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

Inspection report children's home: 2572133 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 is owned by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children aged between 10 and 17 years with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

There is an interim manager supporting the day-to-day arrangement of the home. He holds a health and social care level 5 qualification. At the time of the inspection, no plans were in place for him to 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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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children's home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: notice restricting accommodation

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requires improvement to be good

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection that took place on 18 and 19 May 2021. The inspectors identified significant shortfalls relating to the Inspection report children's home: 2572133 2 help and protection of children and the leadership and management of the home. As a result, Ofsted issued a notice restricting accommodation and compliance notices under regulation 12 and regulation 13 of the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015.

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requires improvement to be good

A monitoring visit took place on 1 July 2021. The purpose of the visit was to review the restriction notice and the progress the provider has made towards meeting the two compliance notices and the five requirements made at the inspection. It was found at this visit that the provider had taken sufficient action to address the steps outlined in the regulation 12 compliance notice and had met four of the requirements made at the inspection. The provider had not taken sufficient action to address the steps outlined in the regulation 13 compliance notice. One requirement was not judged during the inspection and remained in place and another requirement was not met. Ofsted re-issued a compliance notice under regulation 13 of the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and two new requirements were made. The notice to restrict accommodation remained in place.

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requires improvement to be good

During this full inspection, the inspector found that the provider has met the requirements from the last inspection and taken sufficient action to meet the steps outlined in regulation 13 of the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015. Due to the progress made by the provider, the notice to restrict accommodation is no longer in place. Inspection report children's home: 2572133 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/05/2021 Full Inadequate Inspection report children's home: 2572133 4

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improvement to be good

At the time of the inspection, two children live in the home. The home is decorated and furnished nicely and there is good use of pictures and soft furnishings that provides a feeling of homeliness for children.

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improvement to be good

Children are in good health. Staff support children to register with local healthcare services and help children to attend routine appointments. On one occasion, the interim manager was not able to find a record detailing the outcome of a dental appointment that was planned for a child. This practice does not ensure that all staff have up-to date information on the child’s assessed dental needs.

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improvement to be good

Education and employment are promoted by the interim manager and staff. There are good routines in place to support children to attend school and work. One child’s attendance at school is good. Another child has recently passed a vocational qualification and is now working while completing an apprenticeship. This prepares children well for future employment and provides children with opportunities to develop friendships.

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improvement to be good

Staff enjoy spending time with the children. They seek children’s views on activities they would like to do. One child makes the most of these opportunities and was seen by the inspector having fun with staff on the trampoline and singing on the karaoke. One child prefers to spend time in the community with her boyfriend, and staff support this. However, there are clear expectations that the child attends work, keeps in contact with staff while out and returns home at the agreed time. Children’s views and wishes about how they spend their leisure time are promoted by staff.

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improvement to be good

Children know how to make complaints. One child named several staff that they could speak to if they had any concerns. Another child has raised two concerns. These were reviewed by a manager from another service who was supporting the home at the time. They took time to speak to the child about their worries and, as a result, the child felt listened to and was happy with the outcome.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported by staff to keep in touch with people who are important to them. The interim manager ensures that children’s views on who they want to keep in touch with are considered as part of the care planning process. As a result, one child’s arrangements for meeting with a family member have recently changed. Managers’ and staff’s responsiveness to children’s views on who they want to keep in touch with promotes children’s identity and takes account of their history.

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improvement to be good

Inspection report children's home: 2572133 5 The interim manager and staff understand children’s behaviours and risks well. Behaviour support plans are reviewed by the interim manager. They are now individualised to the specific risks associated with each child. They now detail possible triggers and early warning signs. Strategies for managing risks are clearly recorded. This ensures that staff have the guidance they need to manage risk well, and as expected by the interim manager. This supports staff to keep children safe.

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improvement to be good

Staff, however, do not always work consistently with children, which does not support children to manage their behaviour. This inconsistent approach has resulted in one incident of a child being aggressive towards staff. During this incident, one member of staff remained in the locked office and resulted in staff making an emergency call to the police. This situation was avoidable and does not protect children from criminalisation.

