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

Inspection report for children’s home: 1258089 1 Registered provider: Horizon Care and Education Group Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is registered to accommodate up to four children with social and emotional difficulties. The home is owned by a private organisation.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since October 2020.

p.1

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.

p.1

Inspection date: 3 February 2022

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

Inspection date: 3 February 2022

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1258089 2

p.1

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has improved effectiveness.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children’s experiences and progress have much improved. There is improved management oversight of referrals, and impact assessments are more robust. One child has moved on from the home. This was a planned move, and there has been one positive planned admission into the home.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The children living at the home have made significant progress from their point of admission. The staff have worked hard to build trusting relationships with the children. This has helped children to experience stability and security within the home.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children currently living at the home are fully engaging with their care plans. Staff have supported the children to have positive experiences in the home and in the wider community.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff have challenged education professionals to ensure that the children’s educational development needs are being met. Staff have work collaboratively with schools, the virtual school and other professionals. As a result, the children can access education that meet their needs and have improved outcomes in the future.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children’s health and development needs are well promoted by the staff. Referrals are completed to access specialist health services to meet any identified needs for the children. Children have access to the home’s in-house clinician, which enables the children to address their trauma needs.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Trips to theme parks, the cinema and bowling ensure that children take part in fun activities. One child completed a bug hunt in the community during the inspection. This means that children are routinely supported in engaging in positive activities which promote their emotional well-being.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children engage in regular meetings, key-work and restorative sessions that are linked to their care plans. The child living at the home told the inspector that they knew how to make a complaint, and they could speak with the staff when worried. This ensures that children’s wishes and feelings are responded to by staff.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children live in a homely, nurturing environment. Children’s bedrooms are personalised to suit their likes and interests and provide them with a safe space in their home. Inspection report for children’s home: 1258089 3 The staff have accessed training to support their understanding of meeting the needs of children who have experienced trauma. This training and other specialist training now enables the staff to support children to be in better control of their emotions. Regular team meetings and consultations with the clinicians also improve staff’s understanding of the risks to children.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection there has been a reduction in physical interventions for children living in the home. The staff use therapeutic parenting models to support the children to regulate their emotions. When there are incidents of physical restraint, staff use approved methods. Staff and children benefit from debriefs and there is team learning and effective management oversight of each intervention .

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been no incidents of children being missing from care. Staff have a good understanding of the children’s missing from care protocols and work proactively with other agencies to reduce the risks of children being missing from care.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff work proactively through key-work sessions to address children’s risk and vulnerability. This helps to better protect them.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager of the home is ambitious and aspirational for the children and his staff team. The manager completed a comprehensive review of the service to help improve outcomes for children and to improve stability in the home. This review examined staff practice, matching of children to the home, and led to the introduction of specialist training for all staff to meet the trauma needs of the children consistently with therapeutic responses.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The senior leadership team is supportive of the manager. This means the manager can access guidance and make decisions which will improve staff practice and the children’s experiences.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has improved monitoring and recording systems in the home, to enable the staff to provide consistency of care for the children, and to help improve his oversight of the home.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has notified the regulator about significant incidents and has submitted updates as required. For example, he recently completed a referral to the designated officer after an incident at a child’s school and followed safeguarding procedures effectively.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Safer recruitment means that all new staff and agency staff have robust checks completed to ensure that they are suitable to support the needs of vulnerable children.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff are motivated and receive support from the manager through team meetings, handovers, clinical consultations, and reflective supervisions. This enables the staff to discuss the children and practice concerns. Inspection report for children’s home: 1258089 4 The manager has a good understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for development. He uses quality assurance visits and independent visits to help improve the staff practice and outcomes for children.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Professionals and families spoke positively about the manager and staff at the home. A family member said the child has never been happier and has stability.

p.4

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, all requirements have been met. Inspection report for children’s home: 1258089 5

p.4

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/05/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 18/09/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 14/03/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 11/06/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1258089 6

p.5

Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

p.6

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: 1258089 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Horizon Care and Education Group Limited

p.7

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

p.7

Inspector

Noel Cooper, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1258089 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.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8