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

Inspection report for children’s home: 1235654 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 provides care for up to 4 children who may require support for social and emotional needs. The home is owned and operated by a private organisation.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection 4 children were living at the home. All the children contributed their views during the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since July 2022.

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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 good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 28 January 2025

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1235654 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/01/2025 Full Good 14/02/2024 Full Outstanding 08/11/2022 Full Good 20/07/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1235654 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and staff have good relationships. They can have conversations about subjects that are sensitive or that cause the children concern or worry. Staff know the children well and take time to listen to them and help them work through more difficult feelings. One child said that they liked living at the home. They reflected that they could not have achieved what they had without the support of staff. Staff speak highly of the children, and their well-being is at the centre of their care practice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager carefully considers all the children’s need before new children move into the home. The manager undertakes a detailed assessment of the impact of the child moving into the home. This results in careful planning and compatibility of the children living together the skills and knowledge of staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children stay at the home until they are ready to move onto the next stage of their lives. For example, one child has moved to supported accommodation in line with their views and wishes. It also helped the child to develop the skills required for them to live independently.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported by staff to engage in activities and hobbies they enjoy. The staff constantly seek out activities that will interest and stimulate children and help them to develop their confidence and skills. This has a positive impact on children’s social and emotional development and independence skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are in good health. Staff support them to attend routine health appointments, as required. Managers and staff have been very proactive in relation to a child’s emerging health needs. All the children have received information about the child’s health condition and what to expect. This information sharing was undertaken with the permission of the child and those important in the child’s life. The manager also ensured that all staff have completed training to support their care of the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children attend and participate in education. The manager and staff work in partnership with external professionals to ensure that children can access education appropriate to their needs. Attention is paid to ensuring that not only their educational needs, but also their emotional and social needs, are met. For example, one child’s refusal to attend education has been actively addressed to support them to engage with in house education whilst an alternative eductaional provision can be identified.

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

The manager and staff understand children’s vulnerabilities and risks. They work closely with key safeguarding and specialist services to ensure that children have the help and protection they need. Additionally, the manager and staff implement, and update, risk assessments and safety plans for the children. Inspection report for children’s home: 1235654 4 Children’s safety is central to staff care practice. When children experience unsettling emotions, staff respond with nurturing language and a well-informed understanding of individual needs. As a result, the staff have not had to hold or restrain children for over two years. Incident records are clear, reflective and help staff to learn and adapt their approach to managing children’s behaviour. Reports consider potential triggers and guide staff in tailoring support to keep the child safe.

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

Since the last inspection, there have been three allegations regarding staff. These have been referred to the relevant external agencies and internally investigated. The outcome of internal investigations has been shared with the local authority designated officer, and action taken has ensured that the concerns have been addressed.

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

Room searches are only carried out when there are concerns for the safety of children and others. When carrying out room searches, the staff meticulously record the findings and inform the children of any items of concern.

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

The location risk assessment provides staff with sufficient information to safeguard children from risks in the community. However, the manager has not consulted relevant people about the appropriateness of the location and any risks associated with the area.

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

There is a robust medication process in place. When a medication error occurred, the manager ensured that action was taken in response. Staff have received extra training and support. This has prevented further errors.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is experienced and leads an excellent group of staff that provide particularly good care to children in line with the ethos of the manager and leaders. The manager and deputy manager complement each other well and have a shared commitment and ambitious approach to improving children’s lives. Their vision and dedication ensures that children’s voices are genuinely heard and understood through personalised and inclusive practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers know the areas of strength in the home and show pride when highlighting what they and the staff do well. They are also aware of areas for development and take a proactive approach in pursuing improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers set high standards and expectations of the care provided to children. The management team maintain oversight of all aspects of care practice and the careful monitoring of children’s progress. Quality assurance processes are fully embedded, and this means managers are constantly aware of areas to strengthen and this is completed in a timely and effective manner.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff receive the support they need through regular professional supervision, team meetings and reflective practice sessions. Staff can reflect on their care practice because of the open culture that has been created by managers. This supportive culture enables Inspection report for children’s home: 1235654 5 them to challenge one another constructively while also pulling together well during more challenging periods.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has ensured that staff receive targeted training and workshops to strengthen their knowledge of risks to children. In particular, related to online safety, missing-from-care and child exploitation. The managers work with staff to focusing on these essential topics that equip them with the knowledge and skills needed to keep children safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

When they recruit new staff, a thorough induction is undertaken. New staff feel well supported by leaders, enabling consistent and informed care from the outset. They become quickly inducted and accepted into the staff team and this helps them to quickly settle into working in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers are fervent advocates for children when they identify shortfalls in the services they receive from other professionals. For example, when the local authority proposed a move for a child that did not reflect the child’s wishes or feelings. The manager supported the child to raise their concerns with the children’s rights officer. As a result, the child was able to remain in the home and will now move on in a planned manner at a later date.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

External professionals speak highly of the care provided by manager and staff. They describe the staff as child focused, responsive, and supporting children to have a sense of belonging. They comment on the warmth, consistency, and professionalism of staff. Inspection report for children’s home: 1235654 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 registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1) (2)) 23 February 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: 1235654 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

Zoey Lee, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1235654 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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