Children's home run by Horizon Transitional Care Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 1268535 1 Registered provider: Horizon Transitional Care 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

This home is owned by a small private company. The home provides care for up to three children with a range of complex needs and learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is suitably experienced and qualified. The manager registered with Ofsted in September 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: 16 October 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: 1268535 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/10/2023 Full Good 10/01/2023 Full Good 07/09/2021 Full Good 05/11/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1268535 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, no children have moved in or out of the home. At the time of this inspection, three children were living in the home. Two of the children have lived in the home for over two years. The inspector spoke to all three children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive excellent care, which is informed by a good knowledge of research practice. This includes the home’s therapeutic model, which is at the heart of staff’s child-focused approach. The manager continually reviews the progress that children make. The children’s care plans are personalised and effective. As a result, children make good progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children feel valued, trust staff and enjoy spending time with them. Children benefit hugely from the affection and warmth from staff. For example, the inspector observed one child seeking out a hug from staff. One parent said, ‘Staff are brilliant with him; he is so happy. I don’t think he can have better care.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All three children have excellent attendance, and staff understand the importance of education. Daily communication with the school staff ensures that the children’s daily experiences are well known. One education provider said, ‘Communication is brilliant; we send emails and also speak to the care staff daily.’ This means that the home and school staff are alert and can respond to any issues effectively.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s complex health needs are efficiently and sensitively managed by staff. Staff ensure that children’s health needs do not define them or limit their opportunities for growth and enjoyment. For example, one child who dislikes overcrowded places, enjoyed a three-day beach holiday where staff carefully planned the activities during quieter times. As a result, the child actively participated, and developed confidence, in trying new experiences, building a sense of independence and resilience.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children create meaningful memories by supporting them in a variety of activities. One child enjoyed a day at a car racing event, while another is experiencing the joy of water through fun swimming sessions. Staff make a conscious effort to capture these special moments, ensuring that each child has a memory box as a keep safe that becomes part of their life story. These memory boxes help children build a sense of identity and belonging, and a sense of continuity in their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home provides a warm, welcoming and homely environment, where children feel a strong sense of belonging. It features a dedicated sensory room and a separate arts and crafts area, offering creative and calming spaces for self-expression. A wide range of games and sensory toys are available, ensuring children have plenty of opportunities for play and relaxation. Throughout the home, pictures of the children are proudly displayed, alongside specially designed areas for sensory stimulation. Every space reflects the children’s presence, creating a home that truly feels like their own. Inspection report for children’s home: 1268535 4

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

Children benefit immensely from consistently high-quality care in a safe and secure environment. Staff have an excellent understanding of the children’s needs and respond sensitively when children are sad or anxious. One child said, ‘I like this home; I belong. I belong here.’

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

Staff help children to prepare for the day by ensuring they understand their plans. They gently guide children through their daily routines to have a structured and fulfilling experience. Staff remain consistently responsive to the children’s changing needs, quickly adapting their approach to minimise the impact of change they may have, helping to reduce any anxiety and uncertainty.

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

Highly attentive care, with staff’s warm and nurturing approach, and the comfortable environment children live in reduces the likelihood of children going missing from home. As a result, there have been no incidents of children going missing from this home. However, staff are clear about the actions they must take, should this occur.

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

Allegations and complaints are rare. When they have occurred, they have been managed well. The manager ensures that children are safe and protected from harm and keeps them updated of outcomes. These actions support children to feel confident to raise concerns and help them to feel safe.

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

There have been very few physical interventions. This is because staff manage children’s behaviour effectively. They follow the home’s care model, and use strategies such as humour, playfulness and empathy to provide support. When physical intervention is necessary, staff use it safely and only as a last resort. Following interventions, children are spoken to, giving them the opportunity to express their feelings. The manager oversees all incidents, and her oversight includes analysing possible triggers and identifying patterns, which helps prevent future incidents by enabling staff to anticipate challenges, and implement proactive strategies tailored to each child’s needs.

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

Children and staff participate in regular fire drills. Children have personal evacuation plans to help staff understand the level of support they require to evacuate the home safely. This keeps all those living and working in the home safe in the event of a fire .

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is an experienced and dedicated manager. She is supported well by the operations manager. The manager is a child-centred practitioner, who has high aspirations for the children and the staff team. Her approach and drive are cascaded to the team of staff in a way that motivates them. One member of staff said, ‘She is the best manager I have worked with. She is organised and really supportive.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A motivated staff team supports children. Staff access a range of training and research that informs their practice to meet children’s diverse individual needs. Staff work Inspection report for children’s home: 1268535 5 collaboratively to implement this training into their practice. For example, a member of staff created a set of activities to support a child’s sensory circuit and shared them with the entire staff team. This consistent approach has provided the child with a structured and predictable routine, responding to the child’s needs effectively and in a coordinated way. The dedication of the staff team and the quality of care provided to children are seen in the progress that children make and the positive outcomes they achieve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are supported through practice-related supervisions, and in team meetings, where they align their priorities with the needs of the children. Reflective conversations about the children’s well-being and safety are central to these discussions. The manager holds in equal regard the welfare of staff. Staff say they benefit from supervision discussions, as they provide opportunities to discuss their roles, while also focusing on improving the care of children. One member of staff said, ‘We have opportunities to talk about any concerns, and how we are feeling. We get set targets and can choose a quality standard, which we work towards to help our children.’ This helps to ensure that staff are well prepared and supported to give children the care they need.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is aware of the strengths of the home and the areas for development. Overall, her monitoring and reviewing systems are generally good. However, the home’s statement of purpose does not accurately reflect the guidance and support provided to children and staff from the home’s clinical psychologist. The manager promptly corrected this document to ensure accuracy and gave assurance that she will immediately put in processes to prevent such shortfalls happening again.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

None of the children have advocates, and leaders in the home have not offered access to, or support from, the advocacy service. Without independent advocacy support, children lack the vital external channel for expressing their wishes, which potentially deprives them of essential guidance and reassurance. This lack of support limits children’s understanding of their rights and their access to entitlements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

In addition to the above, the home’s independent visitor has not consistently spoken to the children during their visits. This limits the quality of external scrutiny because children are not able to make their own contribution to support the independent person’s evaluation about their safety and welfare.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Partnership working with external agencies and parents is sufficient. Professionals commend the manager and staff on their particularly effective communication and the quality of care provided to children. One education provider said, ‘We work with a lot of care homes, and this is one of the best; communication is brilliant.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 1268535 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 children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that an explanation is given to each child as soon as reasonably practicable after the child’s arrival about—

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Requirement Due date

what advocacy support or services are available to the child, how the child may access that support or those services and any entitlement the child may have to independent advocacy provision.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all children are offered access to appropriate advocacy support. 31 March 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all children are provided with an opportunity to communicate with the independent visitor. 31 March 2025

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure the home’s statement of purpose should accurately reflect how the home provides individualised care, particularly in relation to Inspection report for children’s home: 1268535 7 guidance and support from the home’s clinical psychologist. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.5)

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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: 1268535 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Horizon Transitional Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Carthorne Cottage 55 Woodfield Avenue, Wolverhampton, West Midlands WV4 4AG

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Inspector

Jas Nahar, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1268535 9 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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