Training & Development – Investing in Our People, For Our Children
At New Horizons, we believe that every hour we invest in our team is an investment in the children and young people we care for. Through continuous training and development, we make sure our people are not only well-prepared for their roles but also confident, compassionate, and equipped to make a real difference.
Qualifications & Professional Development
We are fully committed to meeting and exceeding the qualification requirements set out in the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations—because the more skilled and knowledgeable our team is, the better the care we can provide.
Registered Managers
Our home leaders hold, or work towards, the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership & Management for Residential Childcare (or Level 4 NVQ equivalent). This ensures our managers lead with both expertise and empathy, creating homes that meet the highest standards of care and compliance.
Residential Childcare Practitioners
All care staff are supported to complete the Level 4 Children, Young People & Families Practitioner (Residential Pathway) qualification within 18–24 months of starting their role. This builds the skills, knowledge, and confidence to meet each child’s needs in a safe, nurturing, and consistent way.
Going further
Alongside these core qualifications, our team receives training in safeguarding, attachment, therapeutic approaches, de-escalation, and a wide range of specialist topics to meet children’s individual needs.
Growing Our Own Leaders
We don’t just recruit talent—we grow it. Many of our managers began their journey here as support workers, progressing through team leader and deputy roles into registered manager positions. Some have been with us for more than 20 years, building their careers alongside the children they’ve supported.
This “promote from within” culture means our leaders truly understand the day-to-day realities of residential childcare and can mentor others with compassion and insight.
💡 At a Glance – Our Commitment to Staff Development
Training at New Horizons isn’t a tick-box exercise—it’s about creating confident, capable teams who know that what they do matters. Our work is rewarding, but it can also be complex. That’s why we emphasise both technical skills and the emotional resilience needed to support children with a wide variety of needs.
We operate like a family of services—supporting one another, sharing knowledge, and stepping in when help is needed—so no one is ever working in isolation.