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improvement to be good

Staff are proactive in responding to children who go missing. They try to maintain contact with the child, and search areas the child is known to visit. Staff report children missing to the police and contact individuals who may be able to help in locating them. Staff ensure that they are always accessible if the child contacts them. Arrangements are put into place for collecting children who are missing. Children are welcomed home by staff, who seek information to help them assess if the child has been safe and that may help them to find the child in the future. The interim manager works well with professionals to review risks and agree strategies on how to reduce concerns. Children have access to an independent person following each missing episode. Strong working partnerships help reduce risks that children may be exposed to. One child living in the home had a history of going missing, and this has recently reduced due to the staff’s proactive approach.

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improvement to be good

Staff now report practice concerns to the interim manager. For example, one child told a staff member that she had been allowed to visit the shops on her own with her boyfriend, which should be supervised by staff. The member of staff receiving this information shared their concerns promptly with the interim manager. This culture of openness and transparency in the home contributes to identifying practice concerns and keeping children safe.

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improvement to be good

The interim manager has not ensured that processes in place to reduce the spread of any potential fire are effective. However, the interim manager took swift action and arranged for internal doors to be fitted with a self-closing device during the inspection.

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improvement to be good

Recruitment records show safe recruitment processes are in place. This reduces the risk of children being cared for by unsuitable individuals.

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good

The interim manager is newly recruited and has recently started working in the home. The provider is recruiting a manager to fulfil the vacant registered manager role. A manager had been appointed previously. However, soon after he started Inspection report children's home: 2572133 6 working in the home, he left the organisation. The frequent changes to management arrangements have not provided children and staff with consistency, and this has impacted on the morale of staff.

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good

The home is registered to care for four children but does not currently have sufficient staff to care for four children. The provider only intends to provide care for up to three children, which is workable with the current staff team.

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good

Some staff hold a relevant qualification. Unqualified staff are enrolled on the course and are working towards completion. Staff have completed training in key areas. However, managers do not identify early enough training specific to the changing needs of children. For example, one child recently disclosed concerns about eating habits, but staff are not experienced in this area and have not received any training. During the inspection, the interim manager ensured that training is booked for staff to attend.

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good

Staff receive regular supervision. This provides staff with the opportunity to reflect on practice, review any safeguarding concerns and develop practice. This helps to create a culture of openness in the home. The interim manager has booked personal development reviews with staff. This provides managers with the opportunity to support staff to review their practice, discuss career progression and plan targets to support their development.

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good

The interim manager is making improvements to monitoring systems used in the home. He completes monthly reports that capture key information and identify areas to develop. This report is shared with the responsible individual and helps to improve the quality of care that children receive. The interim manager has introduced a new monitoring tool to support key workers to review children’s records, identify actions needed and plan future key work sessions. This helps children to make progress.

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good

Despite new monitoring systems in place, discrepancies in children’s risk assessments are not always identified. For example, in one child’s risk assessment, it provides conflicting information about the level of risk. The lack of clarity could cause confusion within the staff team and result in inconsistent responses to the needs of children.

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good

Team meetings are held on a regular basis. These provide staff with the opportunity to reflect on practice. Once a month, a representative from the organisation’s clinical team attends meetings and provides staff with consultation and guidance. This helps staff to understand the impact of children’s early childhood experiences. Inspection report children's home: 2572133 7

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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 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.

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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

This relates to - - ensuring that staff caring for children hold relevant qualifications and receive training on eating disorders. - the provider recruits sufficient staff for the number of children that the homes is registered to provide care for. - ensuring that children and staff receive consistent support from a manager. 24 September

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children's home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and the registered provider—

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Requirement Due date

does not satisfy regulation 28; or 24 September Inspection report children's home: 2572133 8 is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the provider recruits a suitable individual who registers with Ofsted.

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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 signed and dated by the author of each entry.

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Requirement Due date

This is in particular to, information in children's records been kept up to date and signed and dated by the author. Children’s records provide consistent information. 24 September

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Recommendations

 3.24 The design of the home should include any necessary adaptation. (Guide to the children's homes regulations including quality standards', page 17, paragraph 3.23) In particular to internal fire doors having self-closing mechanism.

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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: 2572133 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: 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

Helen Malanaphy, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 2572133 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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