Horizons Plus Ltd

Inspection report for supported accommodation provider – monitoring visit: Horizons Plus Ltd 1 Horizons Plus Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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provider

This supported accommodation service was registered on 14 December 2023 and is operated by a private provider in the northwest of England. It can accommodate up to 7 children who are looked after children or care leavers in one group living home.

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provider

At the time of the inspection, one child was receiving support and accommodation in the service.

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provider

The service manager, who is also the nominated individual for the service, has been in post since the provider’s registration.

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provider

Ofsted carried out a full inspection of this service from 8 to 12 June 2026. The inspector found serious and widespread concerns in respect of safeguarding children, as well as the leadership and management of the service.

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provider

Following the inspection, Ofsted served a restriction of accommodation notice and 2 compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this monitoring visit was to review the restriction of accommodation notice and consider any progress made against the compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

The child said that they were settled in the home and that the staff team supports them. Staff are supporting the child to enter full-time education provision in September.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has developed a new process to ensure that children are suitable for supported accommodation when they move in. The process appears appropriate but Inspection report for supported accommodation provider – monitoring visit: Horizons Plus Ltd 2 remains untested. The provider is currently unable to admit children into the service because of a restriction notice.

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This monitoring visit

However, the registered service manager said that they would no longer make the final decision on children’s admissions into the service. They said that this would now be made by an external consultant and a person who intends to apply to become a director of the organisation. This arrangement is not in line with the provider’s registration and the regulatory requirements.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has implemented new processes for ensuring that staff understand and identify serious events that relate to children. They have developed new procedures for ensuring that safeguarding information is shared with external agencies, including Ofsted, without delay. However, these arrangements are not robust. The provider stated that, in their absence, the external consultant would perform these functions. Further correspondence subsequently received from the provider sets out an entirely different procedure.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has closed one of their properties since the last inspection and completed an internal staff restructure. All remaining staff have been trained in safeguarding, serious events and external reporting processes.

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This monitoring visit

The provider was unable to provide assurance that the service complies with all relevant statutory provisions dealing with fire safety matters. The service last had a fire risk assessment (FRA), undertaken by a competent person, in 2024. A health and safety review undertaken in 2025 identified that not all fire safety actions identified in the 2024 FRA had been acted on.

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This monitoring visit

The provider is unable to demonstrate that the service is financially viable at present. The provider reports that the organisation is trading at a loss and is being subsidised by the director.

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This monitoring visit

Following this visit, the notice of restriction of accommodation and two compliance notices remain in place, and Ofsted will continue to monitor the service. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider – monitoring visit: Horizons Plus Ltd 3

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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 Supported Accommodation (England) Regulations 2023 and the ‘Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations, including Quality Standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

*The protection standard is that children are enabled to feel safe and that their needs are met.

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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

are enabled to keep themselves safe. (Regulation 5 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)) 30 August 2026

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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 supported accommodation undertaking that puts children first and prioritises their wellbeing and development.

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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 supported accommodation undertaking in a way that is consistent with the ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the undertaking’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that arrangements are in place to manage referrals of children to the supported accommodation undertaking and admissions of children to premises used as supported accommodation, including, where relevant, emergency referrals and admissions. (Regulation 4 (1) (2)(a)(f)) 30 August 2026 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider – monitoring visit: Horizons Plus Ltd 4 The accommodation standard is that children experience a comfortable and secure living environment.

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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

ensure that the premises used as supported accommodation—

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Requirement Due date

comply with all relevant statutory provisions dealing with health and safety or fire safety matters. (Regulation 6 (1) (2)(b)(x)) 30 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must carry on the supported accommodation undertaking in a manner which is likely to ensure that it will be financially viable for the purpose of achieving the aims and objectives set out in the statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

ensure that adequate financial records are maintained and kept up to date in respect of the supported accommodation undertaking, and

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Requirement Due date

provide a copy of the financial records and most recent accounts to the CIECSS upon request.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must provide the CIECSS with such information as the CIECSS may reasonably require for the purpose of considering the financial viability of the supported accommodation undertaking, including—

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Requirement Due date

the annual accounts of the supported accommodation undertaking certified by an accountant;

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Requirement Due date

information as to the financing and financial resources of the supported accommodation undertaking and the registered provider;

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Requirement Due date

where the registered provider is a company, information as to any of its associated companies.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of this regulation, a company is an associated company of another company if one of the companies has control of the other company or both companies are under the control of the same person. 30 August 2026 Inspection report for supported accommodation provider – monitoring visit: Horizons Plus Ltd 5 (Regulation 35 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c) (4)) *These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to follow up information received by Ofsted and to ensure that the supported accommodation provider was complying with regulation.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for supported accommodation provider – monitoring visit: Horizons Plus Ltd 6

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Supported accommodation provider details

Registered service manager: Sarah Leahair

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Inspector

Steve James, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for supported accommodation provider – monitoring visit: Horizons Plus Ltd 7 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 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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