made at the last monitoring visit and is restated.

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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: 1241975 9

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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

Karol Keenan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1241975 10 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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