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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2702209 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

The home is operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care for one child who has lived through adverse childhood experiences.

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Information about this children’s home

This is the first inspection since the home was registered in May 2023. A registered manager, with the appropriate qualification in leadership and management, is in post.

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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: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2702209 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of inspection, one child was living in the home. The child has lived there for five months. Managers ensured that the child had a well-planned move. Staff visited the child and gave the child a virtual tour of the home. As a result, the child felt reassured and quickly settled. The child is making good progress in all aspects of their life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is well supported by a core team of staff who know them very well. The staff team is nurturing in its approach and there are warm and good-humoured interactions between staff and the child. Staff build relationships with the child by supporting their hobbies and interests, as well as doing everyday tasks, such as cooking and food shopping. Creating opportunities to spend time with the child enable meaningful relationships between the child and staff to develop.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child wishes to go to school and is waiting for a school place. The manager and staff have been strong and persistent advocates for the child. Following the manager advocating for temporary education provision for the child, a tutor has been visiting the child at the home while a school place is found. When the child is reluctant to engage with this, staff support and encourage the child through routines, boundaries, and incentives. Additionally, staff support the child’s learning by playing games with them and singing songs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is in good general health. They are registered with local health services and attend routine health and specialist appointments. Managers work with mental health professionals and the company clinician to ensure that the child’s emotional needs are understood. This means that children’s emotional and physical health needs are well managed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of the child’s life story, in helping to promote their emotional health. The child has a memory book made by staff, with photographs and comments. This will go with the child when they leave the home. Having a record of these positive memories helps to increase the child’s self-esteem and emotional resilience.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child lives in a comfortable and clean home environment that they have helped to decorate and personalise. The child’s bedroom is decorated to their taste and reflects their personality, and photos of the child enhance the communal rooms in the home. This helps children to feel proud of where they live.

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

Children’s lived experiences and the impact on their behaviours are well understood by the staff team. Staff also engage children in regular direct work. This, along with consistent routines and boundaries, contributes to a sense of security for the child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2702209 3 The manager and staff are fully aware of the risks to children and understand their roles and responsibilities to keep them safe. This good practice is informed by comprehensive risk management plans that contain clear guidance for staff. These are regularly reviewed by the manager. This helps to shape staff practice in line with the home’s therapeutic approach.

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

There have been a few occasions when the child has struggled to manage their emotions. This has led to staff physically intervening to keep the child and others safe. These incidents have been recorded in a timely manner, and managers have ensured that staff and the child are consulted afterwards. However, staff do not always record their actions in sufficient detail. This means that managers cannot always review staff actions and monitor concerns effectively.

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

When the child makes an allegation at a weekend, staff do not always follow safeguarding procedures. They do not promptly inform the relevant people. Additionally, staff do not record actions agreed with on-call managers to keep the child safe.

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

The manager regularly reviews the risks presented by the local area and consults with the local police. The manager therefore has a more-detailed understanding of potential risks to the child in the home and has strategies to manage them.

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requires improvement

The home has a registered manager who has been in post since the home opened in May 2023. The manager has high aspirations for the child in their care and for their staff team. Staff say that they like working in the home, and they are positive about the support and guidance they receive from the manager.

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requires improvement

The home has had three different responsible individuals since the home opened. This inconsistency has left the manager feeling unsupported at times. A new responsible individual is now in post. They are very experienced and have plans to support the manager and the staff.

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requires improvement

Vetting procedures are usually good, supporting the safe recruitment of staff. However, on one occasion, managers did not monitor information about a new member of staff effectively. They did not identify and follow up on significant safeguarding concerns. Although managers acted quickly when this information came to light, the child had already been placed at potential risk.

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requires improvement

All core staff receive regular supervision that is informative and reflective. This ensures that staff clearly understand their individual roles in achieving the aims and objectives of the home. However, staff who regularly cover shifts do not receive supervision. Additionally, managers do not ensure that new staff receive a well- planned induction to the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2702209 4 The home is not fully staffed. Existing staff, including the manager, cover shortfalls in staffing. Despite their best efforts, this is not enough and a small number of cover staff, who are known to the child, are used. This consistent care means that the child is developing relationships with people they know well.

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requires improvement

Staff receive a wide range of training. Training is delivered through various methods, such as online and face to face. Staff are also encouraged to develop and progress in their roles and are enrolled on the relevant qualification at the appropriate time. This ensures that children are cared for by knowledgeable and skilled staff. Inspection report for children’s home: 2702209 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 registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

The specifically relates to managers ensuring that all information in respect of new employees is fully reviewed and evaluated. 7 January 2024

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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—

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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)(h)) 7 January 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2702209 6 This specifically relates to managers ensuring that they critically evaluate significant incidents and identify learning to improve staff practice. Additionally, that managers effectively monitor staff recruitment.

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (1)(a) (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that all staff receive a planned induction, and that staff who regularly cover shifts receive supervision. 7 January 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that records of restraint are kept, and they should enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. The review should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure that it meets the needs of each child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they have systems in place so that all serious events are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. The system should cover the action that should be followed if the event arises at the weekend or on a public holiday. Notification must include details of the action taken by the home’s staff in response to the event. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)

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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: 2702209 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

Karen Gillingwater, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2702209 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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