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

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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

There were four children living in the home at the time of this inspection. Three children were spoken to by the inspector.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left in November 2024. The current manager’s application to be registered with Ofsted is being considered.

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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 outstanding

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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

19/03/2024 Full Outstanding 14/03/2023 Full Outstanding 08/03/2022 Full Outstanding 07/10/2019 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children's home: SC007284 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children receive a high standard of care and have all made considerable individual progress. Children have positive, trusting relationships with staff, who have a thorough understanding of their needs. Children speak about staff with warmth and are clear about the positive impact staff have had on their progress. Staff promote a culture of respect and empathy towards children, which contributes to their growing confidence and positive self-identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The manager and staff have high aspirations for all children to attend and succeed in their education. Staff encourage and celebrate the children’s efforts and achievements, which helps to raise their confidence and motivation. Staff support for education has led to one child preparing to go to university. When children are reluctant to engage with education, staff work hard to find alternative opportunities. These include work experience and training courses, and staff use rewards effectively to encourage children to learn and develop.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff plan children’s next steps on from the home thoughtfully. They support children to develop their independence skills and frequently review their needs and progress so additional help can be put in place if needed. Children’s independence programmes include essential subjects such as managing finances and applying for driving licences, and details such as how toll charges work. This attention to detail successfully prepares children for independence. A young person who previously lived at the home said how thankful they were to leave the home with the employment they wanted and the skills to budget and manage their salary.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff actively encourage children to participate in a wide range of activities. Children visit theme parks and have gone on a holiday and their hobbies are promoted. Staff celebrate children’s culture and religious events. This includes all children and staff marking the occasion and doing things together, such as going out for a meal. Staff collate books that capture children’s time in the home, including their achievements. This contributes to children’s development of positive memories, and they can take these with them into adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff support children to maintain positive relationships with people who are important to them. Staff understand the relationships that the children want with their families and proactively promote this and advocate for it to happen. Staff aim for family time to be meaningful for each child, whenever this is appropriate and achievable.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are highly complimentary about the parental role the staff, and particularly the manager, play. Children use key-work sessions and children’s meetings to confidently share their wishes and feelings, and they say staff listen to them and act on these views. Children personalise their bedrooms with furniture, lighting and family photos. Staff have also set up one bedroom as a prayer and meditation room, which is particularly relevant Inspection report for children's home: SC007284 4 for one child. This gives children a clear message that their faith and time to reflect are respected by all. It also gives children a keen sense of belonging and has contributed to children having strong bonds with staff.

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

Staff know and understand the needs of the children very well. Children’s risk assessments and care plans are thorough and outline risks, needs and triggers effectively. Staff’s responsiveness and skills in de-escalation help children to feel safe with staff and to ensure that incidents of concern are rare.

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

Incidents of children becoming very distressed or a risk to themselves are rare but, on the few occasions they do happen, they are managed very well by staff. This means that children are safeguarded effectively. The manager ensures that Ofsted is appropriately notified, and they review incidents to identify any learning. When children move on from the home, sometimes unavoidably at short notice, staff visit children in their new homes to ensure that children know they are not forgotten and remain important to staff.

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

For children at risk of sexual or criminal exploitation, staff use analytical tools to identify and highlight concerns. This work supports staff to know what action to take to manage and reduce these risks. Staff also work closely with children’s professional networks. In addition, when needed, managers and staff create bespoke behaviour management plans so that staff can robustly support children’s needs.

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

Staff carry out room searches when concerns warrant this. Children are told about these and are included when possible. When room searches need to be carried out regularly to support managing specific risks, children are empowered to be part of this plan by having a written agreement in place.

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

When children go missing from the home, staff follow clear protocols and take appropriate action. They make efforts to contact and locate the children, as well as notifying the appropriate authorities. Staff are diligent about staying in touch with children while they are away from the home, and children are warmly welcomed back when they return. Staff show curiosity to understand the reasons why children go missing from their care. This has helped staff to identify patterns, which in turn informs the support they offer.

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

Children’s records, including of key-work sessions, are comprehensive. They evidence the children’s experiences and, most importantly, their individual journeys through their time in the home. These meaningful sessions are research informed and address children’s risks, needs and experiences well. This enables staff to reinforce positive behaviour.

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

Professionals are clear that staff and managers advocate for the children in their care and for support for their identified needs. One professional said that they ‘strongly believe [staff] do keep children safe’ and others said staff are integral to the progress children make. Inspection report for children's home: SC007284 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager retired and left the home in November 2024. The deputy manager has been appointed as the manager. He has applied to be registered with Ofsted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders, managers and staff have high aspirations for children, and they are all very passionate about ensuring that children have positive experiences and good outcomes. Children in the home have benefited from a stable and experienced staff team. Staff, leaders and managers have worked at the home for several years.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers have developed strong relationships with the children, their families, social workers and schools. Professionals and family members highlight the exceptional support for children and very good communication from the manager and staff. The staff work together effectively to safeguard children and ensure that they receive the necessary support to thrive. These factors significantly contribute to positive outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff complete appropriate training which helps them to meet children’s needs effectively. Staff inductions are comprehensive, and understanding the underpinning ethos of the home is a major part of this process. This leads to staff demonstrating this in practice. Staff also receive regular supervision that is focused on the children’s individual needs and experiences. These sessions are reflective and help staff develop their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff attend team meetings. They use this as an opportunity to discuss children and their needs. Leaders also use these meetings to improve staff skills, through research-based discussions and learning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers know the home’s strengths and weaknesses well and put action plans in place as needed. They learn from inspections, ongoing monitoring and training. Monitoring systems are effective, and leaders have a development plan to improve the service as a whole. The manager’s desire to learn individually and as a team is a particular strength of the home.

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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 6

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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

Salean Bryant, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC007284 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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