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

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC475323 1 SC475323

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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 private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

There is a manager in post, who is not yet registered with Ofsted.

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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

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection that took place on 2 and 3 June 2021. The inspectors identified serious failings relating to the help and protection of children and the leadership and management arrangements. As a result, Ofsted issued a notice restricting accommodation and compliance notices relating to regulation 12 and regulation 13 of the Children’s homes (England) Regulations 2015.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit took place on 12 July 2021. The purpose of the visit was to review the restriction notice and evaluate the progress the provider has made towards meeting the actions set out in the compliance notices. During this visit, the inspector found that the provider had not taken sufficient action to meet the actions set out in the two compliance notices. These have been reissued and the notice to restrict accommodation remains in place.

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This monitoring visit

During the visit, the inspector identified further serious shortfalls relating to the help and protection of children. On 18 June 2021, staff failed to act when there was a serious concern about a child’s welfare. Staff did not adhere to the child’s risk assessment or therapeutic behaviour support plan. This lack of action taken by staff meant that medical attention was not sought for the child in a timely manner. This left the child at risk of harm. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC475323 2 Furthermore, following this incident, there has been no formal investigation by managers to understand how staff failed to fulfil their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe.

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This monitoring visit

The inspector also found that staffing arrangements in the home remain inadequate. Staff do not have the necessary skills or experience to manage children with complex needs. This is acknowledged by the home’s manager.

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This monitoring visit

A further unannounced inspection will take place to continue to monitor the quality of care provided and the provider’s compliance with the regulations.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 02/06/2021 Full Inadequate 17/03/2020 Interim Not judged 28/01/2020 Interim Not judged 07/11/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC475323 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

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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to managers and staff understanding and conducting their roles and responsibilities in line with the home’s statement of purpose and children’s care plans. In particular, managers and staff should ensure that they prepare children for independence, including obtaining copies of children’s pathway plans. 11 July 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC475323 4 The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to managers and staff providing children with appropriate responses and feedback during key-work sessions.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was also made at the last inspection and is restated. 11 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—

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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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; 11 July 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC475323 5 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 homes child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to managers’ and staff’s understanding and implementation of each individual child’s risk assessment, 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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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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’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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(e)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to leaders and managers ensuring that staffing arrangements in the home provide continuity of care to children living in the home. In addition, leaders and managers need to ensure that robust monitoring and review systems are implemented in the home. 11 July 2021

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— 11 July 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC475323 6 receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the 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 children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This refers specifically to children moving in to the home being suitably matched to children already living there.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance. (Regulation 24 (1)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the provider ensuring that consent is in place for using bedroom door alarms. 11 July 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

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

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the provider ensuring that satisfactory employment checks are completed for agency staff. 11 July 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)) 11 July 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC475323 7 This specifically relates to the need for children’s case records to contain all required information, be kept up to date and be written in a child-focused way.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the provider ensuring that they have the required consent in place for the independent visitor to view children’s case records. 11 July 2021

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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, Unit 12 Prospect Business Park, Longford Road, Cannock WS11 0LG

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Children's home details

Responsible individual: Agata Dokszewicz

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Inspector

Sarah Junor-Fitzpatrick, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC475323 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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