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

Inspection report children’s home: 2586951 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

The home is owned and managed by a private company. The home provides care and support for three children who can no longer live at home.

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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. This is the home’s first inspection since its registration in May 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in May 2020.

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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: Not applicable Inspection report children’s home: 2586951 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report children’s home: 2586951 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Three children live in this home. Professionals spoken to as part of this inspection said that the managers and staff are excellent at supporting children to settle and to make measurable progress. This is evident in one child being able to move back into foster care successfully.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move into and out of the home, a good transition is planned. An impact risk assessment shows that the manager considers the child’s history and behaviour and the needs of the children who already live in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s plans are updated regularly. Any changes to the plans are discussed with children and staff. This means that everyone knows and understands what support children require daily. Children have several opportunities to express their opinions, views and feelings through regular key-worker sessions, house meetings and daily chats.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children said that they all get on well with each other and that they like to do activities as a group. They said that staff are ‘good’, ‘approachable’ and ‘do their best’ for the children. Each child could identify several members of staff to go to if they had a worry or concern, or for support. A child said, ‘I love living here and the staff are great.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and the staff team have worked hard to ensure that all children have an education provision. All education information, such as school reports and education, health and care plans, is compiled into one plan. This ensures that the staff and children know what the next steps are. However, the information does not include the academic levels that the children are currently functioning at. This hinders staff from being able to support the children at the right levels, based on their individual assessed needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are in good health because the staff make sure that they attend regular appointments with medical professionals. The staff provide a well-balanced diet for the children. In addition to this, the staff have been working with the children on healthy lifestyles, for example having more exercise.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have different arrangements for keeping in contact with people who are important them. These arrangements have been formalised into individual plans which show that members of staff have clear information and guidance when supporting these visits. This focus on positive family time means that important relationships are maintained and built upon.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is warm, welcoming and decorated to a good standard. Children said that they are fully involved in decisions about the home, such as the decoration in the home and the choice of soft furnishings. They said that they help to keep the home Inspection report children’s home: 2586951 4 tidy, and often cook for members of staff and themselves. This shows that children are building skills that will assist them in later life.

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

The children said that they feel safe and protected in the home. The manager and staff help the children to understand risks and how to keep themselves safe. Risk assessments show the children’s vulnerabilities and the agreed strategies and actions that the staff need to take if an incident were to occur.

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

Safeguarding practice in the home is good and promotes the welfare and safety of the children. The staff are trained in safeguarding and additional areas, such as child sexual exploitation, e-safety and radicalisation. This means that they have the skills and knowledge to observe and identify any potential concern. Further to this, when talking with the inspector, several staff members confidently demonstrated their understanding of the action they would take if there was a concern.

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

Generally, the manager reports all concerns to the relevant safeguarding professionals and Ofsted. However, when she has been absent from the home, notifications have not been sent until her return. This reduces the regulator’s oversight.

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

There has been one incident where a child left the home without telling staff where they were going. Staff followed agreed protocols and the child returned safe and well. The risk assessment was reviewed, an independent person spoke with the child and staff completed additional work with the child around being safe. As a result, there have been no further incidents.

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

Positive behaviour is continually promoted and rewarded. Children said that the sanctions imposed are fair. However, the sanction record does not follow the Children’s Homes Regulations 2015 in terms of the information required when applying discipline. For example, the manager has not recorded the children’s behaviour leading up to the incidents, assessed the effectiveness of the sanctions imposed or noted whether the children have been spoken to.

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

Staff present children with certificates to celebrate individual achievements. Professionals said that the consistent boundaries, routines and reward systems at the home have helped their children to make good progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by an experienced manager. There is a stable staff team that provides continuity of care for the children. Several professionals said that the manager is very approachable, a good communicator and leads her staff team by example. Inspection report children’s home: 2586951 5 The statement of purpose, which is kept under review, clearly sets out the ethos and aims of the home. The home’s practice/ethos is centred on the needs of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager creates a supportive environment for staff, where they can express their views. Most of the staff hold a recognised childcare qualification, and other staff are at different stages of completing a qualification. Staff enjoy their work and they work well together as a team. Comments from staff included: ‘I look forward to coming to work. It is a great atmosphere’; and, ‘The support and training we receive really helps me to do my job well.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular one-to-one supervision which gives them the opportunity to reflect on their practice and identify areas or opportunities for their development. As a result, some members of staff have been promoted to senior roles in the home. In addition to this, staff have regular team meetings and daily handovers. This means that they can pass on relevant key information and provide continuity of care for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All staff undertake mandatory training as part of their induction, and this is refreshed regularly. Staff access a broad range of training courses to enhance their skills, knowledge and practice. For example, staff had been provided with training in e-safety, and therefore they were clear on the factors that need to be considered when working with children at risk.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff work collaboratively with a range of agencies and professionals who are involved in the children’s care. When services have been slow to respond or not available, the manager has challenged the shortfalls effectively. This means that the children receive the services that they need in a timely manner.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home. She makes effective use of internal and external monitoring. Any identified shortfall is addressed quickly, and any positive aspects are celebrated. Inspection report children’s home: 2586951 6

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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

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used, or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(iv)(v)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 31 July 2021

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff have the knowledge and skills to understand each child’s education and training targets and their next steps for learning. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 27, paragraph 5.11)  The registered person should have a system in place so that all serious events are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13) Inspection report children’s home: 2586951 7

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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: 2586951 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: Venture House, Prospect Business Park, Longford Road, Cannock, Staffordshire WS11 0LG

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Inspector

Pam Nuckley, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2586951 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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