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

Inspection report children’s home: 1229762 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

This home provides care for up to three children who may require support in respect of social and/or emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is owned and managed by a private organisation. The manager became registered in August 2020 and is completing the required level 5 qualification.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, 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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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

Date of last inspection: 12 February 2020

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1229762 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/02/2020 Full Good 06/11/2018 Full Good 12/12/2017 Full Good 09/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: 1229762 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are happy in the home. They said that this is the ‘best place’ to live and they feel that staff look after them well. Children have trusted and secure relationships with staff. This helps children to make progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to achieve in education. Staff work closely with education providers to develop bespoke packages that meet the needs of individual children. Staff support the boundaries and expectations set by schools. As a result, engagement with school and attendance for all children are good.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to see people who are important to them. Staff intentionally seek children’s views about contact arrangements and advocate on their behalf to secure children’s wishes. This has led to some children spending increased time with family members, including overnight stays.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children develop independence skills. Staff encourage and support them to take responsibility for their own health appointments and medication. Staff teach children how to use the calendar application on their mobile phone to set alerts and notifications. This helps children manage their time and attend their meetings and appointments.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children know how to complain. The process is covered when they first move into the home and staff check out their understanding in young people’s meetings. When children do complain, their complaints are taken seriously. The manager responds in writing and keeps children up to date with the progress of their complaints.

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

Children are settled and said that they feel safe . They have somebody whom they can talk to when they are worried. Key-work records show that children and staff initiate conversations about recent events and concerns. They are also used to discuss future events, such as health appointments and planning for college.

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

Staff promote positive behaviour and set consistent boundaries for children. There are very few incidents, and there is minimal use of physical intervention. Good management oversight of incidents ensures that staff learn from incidents through challenge and discussion in supervision and team meetings.

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

Risks are well managed, and children rarely go missing. When they do, staff respond quickly and in line with agreed protocols. Staff work closely with other agencies to manage and reduce risk-taking behaviour. Incidents and risk-taking behaviour are reviewed in team meetings, which helps staff provide a consistent response to children. Inspection report children’s home: 1229762 4 Although no concerns or referrals have been made to the designated officer, staff demonstrated a good understanding of safeguarding and whistle-blowing procedures.

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

Although safer recruitment procedures are in place, they are not applied rigorously with regards to the verification of references. It is unclear whether the person providing the verification can comment on any safeguarding matters.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has been in post for just over a year and is working towards the required qualification. Staff described her as ‘firm but fair’: she sets clear and consistent boundaries with children and staff. She does this through her communication and systems she has introduced and by working alongside staff on shift.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff morale is good. The staff team is stable and experienced: staff turnover is low. Staff are supported through regular supervisions and team meetings. They are encouraged to develop and improve their practice through reflective supervision. A staff member said that the manager is skilled at giving constructive feedback.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

One child left the home under very poor circumstances. There were serious failings in planning and communication between the organisation and the placing authority. This meant that the child had an extremely distressing experience of moving on. The manager has reflected on this, and all transitions into and out of the home since have been well planned and thought through.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Induction and training programmes ensure that the staff team is skilled and experienced in meeting the needs of the children. Specialist training has been provided to meet specific needs of some children. The clinical team provides regular support to the team. This helps staff to respond to changes in children’s behaviour.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals and families praised the team for the quality of their communications and their approach to partnership working.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The requirement raised at the last inspection regarding internet access remains unmet. Children have complained about the poor internet connection and the impact that it has on their daily activities. Children are also aware that it has an impact on staff and their work. Inspection report children’s home: 1229762 5

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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 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—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, resolve the issue of inconsistent broadband connection. 12 August 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

The requirements are that— 12 August 2021 Inspection report children’s home: 1229762 6 the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the verification of references is provided by someone able to comment on any safeguarding matters.

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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: 1229762 7

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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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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Tamika McCalla-Gibson

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Inspector

Alison Marshall, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1229762 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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