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

Inspection report for children's home: 2645184 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

This home is owned and operated by a private provider. It is registered to provide care for up to four children with social and emotional needs. Four children were living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post and registered since 10 May 2024.

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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 good

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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: 5 December 2023

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2645184 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/12/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 28/02/2023 Full Good 19/01/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2645184 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children feel happy and safe in the home. They have positive relationships with staff and each other. The manager addresses any difficulties between staff and children at the earliest opportunity, which preserves their positive relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is spacious and well decorated. Any required renovation or maintenance is quickly completed. Children are supported to personalise their bedrooms as soon as they move in. Where possible, children choose their own bedrooms in the house. Children are relaxed and comfortable in their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children do not all have an appropriate school place. When children do not have a school place, the manager and staff work hard with other professionals to ensure that a school is quickly identified. While children wait for a school place to be found, staff provide structure, routine and educational activities to ensure children are prepared for school. Children who have left school are supported to gain employment. Children are being prepared for their futures.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children engage in hobbies and social activities. When children have existing interests, such as drumming, these are accommodated and facilitated. When children do not have existing interests, staff provide opportunities to explore local opportunities and experience varied activities. Children are making positive memories and developing skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager ensures that children have opportunities to share their views, both individually and as a group. When meetings for children are held, the manager provides a written response, so children are clear about what actions have been taken. Children are heard and feel valued in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the children’s health needs. When children move into the home, staff register them with local medical services. When children are reluctant to attend medical appointments, staff explain the importance to them and encourage them to go. This has resulted in children catching up on outstanding medical needs, and their health improving as a result.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have positive experiences moving into and out of the home. Staff work collaboratively with relevant professionals and contribute fully to plans. Staff ensure that children are kept fully aware of arrangements. Children’s anxieties about change are eased and their transitions are smooth.

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

Children are not held by staff. However, staff are trained to hold children safely in the event that this is necessary. Staff do not use formal consequences, instead using their relationships and skills to guide children’s behaviour. They ensure that they take all Inspection report for children's home: 2645184 4 opportunities to teach the children about appropriate boundaries and the reasons for these. Staff use incentives to encourage positive behaviour. Children have clear and consistent boundaries in the home.

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

Staff know and understand the risks to children. Risk assessments are updated regularly and contain clear strategies for the staff to follow. However, some written strategies do not accurately reflect staff practice.

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

The manager ensures that any serious incidents are notified to Ofsted swiftly. This allows the regulator to have an accurate picture of what is happening in the home.

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

Children do not make complaints about the home, although they know how to. Children say they would raise any issues directly with staff and are confident their concerns would be addressed. There was one complaint about the manager from another professional, which was unrelated to the care of the children, and this was dealt with promptly and to the satisfaction of the complainant.

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

Children do not often go missing from the home. One child with a high number of previous missing-from-home episodes has had none since they moved in. Staff know children’s individual missing-from-home plans and follow them when children are missing. Staff search the local area to find children quickly and work collaboratively with families and professionals to return them to the home. Staff update plans following missing-from-home episodes with any information that may reduce future risk.

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

Staff teach children what to do in the event of an emergency. Staff ensure that children engage in fire drills shortly after moving into the home. When children are reluctant to engage, staff ensure that they explain the reasons for doing so and the risks of being unprepared in an emergency. Staff teach children about the physical risks and how to keep themselves safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has excellent relationships with children. She ensures that she spends time with children as individuals and children seek her out to talk about their days.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say the manager is present, approachable and hands-on. They feel the manager has given the home stability and leadership since she joined the home in January 2024. Most staff have worked in the home for a significant period. The staff know the children well and offer consistency of care to them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has formed positive relationships with children’s families. Families feel the manager and staff communicate well and listen to their views. Staff and families work collaboratively in the best interests of children. Children experience joined-up, safer care as a result.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have regular supervision with a senior member of staff. All staff who deliver supervision have training to do so. The manager also ensures that appraisals are timely Inspection report for children's home: 2645184 5 and meaningful, and that children’s views are included. Staff have regular opportunities to consider and improve their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager holds regular team meetings to share relevant information with staff and reflect on practice. Staff are kept up to date with policy, practice and children’s changing needs. Communication is strong across the team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has ensured that the case records for each child are complete and that the home has all relevant statutory documents. The manager has met the requirements and recommendations made at the last inspection. Inspection report for children's home: 2645184 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Risk assessments should reflect practice. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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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: 2645184 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: Venture House, Prospect Business Park, 12 Prospect Park, Longford Road, Cannock WS11 0LG

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Gemma Waddington

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Inspector

Sarah Huntbatch, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2645184 8 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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