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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2490729 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 is owned by a private company. The home is registered for three children who have experienced childhood trauma.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is registered with Ofsted and is working towards an appropriate qualification.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

At its last inspection in June 2021, the home was judged good. Managers subsequently closed the home in April 2022 following a serious incident when a child was placed at risk. Ofsted imposed a condition whereby the home needed to give Ofsted three months’ notice prior to a child moving in. Managers implemented an action plan to address shortfalls in managers’ and staff’s skills and experience and to recruit additional staff.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Following a monitoring visit in January 2023, the condition was removed. Inspection report for children’s home: 2490729 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/06/2021 Full Good 10/03/2020 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2490729 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the home reopened, two children have moved into the home in a planned way. The manager ensured that the children had important information and were fully informed at all stages. One child, who has lived in the home for seven months, quickly settled. Despite the best efforts of managers and staff, the other child, who moved in more recently, is not settled. The child’s social worker said that managers and staff have ‘generally impressed me’. The social worker praised staff for helping the child to choose the food she is familiar with and for supporting the child with education. A child told the inspector that the staff are ‘good’ and that they feel safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is an established team of staff, who are nurturing in their approach. Staff have warm and good-humoured interactions with the children. This helps children to develop positive relationships with staff. These relationships provide children with the stability and security they need to make progress in important areas of their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children do not currently attend school. Managers and staff prioritise children’s education by supporting them with a structured academic routine and working closely with children’s tutors and the virtual school. The registered manager has advocated for one child to ensure that they can access a school that meets their needs as quickly as possible. Another child, who has not attended school for two years, now receives daily tuition. Consistent support for children’s education has helped children to make progress from their starting points.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff register children with local health services and children have an annual health review. However, staff do not always update children’s health plans to reflect steps taken to meet children’s needs. For instance, staff have not recorded plans to support a child to attend the dentist for treatment. Details of a child’s prescribed medication and appointments with specialist services are also missing. This does not help to promote children’s health and well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Records of the most recent looked after children reviews are not always on children’s files. Targets from these reviews have not been added to the internal placement plans. Additionally, staff do not involve children in planning aspects of their care. This is a barrier to children making progress and to children investing in their care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff consult with children in planned meetings and day-to-day conversations. They listen to children and support them to attend activities of their choice. Staff go to the gym with children, and they take them for days out and on holidays. Staff develop children’s independence by cooking with children and helping them with the laundry. These experiences promote children’s self-esteem and their confidence. This has a positive impact on children’s progress and experiences. Inspection report for children’s home: 2490729 4 Staff understand the importance of children maintaining family relationships. They ensure that children see their families and friends in line with their wishes. This helps children to maintain important relationships and promotes a positive cultural identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is well furnished and maintained and is a warm and welcoming place for children to spend time with staff. Staff help children to personalise their bedroom and communal living areas. This personalisation allows children to have a sense of pride in their home and promotes their well-being. Children and staff eat their evening meal together in the large dining-kitchen. This welcoming environment increases children’s self-esteem and their enjoyment of spending time at home.

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

Detailed risk assessments and behaviour management plans, reviewed with clinicians, guide staff to manage children’s complex behaviours. Regular consultation with clinicians is effective in improving staff practice and allows staff to understand the reasons behind some behaviours, providing a nurturing environment. This enables staff to support children during times of crisis and helps children to regulate their emotions.

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

The manager’s monitoring is highly effective in identifying the triggers to children’s complex behaviours and in promoting the therapeutic ethos of the home. Following incidents, managers consult with social workers and clinicians. They debrief staff and ensure that children can talk about the incident. Managers then promptly update staff with new strategies to help children to manage their emotions. As a result, incidents are rare, and staff have not used physical restraint to manage children’s behaviours.

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

A child has been missing from the home on one occasion since the monitoring visit. Staff followed the child’s missing-from-care protocol and made every effort to locate the child. Staff welcomed the child home and sensitively explored details of where the child had been. Additionally, staff ensured that the child was able to speak with an independent person. This proactive approach ensures that children are safe and protected.

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

Managers ensure that children live safely together. Before children move into the home, managers assess children’s risks effectively and ensure that any risks are fully understood. Children say they feel safe and have not reported any bullying, which demonstrates how protected they feel.

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

The manager has ensured that the home is safely located. Additionally, information sharing with the local community support officer ensures that managers are up to date about known and emerging risks in the local area.

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

Staff do their best to ensure children’s safety online. For example, the manager has a monitoring system to ensure that children’s electronic devices are checked regularly to keep children safe. This reduces the risk of children being exploited and Inspection report for children’s home: 2490729 5 being exposed to inappropriate material. However, a restrictive rather than educative approach is being used to keep children safe online. This is not supporting children to develop skills to keep themselves safe and progress their independence in line with their peers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is a leader who has high aspirations for the children in his care and his staff team. The manager’s commitment to providing children with safe and nurturing care attuned to their needs informs the culture in the home. However, although the manager is experienced, he has not achieved the level 5 diploma in leadership and management by the relevant date.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is fully staffed, and agency staff are rarely used to care for children. This consistent care means that children are developing relationships with people they know well. Staff say that they work together to support one another and the children. They say they feel supported by the manager and that morale is good.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers ensure that team meetings are informative and child focused. Therapists regularly attend meetings to discuss children and trauma-informed practice. These sessions help staff to understand the children’s individual responses to their trauma and how they can best support the child. Staff are provided with a wide range of training, which is specific and relevant to the children’s needs. This means that children are supported by staff who are equipped with the skills and experience they need to perform well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children are treated with dignity and respect and their unique identity is supported by managers and staff. For example, staff have developed individual strategies with one child to enable the child to communicate their emotional needs. This accepting environment enables the child to thrive and achieve their potential.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff do not receive formal supervision regularly in line with the home’s policy. The quality of supervision is variable. Some supervisions are not reflective and do not address the developmental needs of staff. This means that staff are not supported to reflect on their practice or to develop and progress. Inspection report for children’s home: 2490729 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, The 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 health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that children’s health plans contain information about all specialist services that children receive, and that staff support children to attend health appointments. 15 October 2023

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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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 15 October 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2490729 7 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager ensuring that the most up-to-date care plan is in children’s files and that plans are updated with agreed actions and goals.

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Requirement Due date

A person may only manage a children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

the person is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

having regard to the size of the home, its statement of purpose, and the number and needs (including any needs arising from any disability) of the children—

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Requirement Due date

the person has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills to manage the home effectively and lead the care of children; and

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Requirement Due date

the person is physically and mentally fit to manage the home; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the person in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (1)(b)(i), a person has the appropriate experience and qualification if the person has—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 5 Diploma"); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered provider considers to be equivalent to the Level 5 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of a person who starts managing a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 3 years after the date on which that person started managing a home. (Regulation 28 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(c) (2)(c)(i)(ii) (3)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager completing the level 5 diploma in leadership and management. 15 October 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees— 15 October 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2490729 8 undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that staff receive good-quality regular supervision in line with the home’s policy.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff support children to be aware of and manage their own safety both inside and outside the home to the extent that any good parent would. Staff should help children to understand how to protect themselves, feel protected and be protected from significant harm (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.9)  The registered person should ensure that staff encourage children to see the home’s records as living documents, supporting them to view and contribute to the record in a way that reflects their voice on a regular basis. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 58, paragraph 11.19)

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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: 2490729 9

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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

Karen Gillingwater, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2490729 10 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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