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

Inspection report for children's home: 2531921 1 Registered provider: Horizon Care and Education Group Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

The home is owned and managed by a private provider. It offers care for up to 4 children who experience social and emotional difficulties and/or moderate learning difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

Since the last inspection, 4 children have moved into the home, and 6 children have moved out. At the time of this inspection, 2 children were living at the home. They both spoke to the inspectors about their experiences of living there.

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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: 2531921 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/08/2025 Full Good 31/07/2024 Full Good 15/08/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 31/08/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2531921 3

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Summary of findings

Children have positive and warm relationships with staff. Children say that they feel safe and can talk to staff about any issues. Children attend education, and staff support them to take part in activities and clubs they enjoy.

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Summary of findings

Staff have a good understanding of the children's individual needs and risks. They are caring and dedicated to achieving positive outcomes for children. They follow children's safety plans and actively search for them during the night when they are missing.

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Summary of findings

The home is managed by a caring manager who is a strong advocate for the children. There is a stable and experienced staff team in place that feels supported by the manager and each other.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have trusted and nurturing relationships with staff. Staff know the children well, listen and invest time in them. Staff talk about the children with affection and warmth. One child said, 'Staff are kind and it was 10 out of 10 living at the home.' Children are making progress in all areas of their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children routinely attend education. When children cannot attend school, staff promote educational activities at the home through informal learning, independence skills and planning for their future. Staff promote consistent boundaries and routines for children. Consequences are appropriate, and achievements are celebrated at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to take part in activities, hobbies and fun days out. The children regularly attend the horse stables, youth clubs and sport activities that they enjoy. This promotes children's confidence and social skills in the community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children's moves into and out of the home are well planned. Staff promote positive endings for children. Their welfare and wellbeing remain paramount. The needs and feelings of other children living at the home are considered, so they continue to feel safe and secure at the home. One child has progressed to semi-independence and remained in contact with staff. Staff supported one child to move home to family members.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to spend time with people who are important to them. Staff work proactively and positively with family members to promote meaningful and safe relationships. Feedback from family members is positive, with one saying, 'The staff have been amazing.' Inspection report for children's home: 2531921 4 The home is welcoming and has a relaxed atmosphere. Children are involved in decorating and personalising their bedrooms. There are photos, books and activities throughout the home for children.

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

Staff have a comprehensive understanding of children's individual needs and risks. There are clear plans in place for staff to follow to safeguard children. New risks are identified in behaviour support plans. However, staff have not yet fully updated the plans to reflect these changes.

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

Children who go missing experience a well-coordinated response from staff. Additional staff are employed to safeguard children when missing-from-home episodes increase. Staff search throughout the night to locate children and keep in close communication with professionals, family and friends to help locate them. Children receive nurturing care on their return, and regular discussions take place with them to help keep themselves safe.

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

Staff ensure that there is effective online safety in place at the home. Children's electronic devices and phones are regularly checked by staff. Regular conversations take place with children to help them understand the reasons for safety checks.

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

Staff work positively and in partnership with professionals to safeguard children. There have been no instances where staff have needed to restrain children, as their effective de-escalation skills enable them to respond appropriately and prevent situations escalating.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a caring and dedicated manager who has progressed into the role since the last inspection. She is fully involved in the children's lives and is a strong advocate for them. She has applied to register with Ofsted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are experienced and committed to providing good-quality care to children. Clear roles and responsibilities provide staff with a sense of shared ownership and accountability. This supports effective teamwork, encourages staff to develop and reflect on their practice and promotes consistency in the care and support provided to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff participate regularly in team meetings, which are well attended. They have reflective discussions about the children and their progress and views. Staff discuss relevant policies and research to help inform and improve their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that staff receive regular supervision, which is reflective and child focused. Staff are provided with regular training opportunities. This includes bespoke training that helps ensure that staff have the appropriate skills and knowledge to meet the children's individual needs. Inspection report for children's home: 2531921 5 The manager takes prompt action to address any issues or challenges and supports staff to maintain consistent practice. She recognises staff strengths, identifies areas for improvement and puts clear development plans in place to help staff grow and continually improve children's experiences and outcomes. Inspection report for children's home: 2531921 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all children's case records are regularly reviewed and kept up to date. (Guide to Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 62, paragraph 14.3).

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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: 2531921 7

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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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Inspectors

Joy Viles, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Zillah Brooks, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2531921 8 regulates and inspects 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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