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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1245572 1 Registered provider: Horizon Care and Education Group Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private provider owns and manages this home. It provides care for up to four children with social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 2022.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged to have serious and widespread concerns at the assurance inspection on 3 January 2024. This was because leaders and managers failed to take appropriate action to protect the children from serious harm. Ofsted issued a restriction of accommodation notice, which prevents more children from moving into the home, and three compliance notices under regulations 12, 13 and 14. Ofsted also raised a further four requirements. Actions taken to address some of the requirements have not been considered as part of this monitoring visit.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this monitoring visit was to review the progress and the action taken to meet the compliance notices and review the restriction of accommodation notice. This monitoring visit included a review of documents, a tour of the building and interviews with the staff. There were two children in the home during the visit. It was clear that they have positive relationships with the staff.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s day-to-day experiences have improved because they have enjoyed a period of stability. Staff are working hard to rebuild their relationships with children. They are giving children clear messages about expectations and boundaries. The relationship between the children living at the home has improved, and they are now enjoying spending time together.

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This monitoring visit

Staff training has better equipped them to meet the needs of the children. This has helped them to better understand how to respond to children’s unwanted behaviour. Staff now provide children with better structure and boundaries, and they respond to Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1245572 2 children more consistently. Incidents have reduced, and there have not been any incidents where children have been restrained.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s risk assessments and behaviour support plans have been updated. They identify all known risks to children, and they provide staff with clear guidance. Staff understand children’s vulnerabilities and risks, and they are clear about the steps to follow to mitigate some of these risks.

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This monitoring visit

The quality of records has improved. Leaders and managers have provided staff with guidance around expectations for reporting and recording. Improved management oversight of children’s records means there is evidence that shortfalls have been addressed and some staff have been provided with additional training to aid their learning.

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This monitoring visit

Reflections and lessons learned have enabled the leaders and managers to review and improve the systems for admissions. This now involves a more robust system for assessing the needs of new children against the impact on children living at the home.

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This monitoring visit

Increased senior management oversight of the home provides an additional layer of support for the manager. This is reflected in the timeliness of management responses to shortfalls.

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This monitoring visit

There has been a proactive and supportive approach to staff development. Training exercises to refresh safeguarding knowledge have been used in supervision and team meetings. Senior leaders and the organisation’s therapist have attended team meetings to provide staff with additional support.

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This monitoring visit

A reduction in the number of agency staff working in the home has improved consistency for children. The manager now ensures that information about the skills, experience and training of agency staff is available before they work at the home. However, overseas checks for staff who have lived and worked abroad have not been completed. This poses a potential risk to children’s safety.

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This monitoring visit

The steps relating to regulations 12 and 14 have been met. The step relating to the recruitment of staff under regulation 13 has been raised as a requirement. The notice restricting accommodation remains in place until 28 March 2024. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1245572 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/04/2023 Full Good 14/06/2022 Full Good 21/12/2021 Full Good 19/11/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1245572 4

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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 with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ix)) 20 May 2024

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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

The requirements are that— 20 May 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1245572 5 the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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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.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(b)(d) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a))

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)(ii)) 20 May 2024

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 20 May 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1245572 6

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1245572 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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Oliver Scrimshaw

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Inspector

Rachel Webster, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1245572 8 and inspects 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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