Children's Home run by Horizon Care and Education Group Limited in Coventry

Inspection report for children’s home: 2578355 1 Registered provider: Horizon Care and Education Group Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is part of a large private organisation. It provides care for up to 4 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2026 and is suitably experienced.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

Enforcement action since last inspection:

Compliance notices were issued under Regulations 12 and 13 on 15 September 2025. The compliance notices were lifted following positive changes being made and observed during the monitoring visit on 12 November 2025. Inspection report for children’s home: 2578355 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/04/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/11/2024 Full Good 18/06/2024 Full Inadequate 22/05/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2578355 3

p.2

Summary of findings

The inspection period has been mixed with some initial concerns regarding leadership and management and staff’s ability to keep children safe. Following the lifting of the compliance notices, there have been improvements in safeguarding practice and children’s experiences. The child living in the home is making steady progress and has formed some strong relationships with staff. The child is safeguarded effectively and supported by therapeutic informed care.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, 3 children have moved out of the home, and one child has moved in. Transition planning for children moving into and out of the home has varied in effectiveness. However, when the current child moved in, staff adapted the plan to meet their individual needs. A gradual transition enabled the child to visit the home and get to know staff before moving in.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff place a strong emphasis on building and maintaining trusted relationships. During the inspection, the child was observed seeking out staff and enjoying time in their company. The manager and staff make effective use of clinical consultation to develop tailored approaches that meet the child’s needs. Interactions are warm and nurturing, with boundaries maintained in a calm and playful manner. As a result, the child has developed positive relationships with staff and benefits from care that is responsive to their individual needs.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education professionals speak positively about the support staff provide to sustain the child’s progress. Staff are proactive and use creative strategies to encourage school attendance when the child is reluctant to engage. Regular communication between staff and education professionals contributes to effective partnership working and has helped to maintain the child’s attendance and engagement in education.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff actively encourage the child to participate in a wide range of activities that reflect their interests. Weekly activities are planned collaboratively, ensuring that the child is consulted about their routine. Staff promote the child’s physical and emotional wellbeing and support them to enjoy meaningful experiences inside and outside the home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s health needs are well supported. Staff receive training that is specific to the child’s identified needs, ensuring that they have the skills and knowledge required to provide safe and effective care.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is warmly decorated and provides a welcoming environment. The calm atmosphere gives the child a sense of safety and security. The child regularly spends meaningful time with staff in communal areas. Their presence is reflected throughout the home through photos and displays celebrating their achievements. The child’s wishes Inspection report for children’s home: 2578355 4 and feelings have influenced the decoration of their bedroom, which has been adapted to accommodate their pet hamster. This helps the child to feel listened to and promotes a strong sense of belonging.

p.3

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

For part of this inspection period, children experienced a turbulent time due to concerns about the effectiveness of safeguarding practice. Since then, changes to the management team and investment in staff development have strengthened practice and improved children’s experiences and outcomes.

p.4

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

Staff continue to maintain contact with and offer support to one child who has moved on from the home. Physical intervention has not been required recently, and restrictive practices are used only as a last resort. Staff use their positive relationships with the child to de-escalate situations effectively.

p.4

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

The child’s plans are personalised and written sensitively. They reflect the child’s views and are recorded in a way that the child can understand should they choose to access their records in the future. Plans provide clear guidance for staff, including known triggers and effective strategies for support. This helps to ensure that care remains centred on the child’s individual needs. However, up-to-date statutory plans are not held on the child’s file, which hinders the delivery of fully aligned care.

p.4

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

The manager responds promptly to allegations and safeguarding concerns. Immediate action is taken to protect children and reduce risk. Relevant safeguarding agencies, including the local authority designated officer, are notified without delay to provide appropriate oversight and scrutiny. This demonstrates the manager’s commitment to safeguarding children. However, in one instance, staff failed to appropriately record and report an allegation. Although the manager addressed the practice issue effectively, the child did not receive an appropriate debrief following the incident.

p.4

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

Leaders and managers respond robustly to medication errors. Investigations are initiated promptly, and additional training is provided to address gaps in staff knowledge. Leaders recognised that medication errors had become a recurring issue and introduced further safeguards to reduce the risk of future incidents.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff describe the manager as ‘kind’, ‘approachable’ and ‘patient’. They speak positively about the manager’s influence and regard them as instrumental in improving the culture in the home. The manager has established clear expectations and created a supportive working environment in which staff feel valued. This has contributed to improved staff morale and greater stability for the child.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are held regularly and provide opportunities for reflective discussion. The manager addresses practice issues and concerns with the wider team to promote consistency in care. Staff are encouraged to share their views on what is working well Inspection report for children’s home: 2578355 5 and to contribute ideas for improvement. This supports the delivery of consistent care that is regularly reviewed and adapted to meet the child’s changing needs.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and leaders maintain effective oversight of the home. They have a clear understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for development and use this knowledge to drive improvement. Monitoring and review systems are well established and enable leaders to identify emerging themes and areas of concern. Supervision is regular, and records demonstrate appropriate challenge where practice falls short. Actions are solution-focused and routinely reviewed, helping to sustain improvement over time.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback from external professionals is highly positive. One professional described staff communication as ‘consistent, regular and effective’. Updates are shared frequently, and weekly reports ensure that the child’s family and social worker remain well informed. One professional noted that the child is ‘beginning to communicate their wishes more openly and engaging more readily in activities, indicating that they feel safe and supported within the home environment’. This provides evidence of the positive impact that staff have on the child’s confidence and wellbeing. Inspection report for children’s home: 2578355 6

p.5

Statutory requirement

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

p.6

Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

p.6

Requirement Due date

are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)) 17 July 2026

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they notify Ofsted if there is an incident relating to the welfare of a child living in the home which the registered person considers to be serious. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards.)

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children are listened to and enabled to report any allegations at the earliest opportunity. Staff should report any allegation of abuse immediately to a senior manager within the home. Any allegation of harm or abuse must be addressed in line with the home's child protection policy. (Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards,' page 44, paragraph 9.17)

p.6

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: 2578355 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Horizon Care and Education Group Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: C/o DWF Company Secretarial Services Limited, 1 Scott Place 2 Hardman Street, Manchester M3 3AA

p.7

Inspector

Latoya Morgan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2578355 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.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8