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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Full inspection 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.

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Information about this children’s home

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 post has been vacant since March 2025. There has been a new manager in post since March 2025 who plans to register with Ofsted. Three children spoke with the inspector as part of this inspection.

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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: 11 September 2024

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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: 2645184 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/09/2024 Full Good 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 said that they feel happy and safe within the home. They enjoy positive, mutually respectful relationships with both staff and their peers, frequently spending quality time together in communal areas.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children know how to make a complaint and feel listened to. When one child raised a complaint against a staff member, the manager promptly used mediation to resolve the issue.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children do not feel settled, staff advocate children’s wishes and feelings to promote their best interests, ensuring they remain the centre of decision-making. This has resulted in one child moving to a setting closer to friends and family in line with her wishes and well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s bedrooms are personalised to their tastes. Three of the children have pets. This shows that staff trust children to appropriately care for the pets and keep them in good health. Bedrooms are nicely decorated and represent the individual characteristics of each child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Not all children are now attending education, with one having finished school and one moving at the time of inspection. The two other children have mainstream education and are thriving. One child has moved from an attendance record of 16% to 98% since joining the home, which is a significant achievement. This is testament to the support from staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are actively involved in social activities that they choose and fit with the individual interests of children. One child is thriving with a passion for performing arts, being a member of numerous clubs and taking a lead role in productions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s wishes and feelings are valued, with the manager ensuring there are opportunities to share their views, both individually and in group settings. When meetings are held for the children, a written response is provided to the children that clearly outlines the actions taken in response to their input. This process reinforces that every child feels heard and valued within the home. More recently, QR codes have been available around the home for visitors, staff and children to share their views electronically, and anonymously if they wish.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the individual needs of each child. They ensure that their health and medical needs are met. When children are reluctant to attend medical appointments, staff take the initiative to educate them on the importance of these visits. When one child struggled with additional health needs due to medication, staff supported them to resolve this issue. Inspection report for children’s home: 2645184 4 Arrangements for children moving in and out of the home are carefully managed. However, on one occasion, when the manager was absent, a child moved into the home and was later found to be unsuitable to meet the child’s needs. This led to complex difficulties and behaviours.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff talk with children about a range of topics. The quality of work with children has improved. However, there is a need for records to reflect discussions with children and the impact of care on children’s progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to see their family and friends. Staff encourage social interactions and offer transport and ideas for the time that children spend with those who are significant to them.

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

Staff are fully appraised of the risks to children, with risk assessments being updated regularly and providing clear, strategic guidance for staff. This covers a broad complexity of risk, individualised to each child in the home.

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

Staff are skilled in behaviour management. This means that staff do not hold children to keep them safe. Staff are trained in techniques to hold children safely should the situation require it and as a last resort.

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

Although children are aware of their right to make a complaint, they rarely do so and generally address issues directly with staff. One child did say that they felt uncomfortable raising complaints as some staff take this personally and it made them feel unsettled. The manager was able to support them and staff to resolve the matter.

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

Children who go missing from the home are safely returned. Staff update risk documents after incidents to include measures that reduce recurring incidents. The home has seen an increase in missing-from-home events in the last six months due to one child being unsettled and wishing to reside closer to home. This child has moved on in line with their wishes.

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

Safeguarding incidents are managed effectively and reported without delay where required. Multi-agency working means there are effective responses to safeguarding events. Professionals said that communication with staff has helped support children in reducing their exposure to risks.

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

Staff manage behaviour through a relationship-based approach rather than by using formal punitive consequences. They focus on natural consequences and emphasising rewards for children. This is effective and encourages positive behaviour.

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

All children feel safe and protected. Children say they are happy to live in the children’s home when they cannot return to their family homes. Inspection report for children’s home: 2645184 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has worked to develop and improve the operation of the home, including staffing, the environment and meeting children’s needs. This is recognised by all those in the home, alongside external professionals who commend her leadership.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Despite some changes, the staff team has remained stable, and some children have lived in the home for a long time. This stability means that staff know the children well and can provide consistent, individualised care. Children said they have been able to develop positive relationships with staff because of this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision from the manager, the deputy or a senior member of staff. These are completed in a timely manner with monthly oversight. Staff in probation receive more frequent supervisions to ensure a supportive induction to the home. Staff appraisals are detailed and include the actions needed to improve the quality of care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Regular team meetings include updated information relating to the children and policy changes. These meetings ensure that all staff provide consistency of care. More recently, wider agencies have been invited to team meetings to assist in additional learning for the team around drug and alcohol related risks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff appreciate the manager’s constructive approach. The manager has a calm and nurturing approach, which promotes a trusting environment where staff feel they can learn, develop and improve. The manager has forged excellent, individualised relationships with the children, often spending quality time with them. Children seek the manager out for advice or simply to share their experiences from the day.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals and family members speak highly of the support offered to children, directly attributing this to strong leadership and a capable staff team. Information relating to children’s events and progress is kept up to date through consistent communication

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a good oversight of the home and the progress for children. The manager has developed action plans for the next 12 months, focusing on areas of improvement. This demonstrates a commitment to the improvement of care for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2645184 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff carry out regular, planned direct work with children, specifically, ensuring consistency of quality and measured outcomes for children. 30 July 2025

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that records are 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. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 61, paragraph 14.2) Inspection report for children’s home: 2645184 7

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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 8

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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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Gemma Waddington

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Inspector

Paul McKay-Smith, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2645184 9 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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