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

Inspection report for children’s home: 1249183 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 owned and managed by a private provider. It offers care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2019.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, three children were living at the home. Two of the children contributed to the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1249183 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/10/2024 Full Good 10/05/2023 Full Good 10/01/2023 Full Good 16/02/2022 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: 1249183 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff create a nurturing family home environment for the children. Children were seen smiling, laughing, receiving and giving hugs. Children develop positive and trusting relationships with staff, who ensure that their emotional and developmental needs are met. As a result, children can share anything with staff, knowing that they will not be judged. Photos of the children and staff are proudly displayed around the home, alongside drawings and crafts that children have made.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children have positive experiences and make exceptional progress from their starting points. Staff remind children that they are loved, and positive affirmations are used as part of everyday language. Children enjoy spending time with staff and experience stability.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff receive training and acquire skills to ensure that children receive cohesive support with their emotional wellbeing. Staff are attuned to children and recognise when they are becoming upset. Staff help children find safe ways to manage intense and overwhelming feelings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children make remarkable progress with their education. They have positive attitudes about school and perform well, enjoying an individualised educational programme. One child, who has been out of education for a year, enjoys having a full-time timetable. One child, who has left school, is being supported in moving on to their new chapter of either training or work. School professionals speak highly of the team and the manager, stating, ‘I have no concerns at all. It is an absolute pleasure working alongside the manager.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are healthy, and staff encourage them to make positive choices around diet, hygiene and fitness. Children take pride in helping to plan, prepare and cook with staff. When sensitive health issues arise, staff offer gentle, caring support that prioritises children’s health and wellbeing. They create a safe and reassuring environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff allow the children to develop their individual interests and identities. This includes enjoying activities such as go-karting, adventure parks and trampolining. Staff create memorabilia of these events for children to keep and have fond memories of their time at the home. Staff speak and write about children’s achievements and experiences with pride and compassion.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Furthermore, staff provide children with new opportunities that bring joy and excitement to their lives. These include holidays, days out and help with charity events. Children are involved in the planning and execution of these events to raise money for the home’s nominated charity of the year. Children have the enjoyment of giving and sharing gifts, which they enjoy participating in. Inspection report for children’s home: 1249183 4 Staff help children to build and maintain meaningful relationships with those who are important to them. This includes family members and friends, with staff advocating for more time with them when appropriate and meaningful to the children.

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

Children said that they feel safe living at the home and that they know the staff care for them and will always keep them safe. Children can recognise their own risks and when they have reduced. For example, children make comments about how well they have done because they no longer feel the need to go missing from home. This is largely due to the openness of the relationships that the children have with staff.

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

Staff have an exceptionally good understanding of the children’s needs and early experiences and the risks that affect them. Care plans and risk assessments are comprehensive and well documented and provide clear guidance so that staff can respond promptly to an identified risk.

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

Staff’s support and actions have resulted in significant progress, reducing the level and frequency of children’s known risks. When concerns are identified, staff have discussions with the children to help them understand what their risks and vulnerabilities are and how staff intend to support them through them.

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

Staff know the children well and are highly sensitive to recognising when they are upset. They recognise changes in the children’s body language. Their early intervention reduces the chance of children’s emotions escalating. When incidents occur, staff respond appropriately and keep children as safe as possible. Following behavioural incidents, discussions take place to empower the children to look at alternative ways of expressing their emotions and feelings. This has been effective and helps children to identify alternative ways of expressing themselves, for example, through drawings and painting.

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

Staff demonstrate vigilance and professionalism in their approach, responding swiftly to safeguard children. Staff work collaboratively with safeguarding agencies, such as the police. There has been a significant reduction in incidents of children going missing from the home. When children go missing, staff search for them to ensure that they are quickly located and returned home. The children are welcomed back and have the opportunity to speak to someone independently to identify why they left the home and what could be done to prevent a repeat incident.

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

When staff need to hold children, physical intervention is used appropriately and for the shortest time possible and is only ever used for the purpose of keeping a child safe. Positive behaviour is promoted through clear boundaries and expectations that are agreed with the children.

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

Professionals said that they are confident that the staff do everything they can to keep the children safer. Staff work closely with the children and their families so that everybody is collaboratively working together, with the manager being a proactive advocate for the children. Inspection report for children’s home: 1249183 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is a strong, reflective and aspirational leader. She models a calm, respectful and child-centred approach. Staff follow her example. The manager ensures that decision-making and empowerment are embedded in the home’s culture among the staff and children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager and staff are aspirational for the children. Staff take pride in children’s achievements, and these are celebrated. Children thrive in the positivity of the staff’s care and homely environment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has an effective system of oversight. She reviews all documents relating to the children. The manager’s monitoring systems enable her to ensure that staff consistently provide an excellent quality of care to children. Staff receive regular supervision that is child focused and gives them a platform for reflection and to inform their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff have access to an array of training that is tailored to children’s individual needs. The training is kept up to date, and the manager always considers what new training and skills would benefit the staff and the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager holds regular reflective team meetings with staff where they discuss the children in detail. They consider what is working well and what changes could be made to improve outcomes. These discussions help to inform children’s plans and help children to continue making incredible progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Further information and advice are provided by the clinicians associated with the home who support the staff to deliver an enhanced level of care, support and advice to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Advocacy is not just part of the manager’s role, but it is central to how she leads the staff, ensuring that changes prioritise the children’s needs and reflect their voices.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home adheres to safer recruitment procedures when recruiting new staff, ensuring that they are safe and suitable to work in the home. Staff are enrolled on the relevant qualification as soon as they have passed their probationary period, and their progress is regularly monitored to ensure that they attain the qualification within the necessary time frame.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children, staff and professionals all describe the manager as being ‘amazing’, ‘influential’, ‘supportive’ and ‘child centred’. One staff member said, ‘She makes us feel valued and supported every day.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 1249183 6

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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: 1249183 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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Inspector

Angela Ross, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1249183 8 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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