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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2494962 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 is a privately owned home. It is registered to provide care for up to four children. The children receive care and support for social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The new manager has taken up post and registered with Ofsted in December 2022. The manager is experienced and holds a level 5 qualification in leadership and management.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2494962 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/03/2022 Full Good 05/02/2020 Interim Declined in effectiveness 03/06/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2494962 3

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outstanding

The relationships that are forged between children and the staff team are excellent. This is because staff act as positive role models and do what good parents would do. Fun, laughter and appropriate affection are the underpinning ethos of the home. This helps children to feel relaxed, safe in the knowledge that they can be themselves. A professional said, ‘[Child’s name] has made great progress since living at the home. It is clear that he is loved, and he is responding to this.’

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outstanding

Staff know each child exceptionally well. The staff follow the individual care plans of children, and they communicate between each other effectively. This provides children with that essential factor of consistent care that replicates sound parenting.

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outstanding

Children respond positively to their well-planned introduction and admission to their new home. Staff carefully and sensitively consider the past experiences of each child before their admission, as well as giving equal thought to the needs of those children currently living at the home. For planned admissions, the children meet staff before their move, take part in activities with staff and visit the home. This helps children to settle from when they first arrive.

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outstanding

All children attend school and are making fantastic progress, with their attendance levels and attainment increasing since their admission. Staff recognise the importance of learning, and they support children to attend school and undertake homework. The children are on track to do well in their exams and meet the educational targets that are set. These achievements boost children’s confidence and extensively broaden their opportunities going forward.

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outstanding

Children’s emotional and physical health greatly improve as they attend all health check-ups and assessments. The staff receive regular support from therapeutic professionals to assist in understanding each child’s early life experiences. This helps staff to better understand the way to best care and support the children.

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outstanding

Children thoroughly enjoy the activities they take part in. They love playing games, doing arts and crafts, going to the park, meeting friends and going on trips out with staff. In addition, children’s hobbies and interests are embraced. These include attending cubs and playing sports, such as dodge ball. All of these experiences ensure that children can play, have fun and create happy childhood memories.

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outstanding

Children express how crucial it is for them to see their family. Staff fully understand this and make certain that regular visits and contact by telephone form part of the children’s routines. This makes sure that children remain connected to those who are so important to them. Inspection report for children’s home: 2494962 4 Children benefit from learning independent life skills that are appropriate to their age. These include self-care, cooking, shopping, ironing and helping to clean and tidy their own bedrooms. This supports children to have the necessary skills going forward in their lives.

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outstanding

During the visit, the children were delighted to share their memories of living at the home with the inspectors. They enjoyed showing their memory books, which were full of photos of celebrations and trips out to places of interest. It was strongly evident that the children really enjoyed recalling these events and the fun times that they have experienced.

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outstanding

The house is decorated and furnished to a high standard throughout. The children make choices and influence the decisions that are made about the decoration and furnishings in the home. Children have personalised their own bedrooms, which reflect their personalities and interests. This provides the children with an environment that replicates a family home. A professional said, ‘From my first visit, I felt that this is a home for [Child’s name].’

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outstanding

Children’s views are routinely gathered by staff through daily discussions and at the children’s meetings. Their opinions are listened to and readily taken on board to influence how the home operates. Children make decisions about the activities they want to do, provide ideas for their weekly meals and decide when they wish to see their families. This empowers children to influence how staff care for them.

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outstanding

Children become increasingly safe when they come to live at this home, and they remain so. Effective safeguarding practice contributes to children’s strong sense of safety and well-being.

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outstanding

Staff know the children very well and fully understand how to manage their individual risks and vulnerabilities, which are clearly outlined in children’s comprehensive and regularly updated plans and risk assessments.

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outstanding

Staff have daily discussions and complete frequent direct work with children about dangerous situations, people and places. This helps children to better understand risk. Extensive educational work has been undertaken with children on the dangers of going missing from home, road safety, stranger danger and internet safety. Consequently, children’s risk-taking behaviour has reduced and, in many cases, ceased.

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outstanding

On the rare occasions when children become emotionally upset or frustrated, staff actively listen and, where appropriate, they give the child space and use distraction techniques to help calm matters before they escalate. This style of behaviour management is successful in this home. This means that children rarely receive a consequence or need to be physically held by staff to keep them safe from harm. Inspection report for children’s home: 2494962 5 Staff access a range of training that assists them with the skills they need to keep children safe. Staff are clear on what action they need to take if children are at risk of harm. The inspectors found that staff follow the correct procedures when concerns arise, and this helps to ensure that children remain safe.

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outstanding

The manager implements safe recruitment practices as required by the regulations for children’s homes. This means that all persons employed have undergone scrutiny, including taking up references and having a full employment history and a Disclosure and Barring Service check. This ensures that staff are suitable to work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The new manager leads by example. She inspires the staff team to have ambition for the children it cares for. There is clear evidence that the manager has created a culture and ethos of high nurture, which enables children to thrive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has excellent oversight and understanding of the children, staff and the home. This enables her to influence, adapt and make changes when required to improve the care that is provided to the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children benefit enormously from being cared for by staff who are experienced, dedicated, skilled and nurturing. Staff work together consistently to meet the identified needs of each child in their care. Regular reviews and discussions in handovers and team and therapeutic meetings help staff to focus on how to improve the outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff morale and teamwork are first rate. Staff say that the manager is approachable and listens to them, and they feel valued. Staff receive regular formal supervision from the manager. Supervision includes discussions about their practice, children’s needs, personal well-being, development and training. This provides staff with excellent support and guidance to maintain and improve the quality of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff training is wide-ranging, and most staff hold a level 3 qualification in caring for children and young people, as well as undertaking mandatory training in areas such as safeguarding, first aid and health and safety. Staff access more specialist training that includes understanding child sexual exploitation, self-harm, internet safety and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. In addition, staff receive training in the home’s model of care. This further equips the staff to be better attuned to what a child is experiencing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Professionals confirm that there is excellent partnership working. The manager and staff maintain excellent communication with professionals. This keeps everyone up to date about all important and relevant matters about the children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2494962 6 The home has an extensive internal and external monitoring system. The Regulation 44 monthly reports do detect omissions that staff quickly rectify. The manager undertakes a monthly audit, which also includes health and safety matters. In addition, the manager spends time with children and staff and reads and signs off on all care plans and direct work undertaken with children. This makes certain that she has an excellent oversight of the care that children receive. This assists immensely in maintaining and continually improving the quality of care for children.

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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: 2494962 7

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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: Oliver Scrimshaw

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Inspector

Debbie Foster, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2494962 8 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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