Children's Home run by Young Horizons Limited in Sandwell

Inspection report for children’s home: 2783784 1 Registered provider: Young Horizons Limited

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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 home is registered to provide care for up to three children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since the home opened in May 2024. He is suitably qualified. This is the home’s first inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

One child was living in the home at the time of the inspection. They spoke to the inspector. One child moved out of the home after living here for four weeks.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection : not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2783784 2

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improvement to be good

One child’s experiences and progress have been affected by shortfalls in how children are helped and protected, as well as in the leadership and management of the home.

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improvement to be good

The child’s placement ended abruptly when immediate notice was served. This was due to an escalation of safeguarding concerns, which had not been shared by the local authority when the child moved into the home. The manager exhausted all options before making this decision and the team displayed great resilience during this period. Since then, the manager and team have reflected on the ending for this child. They have had three weeks to stabilise the home before another child moved in.

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improvement to be good

The child’s bedroom door alarm is always activated. The manager has obtained consent for this. However, use of the alarm has not been risk assessed to deem whether it is required for safeguarding purposes. This limits the child’s privacy around the home. The manager took prompt action during the inspection to rectify this.

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improvement to be good

Staff provide the child with a clean and welcoming environment. The child’s bedroom is fully furnished to meet their needs. There are plans for the child to further personalise their bedroom, to paint it purple. Cutlery is locked away from the child, despite there being no concerns identified about the child’s use of cutlery, either since living in the home or historically. This is a restrictive practice.

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improvement to be good

Children have built some positive relationships with the staff who care for them. This means that children have someone they can talk to if they have any worries.

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improvement to be good

Managers understand the importance of education. They work in partnership with schools and the placing authority to find children a suitable provision that meets their learning needs. This helps children to maintain a daily routine that supports their academic needs.

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improvement to be good

The child said that they are happy living in this home, adding, ‘I like the adults who care for me. I feel cared for, they are always checking on me when I’m in my bedroom. It is nice to know that they are there.’

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improvement to be good

Mostly, children have detailed and clear risk assessments. These plans provide the staff with the information and guidance they need to understand and support each child’s specific vulnerabilities and risks. However, the risk assessment for a child who harms themselves does not direct staff to carry out a room search following any incidents. This does not ensure that children are protected from harm. Inspection report for children’s home: 2783784 3 Staff do not consistently respond to children’s risk-taking behaviours. For example, they do not take appropriate action when children smoke cannabis Additionally, the manager has not updated the fire risk assessment in relation to one child who continually barricades themselves in their bedroom while smoking. Also, burns have been found on the carpet in the child’s room. This lack of action to ensure the safety of the home potentially leaves children and staff at unnecessary risk of harm.

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improvement to be good

When children go missing from the home, staff follow the joint protocol effectively. Searches conducted by staff and attempts to make contact show children they are cared about. Proactive collaboration with parents, local authorities and police supports children to return home safely. However, missing-from-home reports do not contain all the relevant information required by regulation and the manager has not identified this in his evaluation. As a result, shortfalls have not been addressed and this practice has been repeated.

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improvement to be good

The manager does not always notify Ofsted clearly when there are serious incidents. The lack of information-sharing reduces the regulator’s oversight of the home. This weakens the safety net for children.

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improvement to be good

Consequences given to children are not restorative in nature or in line with the home’s ethos and the children’s ages and understanding. However, the manager fails to review consequences to identify and address this shortfall.

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improvement to be good

Staff are clear about their responsibilities to protect children. They understand the child protection policy and know how to report a safeguarding concern. Liaison with professionals, such as the police and social workers, is effective. Information is shared swiftly with them to avoid delay and ensure that children are protected from harm. The manager takes guidance from these professionals, and they work together to ensure that children are safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There are gaps in the manager’s overall monitoring and review systems. This does not support the manager to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. For example, the manager lacks professional curiosity when reviewing incidents and fails to recognise what staff could have done differently. This lack of effective oversight means that opportunities for learning from incidents are not always identified.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff enjoy working in the home and feel supported by the manager. He is well regarded and is nurturing towards the team. Staff feel that the manager brings a positive focus and has high aspirations for children and what they can achieve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The training programme delivered to staff provides them with knowledge and skills that focus on keeping children safe. This includes training about understanding why children Inspection report for children’s home: 2783784 4 harm themselves, exploitation, knife crime and cannabis use. Staff use their skills to provide an individualised approach to each child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Team meetings and supervisions take place regularly and are used as a space for reflection and learning and provide an overview of the progress made by children. This allows all staff an opportunity to discuss children’s progress, generate ideas and have a consistent approach to the care provided. Important issues are tracked and discussed, and children are at the centre of all staff practice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2783784 5

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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 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 standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(d))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the fire risk assessment is kept under regular review. Additionally, risk assessments about children who harm themselves must detail all strategies to ensure consistent and safe practice. 24 November 2024

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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 children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h)) 24 November 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2783784 6 The registered person must ensure that they have effective oversight of all incidents in the home and use professional curiosity. All reports of incidents must include all actions and outcomes.

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Requirement Due date

No measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (2) may be used in relation to any child.

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Requirement Due date

The following measures may not be used to discipline any child—

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Requirement Due date

any punishment involving the consumption or deprivation of food or drink;

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Requirement Due date

any restriction, other than one imposed by a court or in accordance with regulation 22 (contact and access to communications), on—

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Requirement Due date

a child’s contact with parents, relatives or friends;

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Requirement Due date

visits to the child by the child’s parents, relatives or friends;

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Requirement Due date

a child’s communications with any persons listed in regulation 22(1) (contact and access to communications); or

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Requirement Due date

a child’s access to any internet-based or telephone helpline providing counselling for children;

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Requirement Due date

the use or withholding of medication, or medical or dental treatment;

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Requirement Due date

imposing a financial penalty, other than a requirement for the payment of a reasonable sum (which may be by instalments) by way of reparation;

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Requirement Due date

withholding any aids or equipment needed by a disabled child;

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Requirement Due date

any measure involving a child imposing any measure against another child; or 24 November 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2783784 7 any measure involving punishing a group of children for the behaviour of an individual child. (Regulation 19 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(d)(e)(f)(g)(h)(i)(j))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that any consequences given to children are restorative in nature and in line with regulation.

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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; is necessary and proportionate;

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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)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the use of bedroom door alarms is risk assessed and kept under regular review. Cutlery must also be made available to children unless this presents as a safeguarding concern. 24 November 2024

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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

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all incident reports contain the necessary details, in line with schedule 3. 24 November 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— 24 November 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2783784 8 a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

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Requirement Due date

is instigated; or concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that HMCI is notified about all serious events without delay.

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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: 2783784 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Young Horizons Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 356 Birchfield Lane, Oldbury B69 1AE

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Mohammed Zulfiqar

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Inspector

Marianne Grandfield, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2783784 10 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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