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

Inspection report for children’s home: 1241789 1 Registered provider: Horizon Care and Education Group Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned and provides care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, two children were living at the home. Four children have moved out during this inspection period.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2020.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 12 September 2024

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1241789 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/09/2024 Full Outstanding 20/03/2024 Full Good 27/03/2023 Full Good 22/02/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1241789 3

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improvement to be good

Overall, children’s progress and experiences require improvement due to shortfalls in the protection of children and the leadership and management of the home.

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improvement to be good

Four children have moved out of the home during this inspection period. Children’s moves from the home have not always been planned. One child went missing on more than one occasion. On the last occasion, they failed to return to the home. Planning was in place for another child, but they did not wish to engage and moved to the new home without an introduction.

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improvement to be good

Children have mixed views about their relationships with staff. One child has a positive relationship with one member of staff but struggles with others. Another child likes staff but does not feel they support them well in developing their independence. The confidence that children have in the staff’s ability to provide quality care and support is affected by this inconsistency.

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improvement to be good

Children’s moves into the home are not always well assessed. Managers and leaders do not always understand and evaluate children’s needs and vulnerabilities when they are moving into the home. Managers do not always consider how children already living in the home can live safely with new children who move in. Staff have been unable to manage serious incidents effectively. One child said they felt unsafe when living with another child.

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improvement to be good

One-to-one sessions between children and staff are varied and often related to children’s individual needs. However, the language used is not always caring and supportive. Children can express their views using an online application. These views are not routinely monitored, recorded or acted on by the manager. Children do not have access to an independent advocate, which limits their ability to share any concerns they may have. Children do not always feel heard.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage and help children to personalise their bedrooms. One child said they love their bedroom. However, the home’s general maintenance and cleanliness do not always receive timely attention.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage children to attend education. Communication between staff and education providers is good. When children are not in education, they receive limited structure and routine. One child commented that they are bored and have nothing to do all day. Staff are inconsistent in helping children develop interests and hobbies. Inspection report for children’s home: 1241789 4

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments are up to date. However, known risks are not always considered or reflected in the plans. Reports relating to incidents are generally detailed. However, they lack information about what action staff take to reduce risks. Children’s feelings are not always explored following an incident. This may limit how well staff support children with managing their emotions. There was one incident where a child was struggling with their emotions and was well supported by staff. This support included specialist advice from a psychotherapist.

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improvement to be good

Fire risks are not always considered. Where there were known risks for one child relating to the use of lighters and threats to set fires, room searches were not carried out. This is despite staff voicing during a team meeting that these risks ‘feel real’. Threats have not always been taken seriously. The manager is reflective about this and the importance of taking threats seriously.

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improvement to be good

Children’s missing-from-home protocols are detailed. This ensures that staff are clear about what actions need to be taken to protect children. However, staff do not always follow the protocols or risk assessments. A child was missing overnight. This was reported to police and other professionals. During the daytime, staff visited areas known to the child and attempted to make telephone contact and encourage them to return home. Staff did not continue these efforts throughout the night. The manager and staff placed responsibility with the police. This was despite the manager and staff being concerned about the child’s safety and well-being. This increases risks to children.

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improvement to be good

When children make complaints or allegations, investigations are thorough and timely. The manager and staff support children and work effectively with other professionals. There has been one occasion when a child has made an allegation. The manager referred this to the appropriate professionals. However, an outcome is not recorded. This affects any actions managers may need to take.

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improvement to be good

There have been no physical interventions or consequences for children during this inspection period.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager does not consistently monitor and review the quality of care provided to children. There is a lack of critical reflection, which hinders opportunities for learning from practice. The manager has plans to improve oversight, but these are not yet embedded in day-to-day care practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff use information shared by social workers and other professionals to create personalised plans for children. Professionals share positive experiences of engagement with the manager and staff. Plans do not always reflect all the information known. When staff review personalised plans, there is a lack of evidence about the progress children Inspection report for children’s home: 1241789 5 are making. This has a negative impact on the manager’s ability to provide evidence of progress made by children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff receive regular professional supervision where they discuss their needs and the children in their care. Reflective discussion is promoted, which can assist staff’s learning and development. Team meetings are frequent and consider the individual needs and challenges for children. There are no clear actions set following supervision sessions and team meetings. This limits professional guidance and focus on improving and developing care practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff receive a range of training, including training that focuses on children’s specific needs. However, incident reports do not reflect that staff consistently put their learning into practice. One member of staff has not yet attained the necessary qualifications within the required time frames. Inspection report for children’s home: 1241789 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that behaviour support plans are detailed and consider all known risks and the support that children require. It also relates to ensuring that staff consistently follow children’s individual behaviour support plans and missing-from-home protocols. 6 November 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 1241789 7 The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must have effective oversight of the quality of care provided to children so they can identify areas of concern and respond with clear and measurable actions. This includes recording in children’s case records and reporting incidents. This specifically relates to embedding monitoring systems, capturing children’s progress effectively and producing an ongoing review of their progress. 6 November 2025

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and 6 November 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 1241789 8 have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home; manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that careful and considered decisions are made when admitting children to the home and that children’s transitions to and from the home are positive.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all staff are enrolled on the diploma and attain this qualification within the given time frame. 6 November 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 1241789 9

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children live in an environment where the general cleanliness is consistently good and required maintenance is addressed without delay. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7)

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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: 1241789 10

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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: C/o DWF Company Secretarial Services Limited, 1 Scott Place, 2 Hardman Street, Manchester M3 3AA

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Inspector

Kathryn Hurley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1241789 11 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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