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

Inspection report children's home: 2589621 1 Registered provider: Horizon Care and Education Group Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

This home is privately owned. It is registered to provide care for up to 3 children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

At time of inspection, 3 children were living in the home.

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Information about this children's home

There has been no registered manager since October 2025. The manager in post has submitted their application 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 good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none. Inspection report children's home: 2589621 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/03/2025 Full Good 13/02/2024 Full Good 05/10/2022 Full Good 26/10/2021 Full Good Inspection report children's home: 2589621 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work hard to build strong relationships with children. They actively listen to children's wishes and feelings and seek to understand their experiences. Children speak positively about living at the home and one child described a member of staff as being like a second parent.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote children's health and emotional wellbeing. Children are supported to attend appointments and explore their health needs. Staff regularly seek advice from the organisation’s therapeutic service, which helps them understand and support children’s emotional wellbeing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to access education and work closely with professionals to resolve difficulties in accessing education. They promote children’s attendance and identify alternative education provisions suitable for the individual child. As a result, all children are accessing education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide children with individualised care. Children’s care plans are personalised and incorporate the local authority plans to ensure that there is a consistency of care. The plans are reviewed and updated regularly to reflect the children’s progress, although there are some inaccuracies in the records.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have carefully assessed and appropriately supported time with their families. Staff build positive relationships with children's families and parents say communication with staff is good. One parent said that support from staff contributed to their child returning to their care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have opportunities to take part in different activities and make memories together. For example, one child regularly attends the gym with staff, and another has weekly karate lessons. Staff accompanied two children on holiday, which they thoroughly enjoyed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children make a complaint, they are taken seriously and responded to clearly. Managers ensure that children know what has happened as a result of their complaint.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to develop their independence according to their individual needs. There are clear plans in place to help them develop skills in budgeting, cooking, and other essential life skills, supporting them to prepare for their futures.

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

Staff have a good understanding children’s individual risk. Detailed risk assessments support this because they provide a context for children’s behaviour with clear guidance Inspection report children's home: 2589621 4 to reduce and manage risk. Staff have meaningful conversations with children to help and support them to manage their behaviour and feelings safely.

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

Safeguarding incidents at the home are rare. There are clear and consistent boundaries in place for children which provide them with a sense of stability and security. When incidents occur, staff respond effectively and promptly to ensure that children are safe. Staff reflect on their practice and on children’s behaviours, which helps them improve their skills and continually enhance the care they provide.

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

When children go missing, staff take effective and prompt action to ensure their safe return home. They look for children when they are missing and contact all known family and friends. The manager provides effective oversight of incidents and uses their findings to improve staff practice.

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

When allegations are made, they are shared with the appropriate agencies and are handled quickly and in accordance with statutory guidance. Action is taken to ensure that children are safe and practice is improved.

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

Safer recruitment processes are in place for staff working with children. However, on one occasion employment gaps were under-explored during the recruitment process leading to a missed opportunity to fully ensure suitability.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been changes in the management at the home since the last inspection. A manager left after a short period of time and a new manager is now in post. The manager has developed positive relationships with the staff and children. She has a good understanding of the strengths and areas of development at the home. There is an experienced deputy manager who has provided consistency for the staff and children during the recent management changes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is management oversight of children’s records. The managers are working together to implement improved monitoring and review systems to enhance the quality of care provided to children. Shortfalls are addressed promptly and effectively by the managers. However, there are occasions when the managers have reviewed their own practice regarding consequences for children. This limits the independent oversight and potential to fully evaluate effectiveness.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are committed to their roles and know the children well. They speak positively about working at the home and feel supported by managers. Leaders and managers take effective action to ensure that staff who have additional needs are supported.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Consistent bank staff are used to cover most vacancies. They know the children and have developed positive relationships with them. This helps provide children with a consistency of care, supporting their sense of security and belonging. Agency staff are used occasionally; however, this has not impacted on the children’s care. Inspection report children's home: 2589621 5 Inspection report children's home: 2589621 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, 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

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)(a)(b)(f)).

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that there are effective systems in place to monitor and review the manager’s practice when appropriate. 27 March 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children's records are accurate and up to date. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 62, 14.3) Inspection report children's home: 2589621 7  The registered person should ensure that safer recruitment is followed consistently and all gaps in employment are explored. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 61, 13.1)

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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 children's home: 2589621 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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Children's home details

Responsible individual: Gemma Waddington

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Inspector

Hayley Smith, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report children's home: 2589621 9 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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