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

Inspection report for children’s home: 1234244 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 owned by a private provider. It is registered to provide care for up to three children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Two children were living in the home at the time of the inspection. The children were spoken to as part of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is led by a registered manager.

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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: 19 November 2024

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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: 1234244 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/11/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 12/08/2024 Full Inadequate 20/02/2024 Full Good 30/05/2022 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: 1234244 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and staff have formed positive and trusting relationships. Children demonstrate a strong sense of security in the home, confidently seeking out staff members, including the manager.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and children engage in light-hearted exchanges, reflecting the comfortable and nurturing environment. Children speak positively about their experiences and the staff caring for them. One child stated, ‘I really trust the staff.’ This has encouraged positive behaviour. Although children have not raised any concerns, they identify the manager as someone they can talk to should they need to confide in anyone.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is well presented, with children’s bedrooms decorated to reflect their individual preferences and styles. Currently, the home is undergoing redecoration, during which children have been consulted about their choices and preferences. This inclusive approach helps to promote a sense of ownership and belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move on from the home, they are supported to have positive endings. The manager ensures effective communication with the wider professional network to promote smooth and well-planned transitions. Staff provide children with keepsake books to serve as a meaningful reminder of their time in the home. One child who recently moved into the home shared that, despite this being quick a transition, they felt warmly welcomed and well supported to settled in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to explore and celebrate their culture and identity. One child shared that they felt proud their culture was recognised and valued. Staff show a genuine interest in each child’s background and encourage ongoing learning and connection with their cultural heritage. This approach helps children to maintain a strong sense of identity and belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff consistently support children to develop independence in line with their age, abilities and individual needs. This is embedded throughout daily routines and activities, providing children with regular opportunities to practise and build essential life skills. Staff tailor their approach to encourage children to take increasing responsibility for themselves. This promotes confidence and readiness for adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff demonstrate a clear understanding of the importance of education for children, and they support children to engage with learning. Staff encourage the children’s attendance at their education provision, even when children are reluctant to attend. The staff also provide educational support in the home to further encourage learning. Staff take the initiative in identifying suitable education provisions that meet the needs of each child.

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

Inspection report for children’s home: 1234244 4 Children are given regular opportunities through planned and spontaneous conversations with staff to discuss matters important to them. They engage positively in these sessions. When concerns arise, staff hold thorough and thoughtful discussions that support children to recognise potential risks and empower them to make informed choices for themselves. Children receive praise and reassurance when they share their thoughts and feelings, which helps them feel heard and valued.

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

Safeguarding incidents are rare. However, when they do occur, appropriate and timely actions are taken to ensure the child’s safety. There is clear and effective oversight by management. Following incidents, reflective discussions take place to identify good practice and, where necessary, to consider improvements to prevent similar occurrences in the future.

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

Risk assessments provide accurate guidance for staff on the actions to take if concerns arise. They are promptly updated following any incidents and reviewed regularly to ensure they remain current and reflective of the children’s evolving needs. Staff demonstrate a thorough understanding of potential risks to children, such as substance misuse. While substance misuse is no longer a current risk for one child, staff continue to work proactively with the child to ensure that they fully understand the associated risks and dangers. Staff consistently ensure that children are informed about how to keep themselves safe.

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

Staff support children to maintain meaningful relationships with those important to them. Where there are concerns that family time is not being managed safely, the manager promptly liaises with relevant professionals to address these issues. For one child, this led to the implementation of carefully planned family time, enabling the child to sustain positive connections with family members. Staff remain vigilant and inquisitive about the company children keep when out in the community, ensuring that these relationships are both safe and beneficial.

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

Children do not go missing from home. However, clear procedures and risk assessments are in place, outlining specific actions for staff to follow should a child go missing. Currently, some of this information is not easily accessible on the system, meaning that staff may face challenges accessing crucial guidance promptly in the event of a crisis. This has been identified as an area for improvement.

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

Records are maintained in a child-friendly manner, designed to be accessible and meaningful should children choose to read them. They are written directly to the child, offering a clear and consistent narrative of their daily experiences. This approach is well embedded across the staff team. Additionally, staff demonstrate warmth and respect when discussing children, which is evident throughout the recorded information.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Inspection report for children’s home: 1234244 5 Staff report that the home feels more settled compared to the previous year. They attribute this stability to a consistent staff team, along with the manager and deputy being securely in post. Staff also express that they feel well supported by the manager and are confident in raising any worries or concerns.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have access to regular supervision sessions, which they describe as beneficial. These sessions are reflective in nature and provide opportunities to discuss children’s needs in depth. In addition to formal supervision, staff also take part in ongoing reflective discussions. There is a strong focus from the management team on staff development, ensuring that staff are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to meet the individual needs of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management have effective oversight of the home, supported by regular auditing activities. The manager demonstrates a strong understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for development. Where improvements are needed, appropriate actions are in place to drive progress. Managers are creative and nurturing in their approach to helping staff carry out their daily responsibilities, ensuring that a consistently good standard of care is maintained.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The managers implement safer recruitment procedures to ensure that only individuals who are safe and suitable to work with children are employed. This includes necessary checks and vetting processes to help protect children and maintain their safety in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager maintains positive and effective working relationships with the wider professional network for each child. There is clear evidence of the manager escalating concerns when responses are not timely or appropriate. One professional described staff as ‘willing to advocate’ for children, while another highlighted the ‘strong working relationship’ in place with staff and management. This collaborative approach supports the continuity and quality of care for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 1234244 6

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Recommendation

 Some records may be kept electronically (regulation 38) provided that this information can be easily accessed by anyone with a legitimate need to view it and, if required, be reproduced in a legible form. Records relating to children should be easily accessible on the relevant child’s file to ensure that staff are able to access all appropriate information quickly. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 14.2)

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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: 1234244 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: 17 Wolverhampton Road, Cannock, Staffordshire WS11 1AP

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Inspector

Jess Baines, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1234244 8 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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