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 for up to three children aged between seven and 17 with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has submitted her application to register 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 to 3 June 2021. The inspector identified significant shortfalls relating to the safeguarding of children and the leadership and management of the home. As a result, Ofsted issued a notice restricting accommodation and two compliance notices under regulation 12 (the protection of children standard) and regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard) of the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015.

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring visit took place on 12 July 2021. This was to review the restriction notice and the progress the provider had made towards meeting the two compliance notices. At that visit, it was found that the provider had not taken sufficient action to address the steps outlined in the compliance notices. Therefore, Ofsted reissued these notices. During that visit, the inspector also identified further serious shortfalls relating to the help and protection of children. As a result, Ofsted issued a notice varying the conditions of the provider’s registration. This meant that the provider could only provide care and accommodation for one child. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC475323 2 On 23 to 24 August 2021, a further full inspection took place. The inspector found that improvements had been made and the compliance notices were met.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit took place to monitor whether the provider had complied with the variation and to explore whether this needed to remain in place.

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This monitoring visit

One child has remained living in the home. He is enjoying his one-to-one time with staff.

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This monitoring visit

Staff are committed to the current child. Staff have embraced the opportunity to further their learning and have taken part in training to help them to care for the current child’s needs. This is further supported by training and guidance from the organisation’s inhouse clinician. As a result, staff are ensuring that the child gets the right support at the right time.

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This monitoring visit

Staff report that they feel supported by the management team. They feel confident in their roles and understand the strategies in place to keep the child safe.

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This monitoring visit

The home has a full staff team. This means that agency staff are no longer used.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, the home has benefited from redecoration. Children’s bedrooms have been prepared well. One bedroom benefits from a new carpet and both bedrooms have a welcome pack of sweets and bathroom essentials to help the children settle in. The home is welcoming and homely.

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This monitoring visit

Careful consideration is being given by the management team in preparing for the next child to move in.

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This monitoring visit

Due to progress that has been made, Ofsted has now removed the variation. This means that more children can now move into the home if the management team feels it is safe for them to do so.

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This monitoring visit

The requirements made at the previous inspection will be considered during the next inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC475323 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 23/08/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 02/06/2021 Full Inadequate 17/03/2020 Interim Not judged 28/01/2020 Interim Not judged Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC475323 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;

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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

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)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to managers and staff ensuring that they prepare children for moving on from the home and for independence, including that children’s transition plans are clearly documented and are in an accessible format for children to understand.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 15 October 2021

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. 15 October 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC475323 5 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 into the home being suitably matched to children already living there.

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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 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.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 15 October 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))

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Requirement Due date

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

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 15 October 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC475323 6

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Recommendation

 Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the ar- rangements in place to protect them in relation to animals in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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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. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC475323 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: Horizon Care and Education Group Limited, 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

Louise Battersby, 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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