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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2586951 1 Registered provider: Horizon Care and Education Group Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a private organisation and is registered to care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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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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good

Date of last inspection: 20 September 2023

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2586951 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/09/2023 Full Good 10/05/2022 Full Good 25/05/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2586951 3

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improvement to be good

At the time of the inspection, two children were living at the home.

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improvement to be good

The home is decorated to a good standard. Children’s bedrooms are decorated in a manner that reflects their interests.

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improvement to be good

Children have mixed experiences of moving from the home. The plan for one child to return to their family was carefully assessed and managed. For another child, the move from the home was unexpected, and the child was uncertain about why they had to leave.

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improvement to be good

Two children living in the home rarely attend school or an education provision. The attendance of one child who recently moved out was low. Leaders and managers regularly communicate with professionals to consider how children can return to education. However, they are unable to demonstrate that children are encouraged and supported to participate in alternative education at home to help them learn.

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improvement to be good

Staff make children aware of their right to make a complaint. Complaints are thoroughly investigated by leaders and managers. This helps children understand that their complaints are taken seriously by managers.

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improvement to be good

Children’s views are routinely sought in children’s meetings, and they are encouraged to share their views and opinions on their day-to-day care. Children confirm that they have opportunities to participate in their chosen activities and are supported to access meals that they enjoy.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to spend time with people that are important to them. These arrangements are well planned so that children’s experiences are positive.

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improvement to be good

Children say they feel safe and can identify a staff member that they can confide in if they are worried and distressed. In addition, staff support children to access specialist services to help them manage their emotions.

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improvement to be good

Behaviour support plans document children’s associated risks and measures that staff should take to keep children safe. However, a staff member spoken to during the inspection was unable to demonstrate that they understood the risks of one child and why safety measures were in place. Inspection report for children’s home: 2586951 4 There is not an effective response when shortfalls in safeguarding practice are identified. Agency staff have restrained children without the relevant training. Despite leaders and managers’ knowledge of this, they have not put clear policies and procedures in place to prevent untrained staff from holding children. This puts children and staff at risk of harm.

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improvement to be good

Leaders, managers and staff work effectively with partners to reduce children experiencing harm. For example, when children go missing from home, staff work with professionals to help children return home quickly. Furthermore, multi-agency meetings take place to consider what preventative measures can be used to reduce the occurrence of incidents.

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improvement to be good

Room searches are completed in response to concerns about the safety and well- being of children. Where possible, staff consult children about these before they take place. Incidents are well documented and include management oversight to ensure that children are being treated fairly.

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improvement to be good

The approach to safer recruitment is not consistent. Leaders and managers do not always consider gaps in employment and obtain a candidate’s full employment history in accordance with legislation.

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improvement to be good

Allegations made by children are well managed. Leaders, managers and staff follow relevant policies and procedures. External professionals are consulted, and children are informed of the investigation outcome. This shows children that their concerns are taken seriously.

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good

The registered manager post has been vacant since May 2023. Since that time, the home has been managed by two temporary managers. The last one was appointed in January 2024 in the role of acting manager. A permanent manager has been appointed but has not yet started in post.

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good

Staff feel supported by the acting manager. They receive formal supervision that is child-focused and considers staff well-being and practice. The manager is accessible, and staff are comfortable asking for help.

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good

Staffing instability means children have not experienced continuity of care. Furthermore, they are unable to maintain positive relationships that they have established with staff. One child told the inspector that staff leaving has been difficult. However, there have been improvements now that a staff team is being recruited.

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good

Team meetings take place regularly and are used as an opportunity to address practice issues and areas of development. Staff have access to mandatory training and are supported to access needs-led training so that there are no unmet needs for Inspection report for children’s home: 2586951 5 children. However, leaders and managers have not ensured that agency staff have the relevant training to safely meet children’s needs.

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good

Management oversight needs to be improved. For example, case records, such as children’s support plans, do not reflect their current needs, and they contain information about staff who have left the home. There are systems in place to monitor the quality of care provided to children. However, these are currently not being used effectively. Leaders and managers acknowledge that there are shortfalls in practice and have a strategy for improvement. Inspection report for children’s home: 2586951 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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Requirement Due date

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders, managers and staff should support children to attend school. When children do not attend, leaders and managers must work with partner agencies to help children receive an education. 19 June 2024

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 19 June 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2586951 7 that staff—

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm;

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers should ensure that staff understand children’s risks and the purpose of safety measures implemented to manage these.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers should ensure that staff do not participate in restraint practice unless they have received the necessary training.

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; 19 June 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2586951 8 ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(d)(e)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that the home is appropriately staffed and that there is a consistent team that knows the children and can meet their individual needs.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers should ensure that permanent and non-permanent staff receive relevant training so that they can care for children safely.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that children’s plans accurately reflect their care needs.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that as part of the safer recruitment process, candidates provide a full employment and education history and gaps in employment are explored. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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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: 2586951 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, Staffordshire WS11 0LG

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Gemma Waddington

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Inspector

Chibuzo Otache, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2586951 10 regulates 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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