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

Inspection report for children’s home: 1277734 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 large private provider. It is registered to provide care for up to three children with complex needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since June 2019 and is suitably qualified and experienced.

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Information about this children’s home

Three children were living in the home at the time of this inspection. Two children have lived in the home for several years.

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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 outstanding

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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: 8 February 2023

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1277734 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/02/2023 Full Outstanding 10/11/2021 Full Good 04/03/2020 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1277734 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has successfully moved into foster care, where they continue to make progress. One child has been welcomed into the home. Both children received well-planned moves in or out of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make progress. Two of the children are making consistent progress. One child has been struggling with their behaviour since September. However, despite the challenges related to this, the child has continued to make progress with their education and they are now spending free time in the community as part of developing their independence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive individualised care, including therapeutic support that is tailored to suit their specific needs. The children are consulted about their targets for the coming month and participate in planning for their looked after reviews. This means that children are kept informed about their care plans and the progress they are making.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are well supported in their learning. All three children are in full-time education and have excellent attendance. Feedback from schools highlights some of the challenges the children have with their education. However, teachers praise the staff for the support and encouragement given to the children. Furthermore, the staff have advocated for one child to have the equipment they need in school to support their learning diagnosis.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff encourage the children to spend time with their families and support them to keep in touch. Additionally, family members are also welcomed into the home. Parents are very positive and complimentary of the care and support their children receive from the staff and the manager.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is warm, welcoming and beautifully decorated throughout. Personal touches, including photos of the children and soft furnishings, give it a homely feel. The children benefit from the home having two living rooms, one of which is used as a games room, and a large garden. The children have bedrooms that are well maintained and decorated to their tastes. Any damage is quickly repaired. There is a real sense of pride in the home environment. Staff work hard to maintain high standards for the children and provide them with a safe, secure and comfortable environment.

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

Staff know the children and their associated risks well. The children have individualised behaviour support plans that are reviewed regularly. As a result, the staff know how to respond effectively to children’s changing behaviours. Inspection report for children’s home: 1277734 4 The staff support children to take age-appropriate and developmentally appropriate risk. One child can safely access a mobile phone and two children spend free time in the community.

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

The staff apply a therapeutic parenting approach to de-escalate incidents and reduce the use of physical intervention. Despite an increase in incidents for one child, the use of physical intervention has been rare. Children are involved in debrief meetings and additional direct work sessions are also completed.

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

Staff are supported by the therapeutic team. The appointed trainee psychologist meets with the staff team regularly to offer help and support in response to the children’s needs. Professionals work in partnership, and feedback from the therapist about the cooperation from the staff team is positive.

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

Staff help children to understand their emotions. The staff use different strategies and approaches with the children to help them explore their thoughts, feelings and changing behaviours effectively. Additionally, the staff complete specific training as needed to help them respond effectively when a child’s needs change.

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

There has been one allegation and two complaints. However, only one of these concerns was appropriately notified to Ofsted. This has been accepted as a shortfall and area of learning moving forward.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is highly skilled and experienced. He has high expectations of himself and the staff team. He leads by example and role models child-focused care. This is mirrored by his staff team, who share the same dedicated approach to ensuring that the children receive exceptionally good care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager knows the children well. He has good insight into their lived experiences and how these affect them. To offer support, he looks to new ideas, learning and research relating to the children’s needs to help improve their care. Furthermore, his outstanding advocacy for one child ensured that their placing authority respected the child’s request to remain living at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff feel valued. This is because they receive regular reflective supervision that supports their learning and development. The staff team members meet regularly for team meetings and use this time to share practice ideas and to improve the care for the children. The staff speak highly of the registered manager and feel inspired by his approach and ethos.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There is a stable staff team. All staff are fully qualified apart from one new member of staff who is currently on their probation period. The registered manager ensures that safer recruitment is adhered to when new staff start. New staff benefit from an induction period and additional supervision during their probation. Inspection report for children’s home: 1277734 5 The staff prioritise training. They ensure that their mandatory training is completed and they complete additional training as required. The registered manager is proactive in selecting specific training for staff to reflect the needs of the children. The staff also have access to resources from the in-house therapeutic team and appointed trainee psychologist.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has effective monitoring systems in place. As well as organisational tools, he has developed his own monitoring systems to ensure that he has good oversight of all aspects of the home and the care children receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has good working relationships with others. Exceptional feedback was obtained from professionals and families about his communication and dedication to the children he cares for. Inspection report for children’s home: 1277734 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 registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if there is an allegation of abuse against the home or person working there. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)) 29 March 2024

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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: 1277734 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

Stacie Sharpe, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1277734 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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