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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2532036 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 children’s home is privately owned. The provider states in their statement of purpose that they provide care for up to three children with social and emotional difficulties or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 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: 29 September 2021

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2532036 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/09/2021 Full Good 25/07/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2532036 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. Two of the three children have lived at the home for a long period of time, with the third child having moved in more recently. Children move into the home in a well-planned way. The manager considers the needs of all the children during the transition period. Older children are involved in supporting the younger children to feel welcome. Staff promote empathy and tolerance between the children. This supports children to settle into the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are happy and settled living in the home. Staff develop safe and trusting relationships with children. Consequently, children make good progress in the home. One parent said, ‘The staff are doing brilliantly with him, and the care is fantastic.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children in their education. The manager advocates for children when education provision does not meet their needs. Specific support for children is identified. This ensures that education placements are identified that meet their needs. Children have access to alternative learning opportunities when they are not in full-time education. When children have completed education, they are supported to find employment opportunities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children effectively to be healthy. Staff are proactive in accessing appropriate support when health needs are not met. Staff encourage children to engage in health appointments. Children lead active and healthy lifestyles. Staff engage children in varied activities and promote new hobbies and interests. Children enjoy walks in the local area, going on holiday together and being part of local clubs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children value the relationships they have with staff. One child said, ‘They are more like family than staff.’ Some children have lived in the home for many years and are reluctant to move on from the home into independent living. Staff support children with practical independence skills. They work hard to engage them in learning valuable life skills in the home and community. However, there are no firm plans in place for two children who are reaching adulthood and who will be soon moving on from the home. This means that children do not know what the plans are for moving on and are not prepared for this.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children spend time with their families, both in the home and community. One parent said, ‘Staff are always welcoming, and she has a good relationship with them.’ The manager is proactive in identifying when family relationships impact on children’s emotional well-being. She advocates on their behalf to ensure that arrangements to spend time with family are in children’s best interests. Inspection report for children’s home: 2532036 4

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

Children spoken to say they feel safe in the home. Staff know and understand children’s risks well. This supports children to feel safe and cared for. Regular clinical consultations help staff understand children’s backgrounds and underlying needs. This improves the knowledge and skills of staff in how to respond to children’s individual needs.

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

Staff develop positive relationships with children. This supports children to develop skills in managing and regulating their emotions. Traffic light systems and pictorial aids for younger children help them to identify and communicate their feelings to staff. This builds communication and has minimised incidents of challenging behaviour. When incidents do occur, they are managed well. Reflective and restorative work is undertaken with children following incidents. This supports children to develop empathy and understanding about safe and healthy relationships.

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

There have not been any incidents of children going missing from home. Children’s records have clear guidance for staff to follow if incidents do occur.

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

Children know how to make a complaint and staff support them in raising any concerns. Allegations are handled well and investigations are thorough. Restorative work is undertaken between children and staff following any allegations or complaints. Staff work hard to ensure that children feel safe and comfortable following incidents. Children’s safety and comfort are consistently prioritised.

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

Staff respect children’s identities and support children to be resilient and confident. Positive behaviour is promoted through incentives and positive reinforcement. The use of ‘caught you being kind’ slips by staff, to highlight positive behaviour from children, encourage acts of kindness and promote empathic relationships between children.

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

Children are cared for by an established staff team. This provides stability and consistency for the children. Children are involved in the recruitment of staff. Children’s views and questions are included in the interview process and safer recruitment processes are followed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is committed to providing the best possible care to children. She knows the children well and is involved and engaged in the daily care provided to them. She has a good understanding of children’s progress. She challenges professionals in respect of shortfalls for children’s education.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager works hard to create a warm and homely environment for the children. However, areas of the home appear tired and could benefit from some refurbishment. In addition, fire doors were lodged open, which would place children at risk in the event of a fire. Inspection report for children’s home: 2532036 5 The manager is thorough in her oversight of children’s records. Records reflect children’s histories and backgrounds. This information is shared with children when they move on from the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager works hard to understand children’s backgrounds and previous experiences. She considers children’s individual needs when accepting new children into the home. Equally, she recognises when children do not settle into the home. She challenges local authorities when children’s best interests are not prioritised.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has a qualified and experienced staff team. Staff say that they feel supported by the manager and their colleagues. Staff morale is high, and staff say they are happy in their roles. Staff benefit from regular supervision and yearly appraisals. The manager values her staff team and supports professional development. The manager ensures that the staff have access to up-to-date training. Staff attend workshops that are specific to the children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager works proactively with other agencies and professionals. One independent reviewing officer said, There is always good communication. The manager is proactive in chasing up documents.’ The manager develops strong relationships with local police community support officers. This supports and helps children when potential risks are identified.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good oversight of the quality of care provided to the children. Targets and actions are monitored using trackers and development plans. Internal quality of care reports are detailed and highlight children’s progress. They include feedback from children and professionals involved in their care. However, family or professional feedback is not included in the regulation 44 reports from the independent visitor. Inspection report for children’s home: 2532036 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person should ensure that there are clear plans for children moving on from the home. 8 September 2022

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (2)(a)) 8 September 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that for children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Specifically, the decor should be maintained to a good standard throughout the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that they comply with relevant health and safety legislation. Specifically, fire doors should not be wedged open. (‘Guide to Inspection report for children’s home: 2532036 7 the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: 2532036 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: Venture House, Prospect Business Park, Longford Road, Cannock WS11 0LG

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Inspector

Claire Hobbs, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2532036 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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