Children's home run by Horizon Care and Education Group Limited in Cannock Chase

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC475323 1 SC475323 Registered provider: Horizon Care and Education Group Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company. It provides care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered since April 2022. They have not worked in the home since 10 September 2025. The responsible individual post has been vacant since 12 September 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

A regional operations manager and an acting manager have overseen the home during this period.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection no children were living in the home. One child had recently left the home in a planned move.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 8 and 9 September 2025. Ofsted issued three compliance notices under regulation 10, regulation 12 and regulation 13. Ofsted also placed a notice restricting accommodation on the provider. The purpose of this monitoring visit was to review the provider’s progress in meeting the compliance notices

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors found that leaders and managers have met the actions set out in compliance notices for regulation 10 and regulation 12. Leaders and managers have failed to meet all of the actions set out in the compliance notice for regulation 13 and this has been reissued.

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This monitoring visit

At the last inspection, six requirements were made. At this inspection, the inspectors found that four of these requirements have been met. The requirement for Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC475323 2 regulation 5 was not considered and will be reviewed as part of the next full inspection.

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This monitoring visit

The restriction of accommodation remains in place. This is due to one compliance notice being reissued. This is also due to the manager not currently working in the home. In addition, there is no responsible individual in place.

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This monitoring visit

Appropriate and permanent management arrangements are not yet in place for this home. The registered manager is not currently working at the home and the acting manager was due to leave the role after this monitoring visit. The provider has recruited a new responsible individual to oversee the home, but they have not yet started in post.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders have taken action to ensure that managers and staff have developed their skills to recognise when children have been harmed or are at risk of harm. This has been supported by the appointment of an experienced acting manager, who has significant knowledge and understanding of their role to protect children. The manager now has oversight of all daily logs and incidents to ensure that staff follow policy and procedures to mitigate risks to children.

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This monitoring visit

The acting manager has reviewed previous safeguarding incidents with staff to reflect on ‘lessons learned’ and provided step-by-step guidance for staff on what they could do differently. Clear guidance is now in place for staff to follow in the event of a significant incident. One staff member said that the team has completed helpful reflection work since the inspection. Staff have felt well supported by leaders and managers. This has supported staff to feel motivated to make positive changes to their practice in order to keep children safe.

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This monitoring visit

Staff and managers completed a team development day that explored areas such as professional curiosity, boundaries and professionalism, incident management and exploitation. In addition, staff have completed additional and refresher safeguarding training. Staff’s understanding of safeguarding is regularly reviewed within team meetings and supervision sessions, supporting ongoing professional reflection and development.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s plans accurately reflect children’s known and emerging vulnerabilities and risks. They give staff clearer information and guidance. These changes were evident in how staff managed recent safeguarding incidents for one child while the child was living in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and manager have made improvements to the internal and external environment and the home is now free from significant hazards. There is a cleaning rota, and the manager has daily oversight of the home. Some areas of the home have been redecorated, and a new gate is being installed to prevent dogs entering Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC475323 3 the garden. Additionally, the fire risk assessment has had appropriate oversight. As a result, this is now a safe, nurturing and warm home for children to live in.

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This monitoring visit

The acting manager has made changes so that children in the home will no longer be subject to bedroom door alarms without justification. After the previous inspection, one child’s door alarm was switched off. Door alarms are now routinely considered as part of a child’s plan, so that any decision to use these alarms is clearly discussed with the children and local authority.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have been provided with additional training to improve their ability to meet children’s health needs. This includes training for mental health, self-injury and on how to complete health plans. Managers now ensure that children’s health plans are regularly updated to provide clear guidance for staff on how to meet these health needs. The acting manager has also reflected with staff on previous incidents, where one child’s health needs were not met. This has given staff the opportunity to understand their role in meeting children’s health needs.

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This monitoring visit

The acting manager has implemented monitoring tools to improve oversight of the home. This includes daily and monthly audits and key-worker checklists. This has enabled the acting manager to ensure effective oversight of the quality of care children receive. Leaders have provided frequent oversight of the home. The acting manager has felt well supported by leaders, who were involved in the staff development day and in delivering the home’s action plan.

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This monitoring visit

The acting manager has made improvements to the supervision and team meeting format. This prompts staff to consider and develop their understanding of safeguarding more frequently. Staff supervision and team meetings have taken place regularly. They are reflective and child focused.

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This monitoring visit

The acting manager has ensured that significant events have been communicated effectively with external agencies. This has ensured that effective action has been taken when a child shared safeguarding concerns with the staff team.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have not taken enough action to ensure that complaints are dealt with effectively. Two complaints have not been fully investigated, which has resulted in gaps in information. This does not ensure that concerns about staff practice are fully addressed and learning is applied.

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This monitoring visit

The acting manager has made some improvements in capturing children’s wishes and feelings. These are captured regularly in a new format, and children have access to a new child-friendly complaints folder. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC475323 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/09/2025 Full Inadequate 17/12/2024 Full Good 02/05/2023 Full Good 12/07/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC475323 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 with the given timescales.

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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

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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(g)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that complaints are dealt with effectively and promptly. Complaints should be fully investigated and any learning applied. 1 December 2025

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to 1 December 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC475323 6 be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must challenge the placing authority when children do not have up-to-date plans. They must liaise with other professionals to ensure that children’s health and educational needs are met.

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject of a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC475323 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: C/O DWF Company Secretarial Services Limited, 1 Scott Place 2 Hardman Street, Manchester M3 3AA

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Inspectors

Jenny Smith, Social Care Inspector Alison Cooper, Regulatory Inspection Manager Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC475323 8 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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