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

Inspection report children’s home: 1234243 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 is a privately owned home. It can provide care for up to three children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager’s post is currently vacant.

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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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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

Date of last inspection: 28 September 2021

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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: none Inspection report children’s home: 1234243 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/09/2021 Full Inadequate 11/12/2019 Full Good 26/02/2019 Full Good 22/02/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: 1234243 3

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, carried out on 28 and 29 September 2021, there has been an improvement in the quality of care provided. There have been significant changes at the home for children and staff, and the registered manager has left.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have introduced more thorough checks in terms of the cleanliness of the home and health and safety matters. The home has recently been redecorated, and is now hygienic and safe. This makes the home a more nurturing place for children. Children’s bedrooms are cleaned daily. Bedrooms are personalised to each child’s taste and adequately meet the children’s needs.

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improvement to be good

Most children go to school every day. However, one child still does not have a school place and receives education at home. The manager has raised this as a concern with the placing authority. However, this remains an unresolved issue and requires further escalation.

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improvement to be good

Children’s healthcare needs are met. Staff have been proactive in arranging health appointments for children and have supported them to attend. The manager has begun to oversee children’s healthcare plans. This ensures that any follow-up actions are carried out. This practice is good but will need to be maintained.

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improvement to be good

Improvements have been made to how staff consult with children to gain their views, wishes and feelings. Direct work to engage children is enhancing children’s experiences and is helping in the development of the home. Staff have devised a ‘Positive Praise’ book for each child, in which staff add encouraging comments when children do positive things. This recognition of small examples of positive behaviour promotes the children’s confidence and self-esteem. Children are making progress.

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improvement to be good

There has been one incident at the home since the last inspection. This was responded to promptly and appropriately. Leaders and managers worked well with partner agencies to address this emerging issue. They have ensured that children have the right support in place.

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improvement to be good

Managers and staff are making progress in updating risk assessments and other plans for children. These plans and assessments are reviewed to ensure that they remain relevant and effective. The company’s clinical specialist is now involved in developing and reviewing care plans. This clinical oversight enables staff to carefully consider risk and protective factors. Plans are then updated, with clear strategies for staff to follow. This supports staff to reduce risks and improve children’s safety and welfare. Inspection report children’s home: 1234243 4 The home uses a therapeutic model of care. Training for staff in this approach has been organised and is due to take place imminently. The company’s clinical specialist provides in-house therapeutic training. This is specific to the needs of the children living at the home. This supports staff to understand the children better and provide them with consistent care.

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improvement to be good

The quality of individual work with children is now monitored and evaluated. This is purposeful, and is informed by agreed behavioural targets. Managers use reflective practice to evaluate and discuss the work carried out. This enhances the quality and effectiveness of direct work with children.

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improvement to be good

Discussions about whistle-blowing procedures are now part of team meetings and staff supervision. This provides staff with an opportunity to share concerns and develop their practice. Staff have a good understanding of basic safeguarding procedures; however, they lack confidence in some areas, including around child exploitation and managing other risks. Further safeguarding training has been arranged for all staff.

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good

There have been significant changes to the leadership and management of the home since the last inspection. The registered manager recently left the company. A new interim manager has been appointed, who was formerly a senior care worker in the home. This appointment provides consistency to children and staff as the new manager already has a good understanding of the home and the care provided. She plans to submit her application to register with Ofsted soon.

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good

A number of requirements and recommendations were set at the home’s last inspection. Following that inspection, leaders and managers devised a detailed action plan and have taken action to address each of the shortfalls. Progress in addressing the shortfalls is variable. However, the plan is regularly reviewed and updated by managers so that it is an effective tool to ensure that the home can provide high-quality care to children. Some improvements to staff practice will need time to become embedded; however, progress is being made.

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good

Supervision is now taking place, and dates for supervision are scheduled for the coming year. Monthly team meetings are arranged well in advance. These meetings provide staff with an opportunity to share concerns and develop practice. Staff say that their confidence and practice have improved. Leaders and managers create a supportive environment for staff.

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good

There is now effective monitoring of the quality of care in the home. The home is being run in accordance with the home’s statement of purpose. Oversight of care is now enhanced, and children’s welfare continues to be actively monitored. While improvements in how the home is run are evident, given the short timescale in Inspection report children’s home: 1234243 5 which improvements have been made, the capacity to maintain these improvements will be key.

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good

The requirement regarding the protection of children has been reset. While progress is evident, staff are not yet confident in all aspects of safeguarding and practice needs to be embedded.

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good

The requirements relating to the leadership and management of the home are also reset, given that improvements are at a very early stage. Inspection report children’s home: 1234243 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

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— that staff—

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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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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;

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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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)) 3 January 2022

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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 3 January 2022 Inspection report children’s home: 1234243 7 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

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

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(e))

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h)) 3 January 2022

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that where children are not participating in education, they work closely with the placing authority so that the child is supported and enabled to resume full-time education as soon as possible. In the interim, the child should be supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. If no education place is identified by the placing authority, the registered person must challenge them to meet the child’s needs under Regulation 5 (engaging with the wider system to ensure children’s needs are being met). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15) Inspection report children’s home: 1234243 8

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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: 1234243 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: Horizon Care and Education Group Limited, Venture House, Unit 12 Prospect Business Park, Longford Road, Cannock WS11 0LG

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Inspector

Thirza Smith, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1234243 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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