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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2793174 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

This home registered with Ofsted in September 2024 and is owned and run by a private organisation. It provides care for up to four children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, no children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has applied to register with Ofsted.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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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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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2793174 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/06/2025 Full Inadequate 04/12/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2793174 3

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improvement to be good

This home was judged to be inadequate at the previous full inspection. The child living at the home was demonstrating unsafe behaviour, staff were unable to manage this due to a lack of skill and confidence. There were additional concerns around the child’s educational needs not being met and a lack of effective oversight from leaders and managers. Instability within the staff team also impacted upon the child feeling safe.

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improvement to be good

No children have moved into or out of the home since the previous inspection. Leaders and managers have worked to address the concerns raised at the previous inspection and have prioritised recruiting a staff team that can meet children’s needs.

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improvement to be good

The complaints policy is clear and meets regulatory requirements. The children’s guide is child focused, although more could be done to ensure that the guide provides children with clear information regarding both the care that they can expect to receive from staff and information about the staff who will provide this care. This will help children who feel worried about moving into the home.

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improvement to be good

The home has been redecorated and is now bright and welcoming. The kitchen has a newly fitted breakfast bar, and the living room is furnished to a good standard. Children’s bedrooms are neutrally decorated with a view to involving children with picking colours for their own bedrooms.

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improvement to be good

There is no child in the home, which means that while some positive changes have been implemented, these are untested. Leaders and managers feel that they have made sufficient changes and are looking to welcome a child into the home.

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improvement to be good

At the previous inspection, serious concerns were raised around safeguarding. Staff were unable to manage incidents within the home, and this resulted in the child moving out in an unplanned way. Some positive changes have been noted throughout the inspection; however, there is no child in the home so it is not clear whether any reported changes will improve the care being provided within the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff say that they feel equipped to respond to incidents in the home. Staff have a good understanding of the therapeutic approach that the home uses and know how to use this to respond to incidents in the home. Staff have a good understanding of how to work with children to reduce the risks that they face and understand various risk indicators to look for when supporting children. Staff say that they now feel confident in their roles. Inspection report for children’s home: 2793174 4 Staff are up to date with training. However, there are inconsistencies with staff’s knowledge about safeguarding. The manager has plans to deliver additional specialised training to the team to address any weaknesses.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have focused on recruiting staff members who have experience with working in children’s homes. With a view to staff being more confident with responding to incidents in the home. Leaders and managers employ appropriate safer recruitment principles.

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good

Staff say that they have confidence in the new manager and feel that communication has significantly improved. Staff say that senior leaders are more visible and therefore more approachable, meaning that staff feel confident in escalating concerns if needed. Staff say that they are more confident in their roles, and they are excited to welcome a child into the home.

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good

Team meetings take place regularly and consider safeguarding knowledge of the staff and any concerns that they may have. The manager has resolved queries relating to vaping policies in other homes where shifts have been completed, which shows that staff are curious and willing to raise questions in team meetings.

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good

Supervision is regular which maintains staff knowledge, they have spent time in other homes within the organisation. When incidents have taken place in these other homes, staff have been encouraged to spend time reflecting in supervision, identifying areas of their practice that can be improved.

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good

The manager is aware of some weaknesses in the staff team and has implemented personal development plans to help staff to improve their practice. These plans enable the manager to monitor areas of weakness and identify additional support that would be of benefit. The manager has been receptive to the actions identified by the independent visitor and has implemented changes as necessary.

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good

The manager feels that the home and the team are ready for a child to move in. The manager has sought to address the previous requirements, however, as there is no child in the home, it is not clear if the changes will mean that future children moving into the home will have good outcomes. Inspection report for children’s home: 2793174 5

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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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that where children are on part-time timetables, there are clear plans to structure their day when they are not in school, with activities and tasks that relate to their plans. Additionally, the registered manager should ensure that when children are on part-time timetables, there are clear plans to reintegrate children with mainstream education. 4 November

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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; 4 November Inspection report for children’s home: 2793174 6 understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(v))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that where children present risk-taking behaviours, staff carry out relevant work with them to help children learn about their risks, in line with their plans. Additionally, where children request support to learn about their risks, this should be actioned in a timely manner.

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Requirement Due date

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

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should have effective oversight of staff practice to ensure that they are adhering to children’s plans. Additionally, the registered person should have effective oversight of incidents occurring in the home so that they understand what causes them and how staff respond, allowing for learning and reflection. 4 November

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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

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

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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)(vi)(b)) 4 November Inspection report for children’s home: 2793174 7 In particular, the registered person must ensure that plans and risk assessments contain all relevant information and give clear direction for how staff are to protect children, and ensure that this is implemented consistently within the home.

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Requirement Due date

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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(e)(f))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff have sufficient skills and experience to deliver effective care to children in the home. Additionally, the registered person should ensure that they monitor the impact of staffing changes on children’s progress and experiences to inform their future care planning. 4 November

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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: 2793174 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: C/O DWF Company Secretarial Services Limited, 1 Scott Place 2 Hardman Street, Manchester M3 3AA

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Inspector

Minnette Sims, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2793174 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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Inspector

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