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

Inspection report for children’s home: 1251076 1 Registered provider: Horizon Care and Education Group Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a private organisation. It provides care for up to four children with learning disabilities.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1251076 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/06/2021 Full Good 04/12/2019 Full Good 31/01/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 14/11/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1251076 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and staff have trusting relationships and strong bonds. There is a real sense of emotional warmth and understanding shown to the children by the staff. The children receive positive care and support from a committed team. Children grow in confidence and self-esteem during their time at the home. As a result, children are happy, content and settled.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff understand the needs of each child. They provide good individualised care. Staff understand each child’s unique expressions and ways of communicating. Staff have developed ways for children to communicate when they are unable to express themselves. Because of this, children are able to express their wishes and feelings.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy good health. Staff work closely and effectively with families and health services. They support children to attend healthcare appointments. This helps to support children’s physical and emotional well-being. As a result, each child’s health needs are fully understood and addressed.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff involve parents and key family members throughout the child’s journey in this home. Staff go above and beyond to make sure that family contact is supported where appropriate. Staff understand the importance of this. This supports children to be happy and settled. One parent of a child said that team members are ‘an extension of our family, they are so good.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend education daily. They are well prepared for the school day, and this helps them learn. Staff work closely with each school to ensure that there is effective partnership working to help children make good progress. Staff understand the importance of education for children. One child has limited education provision and the staff are advocating for this to be increased. This is testament to their commitment to the children’s educational attainment.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children develop a sense of belonging and stability in this home. They have a range of positive experiences that help them express their personalities and explore their interests. This helps to develop their confidence and self-esteem.

p.3

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

The staff know how to interpret children’s feelings and to recognise when children are anxious or worried. This means that they can intervene quickly to support children before their behaviour escalates. These good de-escalation skills help protect children.

p.3

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

Children have trusting relationships with staff. The staff promote positive and consistent routines which children enjoy. This helps children to feel safe and secure during their time at the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 1251076 4 Staff understand the children’s risks and vulnerabilities. The children’s individual risk management plans and care plans are detailed and clear. This means staff know what actions to take to keep children safe.

p.3

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

The staff have a good understanding of their safeguarding roles and responsibilities. Safeguarding training is reviewed yearly. However, the safeguarding knowledge and skills of staff are not always reviewed or updated in other areas, such as in the staff’s individual supervision meetings or team meetings.

p.4

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

Staff rarely resort to physical intervention in response to children’s behaviour. When it has been necessary, it is used appropriately and for the shortest amount of time possible. The staff are skilled in managing potentially harmful behaviour, such as self-harm, and over time incidents of self-harm have decreased. Because of this, children are safeguarded.

p.4

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

The home uses a preferred therapeutic model of care. The company’s clinical team provides in-house training in this approach to staff. This is specific to the needs of the children living at the home. It supports the staff to have a better understanding of the children and provides them with consistent care.

p.4

good

The home has been without a manager since October 2021. Several appointments have been made but ultimately have not been successful. This has affected the stability and morale of the team. Management support is provided daily by other managers in the organisation. This has led to staff feeling more positive. Despite the difficulties with securing a permanent manager, the children’s progress and safety have not been compromised.

p.4

good

Staff have not received regular formal supervision or annual appraisals. This limits the ability and opportunity for staff to develop professionally or have reflective discussions with their manager regarding their care practice.

p.4

good

Given the lack of a permanent manager, internal quality assurance processes have not been robust. This includes management oversight of records, logs and evidence of actions taken by staff. Leaders in the organisation understand this and have acted. A more systematic approach to quality assurance is now in place. This is still in early stages, but progress is being made.

p.4

good

Staff complete regular mandatory training. They have begun to benefit from advice and guidance from specialist healthcare professionals. As a result, staff training is focused on the care, support and safeguarding needs of children.

p.4

good

The staff work in partnership with families because they know how important this is for children. They share information with families and communicate with them regularly and effectively. Family members are very positive about the home. One parent said: ‘Without doubt, the team know my child inside out. They go above and Inspection report for children’s home: 1251076 5 beyond; they are very good.’ Working with families is fundamental to the ethos and culture of the home and helps children make progress. Inspection report for children’s home: 1251076 6

p.4

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.

p.6

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—

p.6

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.6

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))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that quality assurance systems are fully embedded and drive improvements in the home. 1 July 2022

p.6

Recommendations

 As set out in regulations 31–33, the registered person is responsible for maintaining 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 a record of supervision is be kept for staff, including the manager. The record should provide evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with regulation 33(4)(b). (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.3) Inspection report for children’s home: 1251076 7

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: 1251076 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Horizon Care and Education Group Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Venture House, Unit 12, Prospect Business Park, Longford Road, Cannock WS11 0LG

p.8

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Rebecca Grimshaw

p.8

Inspector

Thirza Smith, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1251076 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.

p.8

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 http://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.9

Inspector

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

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9