Children's Home run by Horizon Residential Children's Home in Waltham Forest

Inspection report for children’s home: SC007284 1 SC007284 Registered provider: Horizon Residential Children’s Home Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home provides care for up to six children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered with Ofsted in April 2000. The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2010.

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Information about this children’s home

There were five children living in the home at the time of this inspection.

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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: SC007284 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/03/2023 Full Outstanding 08/03/2022 Full Outstanding 07/10/2019 Full Outstanding 11/12/2018 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC007284 3

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outstanding

Children consistently receive high-quality care in this home. They experience positive relationships with staff that provide them with stability, which helps them to develop their willingness and ability to communicate how they feel. For this reason, children have positive experiences, lead productive lives and make exceptional progress in their learning.

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outstanding

Children are making excellent progress in education and exceeding expectations. One child is the first student in Year 11 to complete their BTEC First course work. Positive role modelling from staff has a positive impact on children’s attitudes towards going to school and to doing well. Children are gaining qualifications in the things that interest them, such as engineering. Staff have supported children to apply for college places and later help them to find employment. One child has now been shortlisted for an interview with a railway network.

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outstanding

Children are supported to develop their independence skills, such as being able to do their own laundry, wash dishes and maintain good bedroom conditions. Children are also supported to develop their skills to maintain their own personal care. Parents and professionals report that children make excellent progress while living in this home. One parent said, ‘The staff are non-judgmental. I could not thank them enough. I do not think there could be a better bunch of people. My child has improved so much since being there.’

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outstanding

Children are supported to maintain positive relationships with people who are important to them. Staff listen to children’s views, wishes and feelings about family time, and plans are put in place to make this safe and meaningful. This reduces children’s anxieties and helps them to settle well in the home. As a result, children have meaningful contact with their families, which helps them to mature and make a successful transition to adult life.

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outstanding

Children have good relationships with each other. Staff act swiftly to address any fallouts or disagreements, which are resolved using restorative approaches. Regular discussions about respecting others are helping children to live together safely.

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outstanding

Complaints are rare in this home. Children are confident sharing their views with their key workers in children’s meetings and giving regular feedback about their home. Children’s views are listened to and acted on. The home promotes a culture of respect and empathy towards children, which contributes to their growing confidence and positive self-identity.

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outstanding

The home is maintained to a good standard. Repairs and wear and tear are addressed swiftly. Children are able to personalise their bedrooms. For example, Inspection report for children’s home: SC007284 4 children choose their own bed linen and decorations and have family photos and decorations on the walls.

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

Staff know the children really well, and this helps them to understand their risks and needs. Staff manage risk and behaviour well. Children’s risk assessments and behaviour management plans are thorough and effective. They appropriately identify areas of vulnerability and clearly set out actions that should be taken to address risk.

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

The number of incidents of children missing from the home has significantly reduced and, in some instances, stopped completely. One child regularly keeps in contact with staff if they are late when returning to the home. The child’s relationships with staff are a key reason why they choose to return home.

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

Children have positive relationships with staff. They enjoy cooking, talking and watching videos with staff around the kitchen table. One child said that their favourite aspects of the home were ‘inclusivity of diversity’ and ‘staff support’. For example, staff and other children participated during religious occasions, such as Ramadan, and religious celebrations, such as Eid and Christmas.

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

Staff have excellent skills to engage children in meaningful discussions and they find ways to support children to understand risks that are relevant to them. They also help them develop strategies to keep themselves safe. For example, they use a ‘safe word’ if they are in danger in the community. Children also receive help to meet their cultural and religious needs. These discussions help children to understand their identity, feel valued and understand their particular needs and risks.

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

Since the last inspection, physical interventions and consequences have not been used. Staff are highly responsive to children’s complex needs. Positive interventions enable staff to de-escalate potential incidents effectively.

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

Staff have a clear understanding and knowledge of safeguarding and whistle- blowing procedures.

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

Safer recruitment practice helps to ensure that all staff are suitable to work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders, managers and staff are inspirational, confident and ambitious for children. They are influential in changing the lives of those in their care. Additionally, the registered manager and staff have good working relationships with professionals to ensure that children experience the best possible care and outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leadership and management of the home are exceptional. The ethos of the home is well established, and staff know exactly what is expected of them. They offer highly Inspection report for children’s home: SC007284 5 individualised care and understand that all children’s needs are different. Staff’s approach to caring for children encourages their participation and engagement, which helps them to make excellent progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders, managers and staff share an ambitious vision to help children thrive. They are child-focused and highly effective in making a significant difference to children’s lives. The registered manager and staff have positive relationships with children. The staff team is established and experienced; staff work consistently well together, which helps to support the individual needs of the children. This provides children with a sense of security and helps them build trusting relationships.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers ensure that they fully understand children’s needs before children move into the home. They consider the needs of the children already living in the home to make sure that the children can live safely together. As a result, children settle, have positive experiences and live in the home for a long time.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers know the service’s strengths and weaknesses well and put action plans into place. They learn from inspections, ongoing monitoring and training. Monitoring systems are effective, and there is a continuous plan to improve the service as a whole.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers promote tolerance and inclusivity. There is good attention to the identity and diversity needs of children, such as their culture, dietary needs, religious practices and communication needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff morale is high. Staff say that they are ‘valued, respected and well supported’. Staff receive good-quality training that is research-based and relevant to children’s particular needs. Staff work as a team to embed this training in their everyday practice. They have regular supervision sessions and team meetings that are child- focused. This offers opportunities for learning and supports staff to provide an excellent quality of care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children’s records are of superior quality. They are written in a way that children can read easily and gain a good understanding of their experience in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC007284 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: SC007284 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Horizon Residential Children’s Home

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 46 The Ridgeway, North Harrow, Harrow, Middlesex HA2 7QN

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Mehnaaz Chaudhary

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Inspector

Melvin Davies, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC007284 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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