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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC475347 1 SC475347 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 is one of a group of homes operated by a private organisation. The home provides care for up to two children who need help and support with their emotions and behaviour.

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Information about this children’s home

The home does not have a registered manager. The manager left in August 2022.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

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

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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: SC475347 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/08/2021 Full Good 18/02/2020 Full Good 13/11/2018 Full Outstanding 31/08/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC475347 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of this inspection, there were two children living in the home. Both children have lived there for over a year. Children flourish because staff provide a nurturing environment and are committed to helping children progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Effective care planning by staff means that children receive personalised care, centred around meeting their needs. Children are settled in the home and benefit from the stability the placement brings. This means children thrive and make progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Relationships are positive and have developed over time. Staff work hard to instil trust and respect. This is reflected in the children’s behaviour. For example, one child was polite to the other child living in the home when she was going off to school. The child was kind and respectful in saying goodbye to her before she left.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff go above and beyond to ensure that children access education and improve their educational outcomes. Staff told the inspector how one child did not go to school when she arrived over a year ago but is now attending daily and beginning to make friends. As a result, of staff encouragement children overcome barriers to learning and improve their educational prospects.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff talk about topics that are relevant to children’s needs during well-planned key- working sessions. For example, discussions include the importance of healthy eating and understanding other children’s behaviours. These discussions allow staff to explore the importance of social interactions and well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children know how to raise concerns. One child has used the complaints procedure to tell the manager when she was unhappy, following the use of physical intervention. The manager records complaints, investigates and writes to the child to confirm the outcome. This ensures that children are taken seriously and listened to.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide a range of social activities for the children to enjoy. For example, a child told the inspector that she goes to gymnastics, drama and scouts. Another child spoke about how he enjoyed going to youth club and being in a football team. Both children spent two weeks on holiday in Wales. These activities support the children to have positive and new experiences while living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged and supported to stay in touch with family and friends who are important to them. For example, staff support contact arrangements that require supervision. As a result, bonds between children and their families are strengthened. Inspection report for children’s home: SC475347 4

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

Staff know how to keep children safe. They understand the safeguarding policies and procedures that enable them to safely care for children. Staff manage children’s vulnerabilities appropriately. As a result, children are protected from harm.

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

Clear risk management plans identify the triggers to behaviours and outline the actions that staff need to take to support children. Staff promote positive behaviour and offer praise and rewards. As a result, children learn what is expected of them.

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

Staff use restraint only as a last resort. There have been four incidents requiring the use of physical intervention since the last inspection. Staff’s understanding of the children’s risks means they use strategies that reduce children’s escalating behaviour effectively. As a result, incidents requiring restrain are reducing.

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

Children do not go missing from care. Good staffing ratios ensure that children are safe and protected from harm. Despite the low risk of children going missing, staff are forward thinking and have clear plans to respond to any missing-from-home episodes if children do run away.

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

The manager ensures that vetting checks are completed before staff begin employment. This helps to keep children safe from the potential risk of unsuitable people working with them.

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

Staff know how to evacuate children safely in case of a fire. Staff help children to undertake regular fire drills to ensure that they know how to respond to the sound of the alarm. However, the kitchen door is propped open with a door wedge. This action is not reflected in the fire risk assessment and may be a risk in the event of a fire.

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

Unprescribed over-the-counter medication for children is stored in a locked cabinet to prevent unsupervised access by children. However, not all the medication has been removed when it is no longer needed, and some items are not clearly labelled. For example, the verruca cream used by one child is not labelled with their name. This has the potential for cross-contamination if used by another child.

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good

The home has been without a registered manager since August 2022. A new manager has been in post since this time but has yet to submit an application to register. She is experienced and has a suitable qualification in the management and care of children and young people.

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good

The manager is aware of the strengths and areas for development in the home. Staff are positive about the manager, describing her as supportive. The manager is passionate and determined to drive improvement. Inspection report for children’s home: SC475347 5 Some staff have worked at the home for ten years. However, staff are not provided with regular supervision. This lack of support and effective oversight limits the opportunities to review and improve practice.

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good

Staff receive a range of training that consists of both online and face-to-face training. However, staff are not yet offered training to meet the children’s specific needs. For example, staff have not yet received enuresis training, despite this being an issue for one child. This does not ensure that staff have the most up-to-date knowledge to care for the children living in the home.

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good

The manager does not ensure that the staff roster is kept up to date. For example, when staffing arrangements change, these changes are not always recorded on the roster. As a result, the roster is not reflective of all staff working in the home and their actual hours worked. Inspection report for children’s home: SC475347 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

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home. (Regulation 25 (1)(a)) 22 December

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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. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 22 December

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the staff roster must be completed in full. 22 December

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they make suitable arrangements to dispose of any medication. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.15)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs about enuresis and should understand the key role they play in the training and development of staff in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11) Inspection report for children’s home: SC475347 7

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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: SC475347 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: Unit 12, Venture House, Prospect Business Park, Longford Road, Cannock, Staffordshire WS11 0LG

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Rebecca Grimshaw

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Inspector

Michelle Spruce, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC475347 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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