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

Inspection report for children’s home: 1226975 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 provides care and accommodation for up to three children who may require support with their emotional and/or social needs. The manager registered in 2016 and possesses the required level 5 qualification.

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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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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

Date of last inspection: 30 January 2020

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1226975 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/01/2020 Full Outstanding 16/10/2018 Full Good 05/09/2017 Full Good 24/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: 1226975 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children develop positive relationships with staff. They receive good care and support from a committed staff team. Children grow in confidence and self-esteem. Consequently, the children are happy and settled.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home provides a family-orientated environment. Staff ensure that children develop a sense of belonging and stability. Children enjoy living at the home. This supports them to have a range of positive experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff motivate children to learn, and they make sure that children’s attendance at school is good. When a child’s attendance at school becomes problematic, the manager advocates strongly and works closely with professionals to address any issues. This means that children achieve and make academic progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to express their wishes and feelings. Children have regular meetings as a group and they also meet weekly for activity planning. These meetings provide children with the opportunity to have some input into things happening in the home and have a sense of shared responsibility. While this is a helpful forum for children and staff, children’s views are not always recorded well. This limits children’s participation in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to have good memories of their time at the home. Staff create individual ‘memory books’ for the children that contain photographs and are bright and colourful. Children can take their memory book with them when they move on.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy good health. Staff understand their individual healthcare needs. They support children to attend appointments. This maintains children’s physical and emotional well-being.

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

The manager and staff understand the risks posed to and from children. Risk assessments are thorough. They provide staff with clear strategies to minimise risk. This supports staff to take effective action to keep children safe.

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

Children are rarely missing from home. Where this does happen, staff safeguard children effectively. They locate children and ensure a safe return to the home. Professionals have confidence in the ability of the staff to keep children safe.

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

Physical intervention is rarely used. When it has been necessary, it has been used appropriately and for a limited time, apart from one incident of physical intervention, which, on review, was unnecessary. The manager took swift action in response to this. Inspection report for children’s home: 1226975 4 Staff use their skills and training well to keep incidents to a minimum. The therapeutic approach employed by staff is effective in supporting children with their feelings. Because of this, children feel supported and protected.

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

Children are safe and say that they feel safe. Safeguarding practice continues to be steadfast. Safeguarding training is appropriate for the current needs of the children. However, staff do not have further discussions in supervision or team meetings about wider safeguarding issues.

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

Children know how to make a complaint if they are unhappy with any aspects of their care. When they do, their complaints are taken seriously and are fully investigated and addressed.

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

Recruitment is managed well. The principles of safe recruitment practice are followed. When concerns were raised about agency checks, this was followed up thoroughly and dealt with effectively. This reduces the risk of unsuitable adults working in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has been without a registered manager since October 2020 due to a long- term absence. Several interim management arrangements have been in place and have worked well, but the situation has had an impact on the stability of the home. A new manager has now been appointed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The most recent interim manager has been at the home since May 2021. Her passion and drive continue to be instrumental in stabilising the home. She provides strong leadership and is a positive role model. Her tenure as the home’s manager has contributed to the consistency of care provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are effective management systems in place. However, internal quality assurance practice does not have management oversight in some areas. This includes oversight of records and evidence of action taken by staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are well supported by the manager in their day-to-day practice. The manager is visible and approachable; this has helped to create a stable staff team. Staff receive regular formal supervision, including yearly appraisals. However, where opportunities for staff to improve on their practice are identified, these are not always clearly recorded in supervision records.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are provided with regular mandatory training. They benefit from advice and guidance from specialist healthcare services. The induction process is robust and thorough. Training is focused and effective.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager works well in partnership with other agencies. They share information regularly. Professionals were positive in their feedback about the home. One professional said: ‘The home works well; there is a clear structure. I always know Inspection report for children’s home: 1226975 5 who to go to. They communicate really well.’ The manager’s commitment to providing good-quality care and being a strong advocate enriches the quality of children’s care. Inspection report for children’s home: 1226975 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 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h)) 1 April 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they maintain good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)  The registered person should ensure that there are systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)  The registered person should ensure that the use of external agency staff is a positive choice to complement the skills and experiences of the permanent workforce. Any external agency staff should meet the requirements in regulation

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Recommendations

32(4) regarding mandatory qualifications and the registered person should consider their skills, qualifications and any induction necessary before they commence work in the home. The use of agency staff should be carefully monitored and reviewed to ensure children receive continuity of care. (‘Guide to Inspection report for children’s home: 1226975 7 the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.6)  The registered person should ensure that staff understand the system for rewarding and celebrating positive behaviour and recognising where children have managed situations well. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 47, paragraph 9.39)

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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 for children’s home: 1226975 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

Thirza Smith, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1226975 9 regulates and inspects 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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