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

Inspection report for children’s home: 1235654 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

The home provides care for up to four children who may require support for social and emotional needs. The home is owned and operated by a private organisation.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, four children were living in the home. Three children were spoken to during the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since July 2022.

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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: 14 February 2024

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1235654 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/02/2024 Full Outstanding 08/11/2022 Full Good 20/07/2021 Full Good 05/03/2020 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: 1235654 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a warm and welcoming home. The home is filled with photos of the children, creating a sense of belonging. Children are actively consulted about the decoration of their home, including their bedrooms, where their personalities shine through. Children speak positively about their experience of living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have developed trusting and secure relationships with staff, creating a space for them to thrive. Children actively seek out staff for support or comfort. Staff take the time to truly understand each child’s personality and individual needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff actively listen to children, ensuring their voices are heard and valued. They create an environment where children feel safe and can express themselves freely. Staff have sensitive and thoughtful discussions with children. Records of conversations are written with the children in mind.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are met. Following a recent diagnosis for one child, staff have taken a considerate approach to help the child understand their condition. They have used age-appropriate books and a doll to explain the diagnosis in a way that the child will understand. This results in the child feeling supported and their well-being is promoted.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are dedicated to helping children maintain relationships with those people who are most important to them. By supporting these relationships, staff contribute to children’s overall well-being and sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Not all children attend their education provision. However, for the children who do attend it is reported that they make progress. When concerns arise regarding educational attendance, staff are proactive in encouraging children to attend. Regular meetings are held with children’s wider support network to develop and implement a tailored plan. Staff understand the importance of education and advocate for children to attend provisions that are best suited to their needs.

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

Since the last inspection there has been a significant reduction in incidents of children going missing from home. When children do go missing, staff respond promptly and follow the missing protocols, coordinating efforts effectively. Staff search local areas and notify all relevant professionals. After children return, local authorities conduct return home interviews, giving children the opportunity to discuss the reasons for going missing. Additionally, staff have follow-up conversations with children after such incidents. Each missing episode is reviewed by the manager, with an evaluative approach. Inspection report for children’s home: 1235654 4 Safeguarding incidents are rare. For one child, there has been a considerable reduction in substance misuse since the last inspection. Risk assessments are consistently reviewed and updated after any incidents of concern. They provide clear and detailed guidance on the actions staff need to take if a concern arises.

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

Staff take the time to understand each child’s previous experiences and development needs. They offer positive reinforcement, celebrating achievements and milestones. By responding to children in a nurturing and supportive manner, staff create an environment where children feel secure, valued and safe in their home.

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

The manager understands the importance of safer recruitment. Only those people who are thoroughly vetted and deemed safe to work with children are employed.

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

Staff receive appropriate training to meet the needs of the children. In addition to core training, staff undergo training specific to the individual needs of the children. This ensures staff are equipped to provide effective care to the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a dedicated and committed manager. Staff speak positively about the support they receive from the manager. When the manager was absent for a period, the home was managed effectively by the deputy, with support from the responsible individual. This resulted in minimal disruption and impact on the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Following the manager’s return to work, the plans in place to manage potential risks were not sufficiently detailed. Furthermore, investigations were not sufficiently robust. There have been delays in initiating reflective discussions and identifying lessons that could be learned. Although there has been reflection by both the manager and the responsible individual, there has been a lack of follow-up action. Opportunities to incorporate these lessons into staff training and development have been missed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision and participate in team meetings. Staff have dedicated time to reflect on their practice and focus on their ongoing training and development. They have access to a psychotherapist, offering them valuable support for personal reflection and professional growth. This encourages staff to explore their practice, helping them gain deeper insights into how best to support the children in their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff maintain collaborative relationships with external professionals, ensuring open and ongoing communication. This results in well-coordinated plans for children, ensuring their needs are met. One professional said the manager and staff ‘are just fabulous’. Inspection report for children’s home: 1235654 5

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff skills in safeguarding are updated and refreshed when lessons have been learned from allegations made against staff and that this is completed in a timely manner. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 9.12)

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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: 1235654 6

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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, Staffordshire WS11 0LG

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Inspector

Jess Baines, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1235654 7 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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