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

Inspection report for children’s home: 1257073 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 operated by a private provider. It offers care for up to three children who have learning disabilities and experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been in post since December 2021. She is suitably qualified and experienced for the role.

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Information about this children’s home

Three children currently live at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1257073 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/08/2022 Full Outstanding 23/03/2022 Full Good 01/08/2019 Full Good 01/05/2019 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 1257073 3

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outstanding

Children respond well to the highly nurturing care provided by a dedicated and experienced staff team. This supports the children to make fantastic progress that is continued and sustained.

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outstanding

The ethos of the home is to provide an environment that is a warm and welcoming. Staff are extremely motivated, skilled and knowledgeable, and children are treated with unconditional positive regard at all times. This helps children to feel treasured and loved. This supports and promotes positive outcomes for children.

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outstanding

Children have established strong and trusting relationships with staff. This was unmistakeable throughout the inspection, with lots of warmth, fun and laughter observed.

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outstanding

Children benefit greatly from the tremendous care that they receive from staff. This creates an environment where children have the confidence to feel safe, secure and blossom. Children are clearly settled and have lots of enjoyable times with each other and staff. One child said, ‘It is amazing here, the staff are amazing and so is my bedroom.’

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outstanding

Staff work closely with education professionals and staff to ensure that children receive the absolute best support and assistance that they require to enable them to manage the school environment. Children who have lived at the home for some time attend school full time. The additional tuition for English and mathematics continues to assist them in making good academic progress. A school placement has been quickly sourced for a child who has recently moved into the home.

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outstanding

Children’s health and development are given high importance, and their health and well-being have improved greatly. Staff pursue the necessary health interventions and assessments with vigour. In addition, creative sessions with the children help them to understand how to improve their physical and emotional health and well- being.

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outstanding

Children thrive in this home. Their lives are enriched because of the high-quality care that they receive and the positive new childhood experiences they have. Children speak with excitement about living at the home, those who care for them, the trips, activities and holidays they have experienced. Examples include visiting Edinburgh, a holiday in Spain, attending after-school badminton clubs, taking part in the three peaks challenge and attending a rangers’ group. These wide-ranging childhood experiences increase children’s awareness of the world around them and build their aspirations, confidence and social skills enormously. Inspection report for children’s home: 1257073 4 Children say they are listened to and that staff act on their suggestions and requests. There is an enormous focus on involving the children in discussions about their care. Their views are captured in several ways, such as through key-work

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outstanding

sessions and everyday chats. More formally, children share their views during their care reviews and through workshop sessions. Children make decisions about the activities they want to do, the meals they eat and trips out. Other important matters have also been actioned, such as children’s request for more contact with their parent.

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outstanding

Developing independence skills starts early, with children given tasks and responsibilities around the home that provide them with useful skills, such as keeping their bedrooms tidy and developing skills in the kitchen. This improves children’s sense of responsibility and self-confidence as they move towards living more independently.

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outstanding

Children benefit greatly from living in this home. It is decorated and furnished to a high standard and is very homely in appearance. Children have an abundance of board games, books and electronic games. They are immensely proud of their bedrooms, which are highly personalised and reflect their personalities and interests.

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

Children’s safety is a priority. Staff use a therapeutic approach to care, and they use guidance from health professionals to support children. The training staff receive helps them to understand the children’s trauma so that they can identify better ways to support and care for them.

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

Staff have clear family-type rules and boundaries and use a restorative approach to support children’s presenting behaviour. Consequences are rarely used. Children respond well to a restorative approach, and they receive lots of praise and incentives for positive behaviour and achievements. For children who become upset and go into crisis, this approach has supported the reduction of incidents. Therefore, children feel safer and remain settled for most of the time.

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

Staff know the children extremely well. They understand each child’s vulnerabilities and associated risks. Each child has an individual and specific written behaviour support plan, risk assessment, care and/or safety plans. These are regularly updated and followed by all staff. Staff can easily identify what may upset each child. Therefore, they are quick to respond, which ensures that children feel supported.

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

Staff only physically hold a child as a last resort or when all other approaches and strategies tried have not worked. There have been no such incidents in the home. This approach ensures that children are protected from harm in a supportive environment. Inspection report for children’s home: 1257073 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has a vision and high ambitions for the children in her care. She expects staff to nurture the children and for the children’s needs to be their utmost priority. The manager leads by example and is committed to her role. She ensures that the children have positive experiences, outcomes and achieve their full potential.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager and the stable staff team have a wealth of experience in caring for children. No staff have left the team in over a year and a half. Staffing levels are good. Any shortfalls in the rota are covered by staff and the manager to ensure that the consistency of care for the children is not affected.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children benefit immensely from the care they receive from a well-informed and supported staff team. Staff receive regular high-quality supervision sessions where they discuss their welfare, reflect on their practice, identify training needs, and discuss children’s needs and progress. Staff say they can share their views and suggestions and that they feel listened to. The manager uses team meetings and supervision sessions effectively. Through these methods, information is disseminated, and staff’s skills and knowledge improve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager embraces a multi-agency approach and is proactive in seeking support from professionals and specialist services. This informs the planning for the children’s care needs. This excellent collaborative working ensures that children are better understood and protected, and they make remarkable progress because they are receiving the right care and support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There are strong and established internal and external monitoring systems that thoroughly track and review the quality of care children receive. The manager has excellent oversight of the progress children are making. High-quality records demonstrate the changes in relation to the risks to children and to the progress they make. This means that identified shortfalls are quickly addressed to maintain the high standard of care children receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff benefit greatly from the training, guidance and advice they access or receive from the manager. This ensures that staff have the knowledge and skills to meet the specific and individual needs of each child in their care. The manager sets high expectations for staff practice and there is an importance placed on staff development. The manager ensures that staff have access to resources and training that help them to understand the theory that underpins their practice. Inspection report for children’s home: 1257073 6

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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: 1257073 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

Debbie Foster, Social Care Inspector Janine Shortman-Thomas, Regulatory Inspection Manager Inspection report for children’s home: 1257073 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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