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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2569994 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 for up to two children who need support with their presenting behaviours and emotions and/or have learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since March 2022.

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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 inadequate

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: declined in effectiveness

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2569994 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/03/2022 Interim Declined in effectiveness 01/09/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2569994 3

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improvement to be good

At the time of inspection, there was one child living in the home. One child has recently moved out of the home. The registered manager was absent for the inspection.

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improvement to be good

The manager and staff support children well when they move out of the home. Staff provide ongoing support to children after they have moved to ensure that they can develop safe and positive relationships with new carers.

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improvement to be good

Children’s health and well-being is not consistently promoted. Staff ensure children attend all required medical appointments. However, children’s healthcare plans do not always provide information about how staff are expected to respond to children’s identified health needs. In addition, when there are concerns that a child may be using e-cigarettes, there is no record of this in their health plan and no reduction plan in place. This practice could have implications for children’s health and well- being.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to attend school and make progress in their education. The child living at the home has been supported by staff to move schools, resulting in an improvement in their attendance. The registered manager advocates for children when there are concerns around bullying and barriers to children’s attainment in education.

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improvement to be good

Staff help children to develop their own hobbies and interests. Children are encouraged to enjoy a wide range of activities both in and out of the home, for example, going to the cinema, bowling and playing football. In addition, both children went on holiday this year. The child now living at the home was observed having fun with staff, playing games, playing football in the garden and going out shopping for items for the home. This means that children can develop relationships, have fun and make lasting memories.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to spend time with their families and friends. This includes having overnight stays with them. This ensures that children continue to build relationships and attachments with those people who are significant to them.

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improvement to be good

The manager of the home has not ensured the home is maintained to a consistent, suitable standard. Some areas of the home have benefited from recent redecoration. For example, there is a new games room for children to enjoy, the rear garden has been tidied, raised flower beds have been added, and there are new outdoor toys and furniture. However, in some areas of the home, there is damage to doors and paintwork and there is mould on window frames. In addition, there has been no TV in the communal lounge for over two weeks. This does not provide a homely and welcoming environment for children to live in. Inspection report for children’s home: 2569994 4

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improvement to be good

The manager has failed to ensure that all concerns raised by children have been considered and investigated. During inspection, it was found that a child had alleged that a staff member had been racist and had pushed them. This had not been identified by management as a safeguarding concern. The local authority designated officer was not notified and safeguarding procedures were not followed. Furthermore, the child had not been spoken to about this incident. This approach to safeguarding fails to protect children and staff.

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improvement to be good

The registered manager has failed to ensure that staff have the knowledge to consistently respond to children’s needs. For example, during the inspection, one staff member was unaware of the home’s full address, details around the home’s internet restrictions and the checks required for a child’s internet devices. Additionally, records viewed demonstrated that staff and management do not routinely display professional curiosity. For example, when one child was regularly observed to have bruising, when returning from school. Staff did not contact the school to explore the cause, despite previous concerns around this child being bullied. This is a weakness and does not provide assurances that staff understand their responsibility to protect children

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improvement to be good

Children’s plans, including behaviour support plans, therapeutic care plans and risk assessments, do not provide staff with sufficient guidance to safeguard children. These plans contain conflicting and incorrect information and are not individualised to each child’s needs. Furthermore, risk assessments do not contain all known risks. This means that children are at potential risk of harm because of staff’s practice.

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improvement to be good

Behaviour is managed positively with the use of rewards and incentives. Physical intervention has not been used and there has been minimal use of consequences. However, the registered manager does not consistently ensure that she reviews the rewards and restorative meeting records. This is a missed opportunity to review staff practices and children’s experiences.

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improvement to be good

The manager has not ensured that the use of surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary. There are sensors on the external doors and alarms are set on children’s bedroom doors at night. There is no clear rationale for why these are used. There is no individual assessment of need to support the requirement for this monitoring, and this practice is not reflected in the home’s statement of purpose. As a result, there is the possibility that surveillance may be being used unnecessarily.

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improvement to be good

There have been no incidents of children going missing from the home. Staff understand the procedures to follow should a child go missing.

