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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1249184 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

The home is one of a group of homes operated by the same organisation. It provides care and accommodation for up to three children who may display complex emotional and behavioural needs.

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Information about this children’s home

There is no registered manager in post, and the home is being led by an interim manager.

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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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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 13 July 2021 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 10 June 2021. As a result of the concerns about children’s safety and welfare, a notice restricting the accommodation of the home and two compliance notices were issued. In addition, 14 requirements and five recommendations were also raised. Ofsted completed an initial monitoring visit on 13 July 2021. At that visit, two requirements were met.

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This monitoring visit

This visit examined progress made against the compliance notices. As a result of information received shortly after the visit, these notices are not met and are reissued. At this visit, three requirements were met and one new requirement was raised. The notice restricting accommodation remains in place.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have supported staff with workshops to enhance their safeguarding knowledge. This has included training for staff regarding whistle- Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1249184 2 blowing and how to report allegations. All staff have completed these workshops. Despite managers’ confidence that staff have the knowledge and tools they need to safeguard children, they failed to take immediate action when a child made an allegation during an incident and they failed to share this with the manager. Once informed about the allegation, the manager did not escalate it as a concern to the relevant safeguarding agencies until prompted to by the responsible individual. These shortfalls prevented action being taken by the provider and other relevant agencies to safeguard the child. On this occasion, there is no indication that the child came to harm but demonstrates that managers’ judgement about staff

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This monitoring visit

competence in this area is compromised. This leaves children vulnerable.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have put a clear monitoring system in place. The interim manager is now looking in detail at work across the home. The responsible individual is also carrying out regular audits to quality assure this work. As a result, managers and leaders are better able to link their actions to positive impact on the quality of care that children receive.

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This monitoring visit

Despite this good work, the interim manager failed to consider the incident noted above in a timely way. There was also no action taken until the responsible individual directed the manager to do so. This indicates that day-to-day monitoring is ineffective and safeguarding leadership is not sufficient.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have ensured that there are sufficient staff in the home to meet the needs of the two children living there. However, these are not all permanent staff in the home. There remains insufficient staff to meet the needs of three children and there is no permanent manager. Ofsted remains concerned about these poor staffing levels and has issued a compliance notice in relation to staffing levels.

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This monitoring visit

Senior leaders have now considered the individual concerns raised at the last full inspection. They have addressed these with the staff involved and identified learning. This means that these staff are clearer on the shortfalls in practice during those incidents.

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This monitoring visit

Most staff have completed refresher training regarding the use of physical intervention.Staff who have not yet been able to attend this have booked to attend shortly. Staff are now clear on when they can and cannot physically intervene with children, and records are complete. Children are now only physically supported when they need to be during incidents.

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This monitoring visit

Staff who were outside of the timescale for completing the relevant qualification have now finished this work. This now means that adults working in the home are appropriately qualified.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have not ensured that children’s risk assessments contain strategies in line with the underlying approach outlined in the statement of purpose. In addition, not Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1249184 3 all staff have signed to acknowledge that they have read and understood the risk assessments. As a result, managers cannot be assured that staff fully understand these risks or the agreed strategies to work with them.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have provided individual supervision to staff. The meetings still do not provide enough clear challenge to shortfalls in practice. They also do not provide detailed direction regarding improvement. Consequently, staff do not have well-defined guidance about expectations in their work.

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This monitoring visit

Staff do not work in a consistent way and this causes tension between them. Managers are aware of this tension and are seeking to address it. However, this means that children are receiving inconsistent care.

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This monitoring visit

Four requirements and two recommendations were not considered at this visit.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 09/06/2021 Full Inadequate 18/02/2020 Interim Declined in effectiveness 18/06/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/03/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1249184 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

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; and

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; and

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, staff must understand the underpinning ethos and approach of the home to apply to practice and record-keeping.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 27 September

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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. 27 September Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1249184 5 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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, managers must ensure that, as new risks arise for children and others, these are assessed and guidance is provided.

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Requirement Due date

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

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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

help each child understand how to keep safe. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, managers must ensure that staff help children to understand and, where necessary, work to change negative behaviours.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 27 September

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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

that staff— 27 September Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1249184 6 understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

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 home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(v)(vi)(vii)

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Requirement Due date

In particular, staff and the manager must know and understand their duties relating to safeguarding and whistle-blowing procedures. All staff and managers must respond to allegations and safeguarding concerns in line with the organisation’s safeguarding procedures. There must be a system in place to monitor and be assured that staff will act within these procedures.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection 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

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must ensure that staff use the underpinning approach of the home outlined in the statement of purpose and this must be reflected in their records about children’s care.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 27 September Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1249184 7 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

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, managers and leaders must support the team to be consistent and work in collaboration with each other. 27 September

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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

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must ensure that there is a sufficient number of qualified and permanent staff employed to provide safe care to three children and meet their needs.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 27 September

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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

promotes their welfare. 27 September Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1249184 8 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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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)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that monitoring and review systems are effective in considering safeguarding in all areas of practice. They must also ensure that monitoring and review systems are used to understand and improve the quality of care provided to children.

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Requirement Due date

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

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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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, children’s plans in the home must be kept up to date and should enable managers to understand progress for children.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 27 September

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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,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). 27 September Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1249184 9 The requirements are that—

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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)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, managers must ensure that they verify all checks and gaps in employment when recruiting staff.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 27 September

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. This includes ensuring that the home’s fire risk assessment is reviewed and that identified actions are remedied. This recommendation was made at the last inspection and is restated. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should ensure that a record of supervision is kept for staff, including the manager. The record should provide evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with regulation 33 (4)(b). This recommendation was made at the last inspection and is restated. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.3)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful,

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Recommendations

objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child should always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. This recommendation was made at the last inspection and is restated. (‘Guide to children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1249184 10

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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: Rebecca Grimshaw

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Inspector

Karol Keenan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1249184 11 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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