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

Inspection report for children’s home for 2645184 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 and operated by a private provider. It is registered to provide care for up to four children who experience social and emotional difficulties. Four children are currently being cared for in this home.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager in post since 21 July 2023.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 28 February 2023

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home for 2645184 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/02/2023 Full Good 19/01/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home for 2645184 3

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improvement to be good

Most members of staff have positive relationships with the children. However, several staff members who were important to the children have moved on from the home. There has been a high number of agency staff used to cover staff shortages. Children have not been able to build relationships of trust with all the adults who care for them. In addition, children do not have strong relationships with each other and there is limited promotion of these relationships by the staff.

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improvement to be good

Not all children are in education, training or employment. Children of school age have a school place and are making progress from their individual starting points. Children who are over secondary school age do not have a college place or a job. Staff support them to explore their interests and to apply for college placements or employment.

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improvement to be good

Children know how to make complaints. However, staff do not acknowledge the children’s concerns or respond to their complaints in the timescale set out in the home’s policy. In addition, a child’s request for advocacy was not responded to for some time. As a result, children do not always feel heard or valued.

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improvement to be good

The home is spacious and well decorated. Staff help the children to personalise their bedrooms according to their tastes and interests. Children keep rats and fish as pets. Staff encourage the children to be involved in changes to communal areas, including the arrangement of furniture and choosing new items. Children are relaxed and comfortable in all areas of their home.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to maintain their relationships with people who are important to them. Staff transport children to and from time with their family and friends, even when they are far away from the home. Staff develop positive relationships with children’s families and friends.

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improvement to be good

Children’s concerns are not responded to in a timely fashion. A child reported issues regarding the conduct of an agency member of staff. There was a lack of professional curiosity from the manager in exploring these issues to fully understand the risks to children, and Ofsted was not notified for some weeks. This prevented the regulator from having oversight of the incident. This matter was brought to the attention of the independent person because the child was not made aware of the outcome of their concern.

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improvement to be good

The doors of children’s bedrooms are routinely alarmed. The alarms do not promote the safety and well-being of the children, and they are noisy and disturb the Inspection report for children’s home for 2645184 4 children. They create an institutionalised environment for the children and are intrusive on their privacy. The managers and leaders agreed that alarms are not necessary for safeguarding the children and will stop using them.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the risks to children. The risk management plans are clear and contain strategies for the staff to follow to minimise any risk. Staff update the risk management plans regularly. This has included daily updates for one child during a period of increased risk.

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improvement to be good

Staff have knowledge of the missing-from-home plans for the individual children. When children are missing from the home, staff search the local area thoroughly and often return the children to the home quickly. Staff seek to understand the reasons for missing-from-home episodes by exploring them with the children. Staff share these reasons with multi-agency professionals so that appropriate plans can be put into place to reduce missing-from-home episodes. This has led to a significant reduction in missing-from-home episodes for one child.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not hold children. Most staff are trained how to hold children safely in the event this is necessary, although one staff member requires refresher training. Children have individual behaviour support plans, which are reviewed by the in- house therapist to ensure that they meet their evolving needs. Staff use these plans to consistently support children to behave well and regulate their own emotions.

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good

There is a lack of consistent leadership in the home. There has been no registered manager in the home since July 2023. An interim manager was appointed and applied to be registered, but then left the home in October 2023. Another manager has been appointed and is due to join the home in January 2024. The responsible individual and two other managers from the organisation are currently supporting the staff team.

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good

Staff do not benefit from regular supervision. Staff went for several months without supervision. The responsible individual and supporting managers have made progress in ensuring that staff receive supervision. However, some members of staff have not received supervision or appraisal. Therefore, staff have not received regular structured support and opportunities to develop their practice.

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good

When managers identify training needs for staff, staff are not always enrolled to receive the required learning. One staff member was assigned a training course to improve their practice; however, there is no evidence to show that this training has been completed or evaluated.

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good

The systems to assist managers to maintain oversight are complex. One of the online training systems does not allow managers to see if training has been completed. Several new electronic systems have been introduced to improve Inspection report for children’s home for 2645184 5 oversight. However, managers now need to use multiple systems for control. This makes it difficult for managers to quickly obtain the information they need.

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good

The managers and leaders do not have copies of the local authority care plans for all of the children. Therefore, a previous requirement in relation to this has been restated. Inspection report for children’s home for 2645184 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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Requirements 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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Requirements Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirements Due date

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

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Requirements Due date

help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(iv)(ix)) 31 January 2024

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Requirements Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirements Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

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Requirements Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(d))

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Requirements Due date

Specifically, bedroom door alarms should only be used to promote safeguarding and well-being. 8 December 2024

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Requirements Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirements Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; 31 December 2023 Inspection report for children’s home for 2645184 7 there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)(e))

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Requirements Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirements Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirements Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirements Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)(c)) 31 January 2024

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Requirements Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirements Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirements Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirements Due date

Specifically, ensure that children’s case records contain up- to-date plans from the local authority.

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Requirements Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 17 January 2024

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Recommendation

 The registered person should observe, notice and respond to children who are expressing their views, particularly when they are making complaints. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 20, paragraph 4.10) Inspection report for children’s home for 2645184 8

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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 for 2645184 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 WS11 0LG

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Inspector

Sarah Huntbatch, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home for 2645184 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 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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