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

Inspection report for children’s home: 1234243 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 privately operated home provides care for up to 3 children with emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

Two children were living at the home at the time of the inspection and were spoken with.

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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 for children’s home: 1234243 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/07/2025 Full Good 25/06/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/12/2023 Full Good 14/06/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1234243 3

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Summary of findings

Children benefit from living in an inviting and personalised home where they are supported to enjoy a wide range of activities, social experiences and healthy routines, including improved sleep, exercise and balanced diets. Staff promote education and ensure that moves into and out of the home are carefully planned to maximise stability and positive outcomes. Children’s vulnerabilities, including risks associated with knife crime and criminal exploitation, are understood and responded to appropriately. However, checks of children’s devices need to be completed and recorded consistently to ensure that risks and associations are fully explored. Staff work positively with children, promoting respectful relationships and making it clear that bullying and racism are unacceptable. Children are supported to raise complaints and are listened to when they do so. Staff feel well supported by the manager, who has systems in place to review

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Summary of findings

children’s needs, although clearer recording of the rationale for decisions and actions taken is required to strengthen oversight and accountability.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has recently been redecorated and provides a fresh, welcoming and child- centred environment. Children move freely around the home, demonstrating that they feel comfortable, secure and at ease in their surroundings. The home reflects children’s individual interests and preferences, with resources such as a basketball hoop and trampoline provided in response to children’s requests. Children’s bedrooms are personalised and celebrate their achievements, with medals, artwork and other meaningful items proudly displayed. Overall, children benefit from living in a nurturing and homely environment that recognises their individuality and achievements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff speak positively about children and demonstrate a genuine commitment to helping them enjoy their childhoods and create lasting memories through shared experiences and meaningful time together. Staff actively support children to pursue their individual interests, including activities such as swimming, and ensure they have access to a wide range of social and recreational opportunities. Through consistent encouragement and support, staff help children establish positive daily routines and engage in activities that promote their wellbeing and development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff actively promote healthy lifestyles and support children to make positive choices about their health and wellbeing. They encourage healthy eating by spending time cooking with children and exploring a variety of foods together, helping to build positive relationships as well as healthy habits. Staff use everyday opportunities to discuss the benefits of exercise, movement and nutrition, increasing children’s understanding of how to look after themselves. Inspection report for children’s home: 1234243 4 Staff are committed to supporting children’s education and work closely with professionals to overcome barriers to learning. They actively participate in multi-agency meetings to identify the most effective educational provision for children and maintain positive communication with schools to ensure that children’s friendships and wider peer networks are understood. This includes sharing relevant information when children move

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

schools, helping professionals to identify and reduce potential risks arising from shared vulnerabilities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and managers also take a thoughtful approach to children moving into and out of the home. Careful consideration is given to how children can live together successfully, with discussions involving professionals and those important to the children to ensure that plans are individualised and meaningful. When children move on from the home, staff provide sensitive and well-planned support, acknowledging children’s worries and helping them to feel valued, cared for and prepared.

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

Staff seek to understand children’s experiences and the underlying reasons for their behaviours, using a therapeutic and reflective approach. They support children to explore their thoughts and feelings through informal conversations when children feel relaxed and comfortable to engage. Staff also work with specialist services to promote children’s emotional wellbeing and ensure that support is informed by a clear understanding of their individual needs.

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

Where children are physically held, this is proportionate. Following incidents, staff take time to speak with children, helping them to reflect on what happened, consider alternative choices and repair relationships where needed.

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

Staff promote a culture of respect and inclusion in the home. They are clear with children that racism is unacceptable and challenge bullying behaviour when concerns arise. Staff support children to understand the impact of their behaviour on others, helping them to recognise harmful behaviours, manage their emotions and repair relationships. This is strengthened through training and clear expectations that promote respectful and caring relationships in the home.

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

Where staff practice falls short, leaders and managers take prompt action to safeguard children and improve practice. Investigations are undertaken thoroughly, with involvement from relevant external professionals where appropriate, and children are supported to make complaints and receive clear feedback about the outcome of their concerns.

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

Children’s bedrooms are searched when there are concerns that items posing a risk to safety may be present, and staff openly discuss these concerns with children to help them understand the reasons for such actions. Staff use a range of approaches to increase children’s awareness of the risks associated with drugs, criminal exploitation and knife crime, including educational activities and input from specialist agencies. Inspection report for children’s home: 1234243 5 However, further consideration is needed to ensure that responses avoid the unnecessary criminalisation of children and make best use of support available within the child’s wider network.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager leads by positive example and is committed to working collaboratively with others to strengthen the network of support around children. She builds effective relationships with professionals and provides constructive challenge when necessary to ensure that children receive the care and services they need.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff describe the manager as approachable and supportive, saying that they feel comfortable raising concerns, seeking guidance and sharing ideas. The manager is respected by the staff team and has played a key role in establishing a calm and consistent environment following a period of staffing changes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals are universally positive about the home. They say that there is a homely feel due to staff being consistent in the care of children. Professionals say that staff communicate well with them and let them know when there have been incidents. Professionals also note the secure relationships staff have built with children and how this makes children feel safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision and are actively encouraged to develop their skills and knowledge. Team meetings provide opportunities for staff to reflect on children’s progress, discuss developments in the home and share responsibility for achieving positive outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has established systems to monitor children’s experiences, behaviours and progress, using learning from incidents and practice reviews to continuously develop the care provided. However, although recording is generally completed in a timely manner, records do not always clearly capture the rationale for decisions and actions taken by staff. This limits opportunities for effective oversight, accountability and learning, and means that decision-making is not always fully evidenced.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff explore children’s relationships and peer networks through open and curious conversations and share relevant information effectively with partner agencies. Children’s mobile phones and electronic devices are reviewed to help identify potential risks and support children to develop safer online relationships. However, these checks are not always completed or recorded consistently, and records do not always clearly evidence any action taken in response to concerns. This limits management oversight and reduces assurance that identified risks are being monitored effectively and addressed. Inspection report for children’s home: 1234243 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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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 registered person to ensure—

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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)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person should ensure that checks of children’s devices are completed and recorded consistently, and that any actions taken in response to concerns are clearly documented to enable effective management oversight and evaluation of safeguarding practice. 1 November 2026

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person should ensure that records clearly reflect the rationale for decisions made by staff, including the actions taken and, where action is not taken, the reasons for this, to provide clear evidence of decision-making and support effective management oversight. 1 November 2026

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Recommendation

 Children should not be charged with offences resulting from behaviour within a children’s home that would not similarly lead to police involvement if it occurred in a family home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 47, paragraph 9.40) Inspection report for children’s home: 1234243 7

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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: 1234243 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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Inspector

Rebecca Barker, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1234243 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 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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