Children's Home run by Horizon Pathway Supported Living in Kent

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2785684 1 Registered provider: Horizon Pathway Supported Living

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home was registered in March 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to 3 children who may have emotional and social needs. At the time of this inspection, there were no children living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The post of registered manager has been vacant since 9 April 2026.

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Information about this children’s home

Date of last inspection: 9 September 2025

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

On 23 April 2026, Ofsted urgently suspended the provider’s registration following several concerns relating to the care of children and the leadership of the home.

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspectors evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2785684 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

The provider has complied with the suspension notice and no children have lived in the home since this was imposed.

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Summary of findings

Since the last inspection, there have been significant changes in leadership, which have resulted in improvements to the home’s culture, environment and oversight. Leaders have introduced strengthened monitoring systems and invested in staff development and therapeutic support. Further work is required to ensure that the changes identified are embedded and have a positive impact on children who may come to live at the home. Leaders have demonstrated insight into the concerns identified by Ofsted and through their own auditing. They continue to work to sustain the improvements.

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Summary of findings

Since the last inspection, the registered manager and responsible individual have vacated their positions. The directors, including the proposed responsible individual, have taken positive steps to establish a caring and child-focused culture and are beginning to develop a team of staff that understands its role in meeting children’s needs.

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Summary of findings

When children were living in the home, they developed positive relationships with some staff, which helped them to make progress. One child who had previously not been in education was successfully supported to attend school, while another was helped to prepare for independence. However, these positive experiences were undermined by inconsistent practice. Staff did not always apply clear boundaries or respond consistently to children’s behaviours, resulting in variable standards of care. The recent changes in leadership provide a foundation for improvement, but stable leadership, oversight and support for staff are needed to ensure that children consistently receive high-quality care.

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Summary of findings

Professional challenge and escalation have not always been used as effectively as they could have been to promote children’s welfare. Leaders have demonstrated insight into these concerns and are taking steps to strengthen escalation processes, providing reassurance that staff will be better equipped to advocate for children.

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Summary of findings

CCTV has been installed in the hallways on each floor throughout the property. However, leaders have not demonstrated that the use of CCTV is necessary and proportionate to meet children’s individual needs or that less intrusive measures have been fully considered. Its current use does not reflect the home’s stated therapeutic ethos. At this visit, leaders began to reflect on the appropriateness of the CCTV and whether it is justified in the best interests of children. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2785684 3 When children have been missing from home, staff have responded appropriately to protect and support them. Staff have benefited from revised training and guidance, strengthening their understanding of risk and helping them to respond more effectively to children’s individual needs.

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Summary of findings

Following incidents, staff have not always completed meaningful reflective work with children to help them understand risks and reduce the likelihood of further incidents. Consequently, opportunities for children to develop strategies to keep themselves safe have been missed. Leaders have recognised these shortfalls and have begun to strengthen practice through specialist support, including an external mentoring service for children. While this demonstrates a commitment to improvement, these changes are not yet sufficiently embedded to ensure consistently effective safeguarding practice.

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Summary of findings

When concerns about staff practice have arisen, leaders have responded appropriately by sharing these with safeguarding professionals and other relevant agencies and acting on the advice received. This demonstrates an appropriate commitment to safeguarding children through partnership working.

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Summary of findings

Recruitment practice is not yet sufficiently thorough. Employment histories are not consistently fully auditable, with some records only documenting years rather than complete dates, preventing leaders from demonstrating a full chronology of employment. In addition, overseas checks have not always been subject to sufficient managerial scrutiny to provide assurance about staff suitability. Leaders have acknowledged these weaknesses and have begun to strengthen recruitment oversight, but these improvements are not yet fully embedded.

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Summary of findings

Leaders have acted decisively following significant changes in leadership to strengthen the quality of care. They have introduced new policies, improved monitoring arrangements and implemented a range of quality assurance systems, including weekly audits and regular analysis of safeguarding incidents. These developments demonstrate a clear commitment to improving practice and ensuring that children’s safety and wellbeing remain central. These systems are at an early stage and must be further embedded to consistently identify and address shortfalls.

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Summary of findings

Staff describe a positive change in culture and say that they feel well supported, through regular supervision and access to therapeutic consultation. Leaders have strengthened professional support by commissioning external specialists to provide reflective group supervision for staff and independent supervision for the proposed responsible individual. These arrangements are helping staff to develop a better understanding of children’s experiences and behaviours, although it is too early to evidence their full impact on practice.

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Summary of findings

Leaders demonstrate insight into the home’s strengths and weaknesses and have responded proactively to the concerns identified. They are receptive to challenge, have sought external support where required and are maintaining close oversight while attempting to recruit a suitably experienced registered manager. This provides Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2785684 4 confidence that leaders recognise the work still required to secure sustained improvement.

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Summary of findings

The recommendations made at the last inspection have not yet been met and have been restated. Three further requirements have been made. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2785684 5

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/09/2025 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2785684 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 privacy and access standard is that the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 6 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a) (3)(a)(d)) 6 August 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2785684 7 In particular, the registered person must carefully consider any gaps within employment history and take necessary steps to assure themselves that overseas checks are sufficiently thorough.

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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. (Regulation 27 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must give careful consideration to the requirements of the role as clearly identified within Regulation 28. 30 September

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. In particular, the registered provider must clearly record their rationale and decision-making when employing candidates who have adverse data on references, DBS checks, etc. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)  The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs, and should understand the key role they play in the training and development of staff in the home. In particular, the registered person should continue to develop means to enhance staff autonomy, confidence and self-determination wherever possible. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)

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Recommendations

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2785684 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Airport House, Purley Way CR0 0XZ

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Inspectors

Alexia Hosker, Social Care Inspector Tash Williams, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2785684 9 to 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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