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

Inspection report children’s home: 2589621 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

The home is owned by a limited company and is registered to provide care and support for up to three children.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 2017. The home registered with a new provider in 2020.

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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 carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 21 and 22 October 2020 to carry out an assurance visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2589621 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report children’s home: 2589621 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of the inspection, three children were living in the home. Since the last visit, no children have moved in or left the home. The registered manager has been in post since 2017.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is undergoing extensive building work. Contractors were in the home at the time of the inspection. When the building work started, children were unable to reside safely at the home and moved out temporarily until it was safe to return. Children’s bedrooms are now decorated, and the children chose their own colour scheme.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All three children benefit from strong relationships with staff who know them very well. Staff are persistent in building positive relationships with families and they support the children’s appropriate friendships. As a result, children are comfortable in their home and have positive networks with their families and peers.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Attendance and engagement in education are fundamental to the culture in the home. Staff have high aspirations for each child and advocate for them in education meetings. Staff challenge where necessary to ensure that children have the educational support they need to reflect their individual needs. As a result, children are making progress, and opportunities for their futures are enhanced.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff focus on supporting children to build skills to allow them to be more independent in the future. One child is preparing for semi-independence. Staff have carried out work with her to help her to develop her budgeting and independence skills. This means that children are well prepared with the skills they need for when they move on from the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported by staff to improve their physical and emotional health. One child was supported to attend his prom in the summer and won the award of ‘Prom King’. Another child is being supported by staff to fundraise for a trip to Asia with Scouts. The child told the inspector that he wants his key worker to go with him.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy various activities, including Scouts, trampolining, holidays, the jamboree, building challenges, going to the beach and exercising. Staff provide consistent care and have remained committed despite the difficulties that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children speak highly of their home and the care that they receive. One child told the inspector that his home is ‘infinity out of 10’ and that ‘nothing’ could make it better. The inspector observed a child being warmly greeted by a member staff when they came on shift. Another child told the inspector that, out of all the places she has lived, this home is ‘by far the best’. She said, ‘All staff care about me, they don’t judge me, they just want to help.’ Inspection report children’s home: 2589621 4

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

Children are safe and well cared for. Individual risk assessments are followed by all staff and strategies are effective in ensuring that children are safe. Appropriate safety and monitoring measures are in place to ensure that children are safe, including when they are online.

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

When children feel unsafe or are worried about something, they contact staff promptly. This helps them to feel protected and shows that they have trusting relationships with the staff who look after them. Children know that the staff will listen to them and help them to resolve any issues.

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

Any complaints made by children are recorded and reported appropriately. Children receive a response to their complaint and feel listened to.

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

Children show a willingness to engage in a variety of sessions and activities with staff and each other. These help children to make good decisions, form trusting relationships with staff and manage their emotions.

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

Children are supported with their emotional health. Staff sensitively help each child to access support. When children have said that they do not want to attend appointments, staff have encouraged them and supported them to attend.

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

All staff have a good understanding of children’s needs and they use risk assessments that support children’s safety. Risk assessments and plans are individual to children’s needs and backgrounds and are reviewed and shared with the staff team. Strategies have been effective in reducing and responding appropriately to risks.

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

Staff are trained in de-escalation techniques and are effective in preventing incidents from escalating. Children have developed effective strategies to manage their emotions. This has led to a reduction in missing-from-care episodes and safeguarding incidents.

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

The manager notifies external agencies when safeguarding concerns arise. However, Ofsted was not informed when the children moved out of the home when the building work commenced. This means that Ofsted was not aware when the home was operating outside of regulations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by a suitably qualified and experienced manager. The manager knows each of the children well and she has created a warm and nurturing environment and positive ethos among the team. Staff are child centred in their approach. Staff feel supported and speak positively about the manager as being a strong, supportive and aspirational leader. Inspection report children’s home: 2589621 5 The manager works well with professionals. The inspector observed proactive challenge to external agencies when protocols are not followed correctly. This shows persistence from the manager in the best interests of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been very few changes to the staff team, which means that children have been consistently cared for by a stable staff team. Agency staff are not used. The inspector observed warm and positive relationships between the children and staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision sessions are valued by the staff team. These focus on staff’s welfare and discussions about the children’s needs, as well as reflection and direction for staff members. This means that a learning culture exists among managers and the staff team, to help them to identify improvements for the children they care for.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The team comes together in team meetings to discuss current plans and goals for children. At the time of the inspection, team meetings had not been recorded for the last three months. This means that it is not clear what was discussed and what support staff required at that time.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children are actively included in the decisions made in their home. Children’s bedrooms have been redecorated after seeking their views. This helps children to feel a sense of belonging.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is clear planning around children moving into and out of the home. Children do not move out until an appropriate placement is found to meet their needs. Staff work hard to ensure that children are ready for their transitions to adulthood. They ensure that they have support from external agencies by getting services on board at the earliest opportunity. Inspection report children’s home: 2589621 6

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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

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing, and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (2)(a)(b)(c) (4)(a) (5))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the review must focus on the quality of care provided and include the views of stakeholders. The report should be sent to Ofsted in a timely manner. 2 December 2021

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children are encouraged by staff to see the home’s records as ‘living documents’ and supported to view and contribute to the record in a way that reflects their voice on a regular basis. Children should be actively encouraged to read their records and to add further information to them. They should be regularly reminded of their rights to see information kept about them and be given information about how they might be supported to access Inspection report children’s home: 2589621 7 their records in later life. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 11.19)  The registered person should ensure that, whenever possible, staff in day-to-day contact with children include staff from the different gender groups. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.22)

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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: 2589621 8

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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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Inspector

Jessica Higginson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2589621 9 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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