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improvement to be good

The staff provide a safe environment for children to live in. Staff carry out regular health and safety checks to ensure that the home is safe. Staff and children take Inspection report for children’s home: 2569994 5 part in regular fire drills to ensure that they know how to evacuate the home in an emergency.

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improvement to be good

When completing a review of the location of the home, the manager has not consulted or considered views of relevant people in the community. This is a missed opportunity to fully review the home’s location.

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improvement to be good

Recruitment practices are safe. Staff are vetted and assessed as suitable before any appointment is made. This procedure promotes the safety of the children by preventing unsuitable adults from working with them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager’s monitoring systems for the home are ineffective. The manager’s lack of oversight means that shortfalls in staff practice have not been identified or addressed. Furthermore, of the five requirements raised at the interim visit in March 2022, three are restated at this inspection. This fails to demonstrate that managers have monitoring and review systems, which make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided by the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Since the last inspection, there have been changes in the leadership and management team. A new responsible individual has recently been appointed. The responsible individual and registered manager have started to address some of the shortfalls.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff have completed mandatory training. However, not all staff have had training to meet children’s specific needs, for example, in internet safety and sexualised behaviours. This will impact on staff’s ability to respond to children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Arrangements for individual staff supervision and appraisal are poor. The staff are not being provided with regular supervision, in line with the home’s policy and statement of purpose. Additionally, none of the staff have received a review of their performance in the last year. This means that the registered manager is not aware of how the staff are feeling, staff do not understand their own progress and areas for development or receive adequate guidance to support them in caring for the children and keeping them safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There is a regular independent visitor for the home. The visitor does not regularly obtain feedback from parents and professionals. The manager has also failed to consult with children, their parents, placing authorities and staff when completing their review of the quality of care. In addition, there are no systems in place for the manager to regularly seek feedback, which impacts on the ability to review and evaluate the effectiveness of the quality of care delivered to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Professionals were positive about the communication and support provided by the staff and the manager. One social worker said that the home is supporting the child to access assessments for an education, health and care plan, as well as an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder assessment and that these will help them to Inspection report for children’s home: 2569994 6 get any additional support they may require in the future. Staff also said they felt supported by managers.

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(vii)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the managers ensuring that the environment is improved and meets the needs of the child living in the home. 20 October 2022

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that— 20 October 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2569994 7 the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

that staff help each child to— achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

The registered manager should ensure that children’s health plans are updated and clear and that any strategies set out in health plans are followed by staff. In addition, the registered manager should ensure that prompt action is taken to support children to reduce their use of e-cigarettes.

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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—

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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

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies.

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(vii)(b)) 20 October 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2569994 8 This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that children’s risk assessments are clear and include strategies to reduce risk. In addition, the manager must ensure that staff have the skills and knowledge to identify and respond to risk and children’s needs. Furthermore, the registered manager must adhere to the organisation’s allegations policy, investigate allegations fully and maintain clear records.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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 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 have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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)(a)(c)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager ensuring that staff have training that helps them to meet the specific needs of the children. In addition, they must ensure that monitoring systems are effective in identifying and responding to shortfalls and evaluating the care provided. 20 October 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2569994 9 The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children.

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Requirement Due date

The monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that door alarms are only used as set out in a child’s agreed risk assessment and that the use of surveillance is clear in the home’s statement of purpose. 20 October 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that all staff working in the home receive practice-related supervision and appraisal. 20 October 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; and

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (1)(2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the provider must ensure that the independent visitor regularly consults with, and gains the views of, children, parents/families, staff and external professionals.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 20 October 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2569994 10 In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it. (Regulation 45 (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that the quality of care review explicitly takes into account the views of children.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 20 October 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should consult with the wider network, including local safeguarding partners, when completing the review of the location, to ensure information regarding the locality is fully reviewed and shared. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)  The registered person should regularly review all records of rewards and consequences to ensure their use is fair and effective. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36)

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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: 2569994 11

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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, Unit 12, Venture House, Prospect Business Park, Longford Road, Cannock, Staffordshire WS11 0LG

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Inspectors

Sonia Sullivan, Social Care Inspector Sophie Hills, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2569994 12 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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