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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC475323 1 SC475323 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 is owned by a private company. It provides care for up to 3 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The previous registered manager has not worked in the home since 10 September 2025. An acting manager was in place until 22 October 2025 and the registered manager post has been vacant since 1 November 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

The responsible individual post has been vacant since 12 September 2025. A regional operations manager has been overseeing 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.

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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

Date of last inspection: 8 September 2025

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Inadequate

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 8 and 9 September 2025. Ofsted issued 3 Inspection report for children’s home: SC475323 2 compliance notices under Regulation 10, Regulation 12 and Regulation 13. Ofsted also issued a notice restricting accommodation at this home.

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good

A monitoring visit was completed on 22 October 2025. Inspectors found that leaders and managers had met the actions set out in compliance notices for Regulation 10 and Regulation 12. Leaders and managers failed to meet all of the actions set out in the compliance notice for Regulation 13, and this was reissued. At this inspection, leaders were judged to have met the actions set out in the compliance notice for Regulation 13. Inspection report for children’s home: SC475323 3

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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: SC475323 4

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have taken action to address the shortfalls identified at the previous inspection. Due to there currently being no children living in the home, the effectiveness of these measures has not yet been fully tested, and the impact of these changes on the experiences and safety of children could not be fully considered at this inspection.

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improvement to be good

One child lived at this home since the last inspection. This child left the home 6 weeks ago. This was a planned move to be closer to their home local authority.

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improvement to be good

During their time in the home, the child formed positive relationships with staff. This helped the child to settle into the home. During discussions with staff, the child shared positive views about the home. They particularly enjoyed all the activities they took part in. These included karaoke, arts and crafts and bowling.

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improvement to be good

The child continued to make good progress in their education. Staff supported the child to attend school regularly and maintained effective communication with the school.

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improvement to be good

Staff supported the child with their health needs. Accurate health plans reflected the child’s health needs. Staff followed guidance when the child was unwell. This ensured prompt medical treatment for the child when needed.

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improvement to be good

The move out of the home for this child was at short notice. It was not a decision made by the home. Staff supported the child appropriately when they felt worried about the move. Staff shared the child’s views with external agencies and supported them to visit their new home. The child’s social worker said, ‘Staff worked with the plan and helped with introductions.’ This helped to make the move as positive as it could be for the child.

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improvement to be good

The home has been redecorated and is now a welcoming and homely environment for children to live in.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have taken action to ensure that staff have developed their skills to recognise when children have been harmed or are at risk of harm. 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. Staff have completed a significant amount of safeguarding training. Clear guidance is now in place for staff to follow in the event of a significant incident. As a Inspection report for children’s home: SC475323 5 result, staff were able to talk about actions they would take to keep a child safe from harm.

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improvement to be good

Changes were evident in how staff managed recent safeguarding incidents while the child was living in the home. Staff acted swiftly when there were concerns about the child’s emotional wellbeing. They sought medical advice and notified external agencies. In addition, they increased monitoring for the child. This helped to keep the child safe from harm.

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improvement to be good

Staff spoke to the child regularly about how to stay safe. Discussions took place with the child about how to stay safe online and in the community. The child could speak to staff about any worries that they had. When they did this, staff took their concerns seriously and responded appropriately. The acting manager had oversight of discussions between the child and staff. This ensured that any concerns were followed up by staff as needed and appropriate action taken to safeguard children.

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improvement to be good

Staff provided the child with consistent boundaries. Positive behaviour was recognised and rewarded. This provided the child with clear expectations and helped them settle. During the time the child was living in the home, there was no use of physical intervention and the child did not go missing.

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improvement to be good

The home is a physically safe environment. It is currently unoccupied, but staff are completing weekly health and safety checks.

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good

An acting manager supported this home for 7 weeks while a child remained living there. During this time, the manager made improvements to the oversight of the home. This ensured that the quality of care in the home improved. The acting manager left the home after the previous monitoring visit was complete. This means that the home has not had consistent management oversight during the past 6 weeks.

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good

The home does not currently have a registered manager or a responsible individual in post. There is a temporary leader in place until a responsible individual has been recruited. The roles are being advertised but the timescales for when these posts will be filled are uncertain. As a result, the home does not have suitable management arrangements. Due to this, the home cannot currently provide good-quality, consistent care to children.

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good

The staff team for this home is currently working in other homes in the organisation. Leaders hold team meetings to support staff to still feel part of the same team. Staff are keen to return to work in this home and are optimistic about the future care they can provide to children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC475323 6 Staff receive supervision from the deputy manager and managers from other homes. This has not been effectively tracked. This means that one staff member has not had supervision since August 2025. Managers and leaders were uncertain of when other staff had received supervision. When supervision has been held, it is not always suitably detailed or reflective. In addition, most staff have not received an appraisal for over a year. This is a missed opportunity for staff to learn and improve their practice.

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good

Staff were able to share their learning since the last inspection. They could discuss what steps they would need to take to keep children safe during incidents. Staff said that they benefited from training and ‘lessons learned’ to improve future practice. This learning has not yet been fully tested or embedded. This is because the home has only cared for a child for 5 weeks since the time of the last inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: SC475323 7

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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 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

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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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 has sufficient staff to provide care for 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;

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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 26 January 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC475323 8 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)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to the home having suitable management arrangements in place to lead the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to staff having regular and reflective supervision. This also relates to staff having appraisals each year. 26 January 2026

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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: SC475323 9

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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

Jenny Smith, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC475323 10 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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