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

Inspection report for children’s home: 1276216 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 and is registered to provide care for up to 3 children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home. The children was seen and spoken with by the inspector.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has not had a registered manager since September 2025.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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requires improvement to be 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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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1276216 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/05/2025 Full Good 29/10/2024 Full Good 05/12/2023 Full Good 17/01/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1276216 3

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Summary of findings

Leadership and management arrangements are ineffective, with significant instability. The manager has failed to apply to register in line with regulatory requirements. A poorly planned move into the home and an unplanned ending have negatively impacted on children’s experiences. Education outcomes are positive, with staff supporting attendance and progression. The therapeutic approach is not consistently embedded, impacting relationships. Safeguarding practice requires improvement due to frequent missing-from-home incidents and gaps in responses to incidents. While some strengths are evident in promoting independence, activities and capturing children’s views, these are undermined by inconsistent care.

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improvement to be good

One child has lived in this home for 4 years. This provides the child with stability. During this inspection period, one child moved into and then out of the home, and a further child also moved out. The child’s move into the home was not well planned. This is because the move happened at short notice and managers did not ensure that staff had the skills to meet the child’s individual needs before they came to live at the home. The move happened shortly before the previous manager was due to leave the home. As a result, staff were unable to consistently meet the child’s needs.

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improvement to be good

One child’s move out of the home was sooner than planned. Managers did not work with external agencies effectively to consider strategies to prevent a same-day move for the child. This led to the child having to stay in temporary accommodation for 4 days. This does not ensure that moves out of the home are always positive for children. Another child in the home was well supported to move to independent living.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to make progress in their education. One child had previously not been attending education. They are now attending school and taking their GCSEs. Staff have supported the child to gain a post-16 place at college. One teacher said the current manager ‘always thinks about what is best for them and fights for their needs to be met’.

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improvement to be good

Support for children’s health needs is mixed. The manager has been a strong advocate for one child’s health needs. As a result, the child is being supported to access specialist assessments in line with their needs. Another child was not well supported to take important medication. This significantly impacted on their wellbeing. This means that children’s health needs are not consistently met.

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improvement to be good

Children have not always received care in line with the therapeutic approach set out in the home’s statement of purpose. For one child, this meant they did not have positive Inspection report for children’s home: 1276216 4 relationships with staff. The interim manager has taken some action to improve the therapeutic approach used by staff.

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improvement to be good

Staff capture the child’s voice and act on their wishes. They acknowledge milestones and celebrate achievements. This helps children feel listened to. Staff support children in pursuing their interests. One child attends cricket club and fishing in line with their interests. These activities allow children to explore interests outside of the home.

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improvement to be good

The home is well maintained, comfortable and inviting. Children’s bedrooms are personalised in line with their wishes. There are photos of children and staff throughout the home. This means the home is a welcoming place for children.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to develop independence skills in an age-appropriate way. As a result, one child is now able to get to school on public transport. Staff also support the child to spend independent time with their family in the community. This means that the child is now able to spend more time with important people in their life.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, children have gone missing on 52 occasions, with multiple missing-from-home incidents in a short space of time. Staff and managers have not always taken robust enough action or intervened soon enough to prevent children going missing together. When children go missing, staff take appropriate immediate action to keep children safe. However, when children return, they are not always spoken with alone or offered timely return home interviews. This has not been sufficiently escalated by the manager. This is a missed opportunity to gain information and reduce the risk of future incidents of going missing. Since January, the child still living in the home has not gone missing.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not always take action to ensure that children have positive relationships with each other. On one occasion, this led to a child being hurt by another child. When the child said that they felt threatened, staff did not speak to the child alone to discuss their worries. They instead spoke to the child alongside the child who had hurt them. This does not support children to feel safe in the home.

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improvement to be good

The manager usually takes appropriate action when children raise concerns about staff conduct. However, on one occasion, there was a delay in gaining the views of a child who was involved in an incident. There was also a delay in sharing additional information with the local authority designated officer. Children are not always spoken with about the outcome of the concerns that they have raised. This does not ensure that allegations are dealt with promptly or that children know what has happened a result of their concerns.

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improvement to be good

Physical restraint is rarely used. When it is used, it is proportionate and children are spoken with after the incident. Consequences are not always restorative and oversight by previous managers has been inconsistent. The new manager has taken action to Inspection report for children’s home: 1276216 5 address this by training staff in the home’s therapeutic model of care. No consequences have been used since January. Positive behaviour is recognised and rewarded regularly. This supports children to develop positive behaviour.

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improvement to be good

Staff and managers understand the risks posed by the internet. There are effective strategies in place to manage these risks. This helps children to stay safe online.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The previous registered manager left the home in September 2025. Since this time, the home has had 3 interim managers. Management oversight has been inconsistent, which has impacted on the quality of care children receive. At the time of the inspection, management arrangements for the home were still not resolved. The home has recruited a permanent manager to start in role in August 2026. They previously oversaw the home on an interim basis during this inspection period. This was during a time when there were shortfalls in the standard of care children received.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The current interim manager has been in post for 23 weeks but has not applied to register. During the inspection, they advised that they intend to remain in post until August 2026 but do not intend to register. This is not in line with regulations. Leaders have not taken action to address this significant shortfall.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The previous responsible individual left in September 2025. There have been 3 named individuals who have overseen the role since this time. This has impacted on the consistency of leadership oversight and support offered to managers. A permanent responsible individual started in May 2026. This has provided the home with increased oversight and support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff have not always had the training required to meet children’s individual needs, which has impacted on the care children receive. The interim manager has now taken action to address this. Staff and managers have regular, reflective supervision. Single- subject supervision is now used to address shortfalls in staff practice. This supports staff to improve the quality of care children receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Team meetings take place regularly. They have not always discussed significant incidents to improve practice. During some team meetings, language has been used that is not child-centred or in line with the home’s model of care. The interim manager has taken action to address this shortfall. Team meetings are now used effectively to develop staff practice. This supports staff to meet children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager did not provide an accurate or up-to-date Annex A during the inspection. This prevents the regulator from having sufficient oversight of patterns and trends within the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 1276216 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 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’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

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; 4 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 1276216 7 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)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that there is effective monitoring and oversight of the quality of care children receive and that care is consistently delivered in line with the home’s statement of purpose. There must be consistent leadership and management arrangements in place.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)) 4 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 1276216 8 In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that children are spoken with alone after significant incidents to gain their views and reduce the risk of future harm. Leaders and managers must ensure that staff take action to reduce risk of harm to children.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority.

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Requirement Due date

that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

the child is, or has been, persistently absent from the home without permission. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(e)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, managers must ensure that moves into and out of the home are well planned. 4 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and 4 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 1276216 9 the registered provider—

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Requirement Due date

If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of—

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person so appointed; and

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Requirement Due date

the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i) (2)(a)(b)

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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: 1276216 10

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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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Inspectors

Jenny Smith, Social Care Inspector Salma Ahmed, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1276216 11 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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