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

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

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This monitoring visit

On 8 March 2021, Ofsted completed a monitoring visit due to escalating concerns noted in information received by the regulator. During this visit, inspectors found that staff were not able to protect children from each other. They also found that managers did not act on allegations and complaints that children made. This meant that children were not effectively safeguarded. The home environment was also inadequate and unsafe for children. As a result, Ofsted took the decision to suspend the registration of the home.

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This monitoring visit

On 19 April 2021, Ofsted carried out a second monitoring visit to review the concerns raised in March 2021. The inspector found that there had been insufficient progress to remove the suspension notice.

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This monitoring visit

On 26 May 2021, Ofsted completed a further monitoring visit to review the suspension of the home’s registration. The provider has dismissed the registered manager due to concerns about how she led the home. This means that there is no manager in place to continue to drive the needed improvement. The responsible individual is currently suspended pending an investigation. Staff assigned to the home are currently seconded to other homes in the company. As a result, there is insufficient staff and day-to-day leadership at the home. There is also still work to be done to make sure the Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1241975 2 environment is safe for children. Ofsted has allowed the suspension notice to lapse but has imposed a condition on the registration of the home. This means that the provider must notify Ofsted three months before children move in to the home. The provider is

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This monitoring visit

in full agreement with the imposed condition. They are seeking to recruit the needed manager and staff, and complete the necessary work to the environment, as quickly as they can.

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This monitoring visit

Senior managers have made significant investment in the environment of the home. The home has been redecorated, new bedroom furniture has been purchased, and the heating system has been replaced. However, bedrooms need to be carpeted and the kitchen needs to be replaced. As a result, the home is not yet ready for children to move in.

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This monitoring visit

Senior managers have put in place a series of workshops to support staff development. Staff have completed safeguarding training. They also have access to training about the underlying approach of the home. However, the workshops are not yet complete. This means that managers are not yet assured that staff have fully taken the training on board.

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This monitoring visit

Senior managers have developed a clear monitoring tool for home managers to use. This will support the manager of this home, once appointed, to oversee practice. They will also be better able to oversee the quality of care children receive.

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This monitoring visit

Senior managers have seconded staff to other homes owned by the provider. Staff are receiving good supervision in those homes that develops their work with children. Managers in those homes have not noted any concerns with staff. Managers have ensured that records have sufficient detail to help hold staff to account.

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This monitoring visit

Senior managers have ensured that there is a clear procedure for staff to follow if children make allegations or complain. Staff are now clear on their responsibilities to report and record. This will help staff to make sure that they address children’s concerns.

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This monitoring visit

Staff talk about the creative ways that they engage children and manage behaviour. This is in contrast to previous monitoring visits. Senior managers have noted that this remains an area for development. They have invested in training and time for staff to develop their work with children. This investment has shown staff that children’s care is important and that senior leaders will support them.

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This monitoring visit

Due to no children living at the home, some requirements raised at the previous inspection have not been considered as part of this monitoring visit and have been restated. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1241975 3

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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 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

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. 22 July 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— 22 July 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1241975 5 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)(xi)(xii)(xiii))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last monitoring visit and is restated. 22 July 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— 22 July 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1241975 6 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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iv))

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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

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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last monitoring visit and is restated. 22 July 2021

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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) 22 July 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1241975 7 This requirement was made at the last monitoring visit and is restated.

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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. 22 July 2021

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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, Prospect Business Park, Longford Road, Cannock, Staffordshire WS11 0LG

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Inspector

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

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Inspector

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Inspector

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