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

Inspection report for children’s home: 1224663 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 that provides care for up to three children who have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is led by an experienced manager who is registered with Ofsted.

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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: 2 February 2022

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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: 1224663 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/02/2022 Full Good 30/10/2019 Full Outstanding 06/06/2018 Full Outstanding 17/07/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1224663 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making good progress from their starting points when moving to this home. They have secure and trusting relationships with staff who want the very best outcomes for them. Children homely feel and they have framed photographs of them on display. This helps to create a family environment for children to enjoy and thrive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to have access to a range of activities in the home and the community. Staff support children to try new activities so that they can enhance their life experiences. This has supported children to develop friendship groups away from the home. Staff promote and support children with these friendships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to stay in touch with people who are important to them. The manager is a strong advocate for promoting family visits to the home. As a result, relationships have improved, and the time children spend with their families has increased.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When a child joins or leaves the home, this is done in a planned way with consideration to the needs of any residing children. The manager ensures that children leave with positive memories. For example, one child continues to remain in contact with the staff and manager. The placing local authority for another child said that staff are supportive and nurturing in their approach and care of children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager has advocated for children to access education placements relevant to their needs. Some children have improved their attendance and attainment. This has led to good progress. However, one child was not supported to engage in learning and has a largely unstructured day. This has the potential to hamper the child’s engagement with education and progress.

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

Staff have a calm and relaxed approach with the children. Over time, a family and homely environment has been established. This is positive for the children. It has allowed them to feel safe and protected. The children know that the staff care for them and that they are trusted adults.

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

Risk assessments are thorough and contain all known risks and strategies to manage the identified risks. The children cannot always judge if they are at risk, and this includes times when they are accessing the internet. Some children struggle to retain information. Staff recognise this and continually support children to understand risks by including this in everyday conversations. This supports the children’s current and future learning and helps them remain safe. Inspection report for children’s home: 1224663 4 Children are not subject to physical interventions. Staff use positive behavioural strategies to support children to understand the triggers for their behaviours. Children rarely go missing from care. If they do go missing, this is for brief periods. Staff follow procedures to ensure that children are as safe as they can be.

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

An independent advocate visits the children on a regular basis. In addition, managers have ensured that staff understand the role of the advocate. This service is widely promoted throughout the home for children to use and ensures that children’s voices are listened to. As a result, children are supported to share their wishes and feelings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has very good oversight of the day-to-day work of staff. She is visible and always accessible to staff and children. She ensures that staff complete the required training within timescales to meet the children’s identified needs. The manager understands the benefits of investing in staff through training and development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is a strong advocate for children. External professionals report that children’s risk has reduced because of the high level of care, support and attention they receive. For example, one education provider said during the inspection that the support one child received to enable them to attend their school was ‘a success story’. However, staff did not support one child to engage in studies in the home and this remains an area for improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has ensured that there is diversity within the staff team. As a result, children benefit from having a culturally diverse team with positive male role models.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff report that they enjoy coming to work and receive good support from the staff team and their manager. As a result, staff morale is high and there is a committed and motivated team. Staff retention has ensured that the children experience a high level of consistency in their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Thorough recruitment processes are followed to help ensure that only those adults who have been assessed as safe to work with children are employed. However, on one occasion, the manager identified that a staff member required a risk assessment. This has not been completed. As a result, staff may not receive the support they need . Additionally, not all staff have regular supervision. They are not provided with an opportunity to reflect on their own practice, or for the manager to raise any concerns she may have and to ensure that the staff receive any further identified support. Inspection report for children’s home: 1224663 5

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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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to the home having plans regarding the child’s education, and structuring days for children to be supported to engage in education in the home, so they continue to learn. 16 May 2023

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Requirement Due date

The fitness of workers standard is that the registered person should recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only— 16 May 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 1224663 6 employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a) (3)(a)(c)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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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: 1224663 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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Inspector

Corline Parker, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1224663 8 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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