Children's Home run by Young UK Today Limited in Kent

Inspection report children's home: 2807199 1 Registered provider: Young UK Today 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

The home has been registered with Ofsted since March 2025 and provides care for up to five children who experience difficulties in managing their emotions and behaviour.

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Information about this children's home

The home’s registered manager left their role in March 2026. The home is currently being managed by an interim manager.

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Information about this children's home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living in the home.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: Good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: None Inspection report children's home: 2807199 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/08/2025 Full Good Inspection report children's home: 2807199 3

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Summary of findings

The quality of care provided to children has been inconsistent. There have been shortfalls in safeguarding practice, particularly in identifying and responding to risks and the quality of record-keeping. These failings have not consistently supported safe or effective care.

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Summary of findings

Children have experienced a lack of continuity of care due to staff shortages and a high turnover of both staff and managers. This instability has undermined the consistency and reliability of support available to children.

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Summary of findings

As a result, children’s experiences have been negatively affected and limited their ability to make progress.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, two children moved into and subsequently out of the home. Although assessments were completed before moving in, these lacked sufficient exploration of the children’s needs. Children with similar needs and overlapping risks lived together without adequate strategies to reduce risks. Senior leaders acknowledge this shortfall and have undertaken reflective learning to help strengthen future decision ‑ making.

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improvement to be good

Not all children have made progress while living at the home. Professionals describe a prolonged period of instability during which children were unsettled and lacked the stability needed to make progress. During this time care was characterised as ‘fire ‑ fighting’, with staff focused on responding to crises instead of providing proactive structured support to meet children’s needs.

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improvement to be good

One child has made some progress in relation to their education when considering their starting point. However, this progress has not been consistent, with the child’s school raising concerns about a recent decline in attendance.

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improvement to be good

A child spoke about the effect of the turnover of staff. While they acknowledged that these changes have been difficult at times, they said that newly appointed staff have demonstrated care and commitment in building positive relationships with them, stating that ‘staff always listen. I know they care’. New staff have quickly developed a good understanding of the child’s needs and demonstrate confidence in meeting their day ‑ to ‑ day care and supporting their emotional wellbeing. Inspection report children's home: 2807199 4 Children are supported and encouraged to participate in a range of activities that reflect their interests. Staff actively help children to maintain friendships, including welcoming friends into the home.

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improvement to be good

Children’s family time is prioritised. When appropriate to do so, staff take proactive steps to support children to spend time with their families. One parent spoke positively about the care provided to their child and described staff as welcoming and approachable when visiting the home.

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improvement to be good

Risk management arrangements for children have not always been effective. The absence of risk assessments and clear planning has meant that staff have not always had an understanding of the strategies required to safeguard children. These failings were identified following the appointment of a new senior management team, and appropriate risk assessments have since been implemented.

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improvement to be good

There have been repeat incidents of children going missing from the home. Staff generally take proactive steps to locate children, including actively searching for them and providing support to encourage their safe return. However, opportunities to take preventative action has not always been taken. This has included the absence of door alarms and a management decision to remove the waking night staff, despite an increased risk of a child being missing from home overnight. Consequently, a child was able to leave the home during the night without staff noticing.

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improvement to be good

There have been delays and omissions in the notification of serious incidents to Ofsted, which has limited the effectiveness of regulatory oversight of the home.

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improvement to be good

There are significant shortfalls in the quality and consistency of safeguarding records. This has included missing and incomplete documentation, which has made it difficult to identify actions taken in response to safeguarding incidents. The quality of records has notably improved since the introduction of the new senior management team, with increased oversight and clearer expectations now in place.

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improvement to be good

Physical intervention is rarely used by staff. When it is used, it is proportionate and only as a last resort. However, medical attention has not always been offered following incidents of restraint. While debrief discussions with children are understood to have taken place, these are not consistently recorded. In addition, management oversight of these incidents has not always been evident.

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improvement to be good

When children have made allegations against staff, concerns have been responded to appropriately, with immediate safeguarding measures put in place and relevant agencies notified. Investigations have been completed and outcomes recorded.

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improvement to be good

Staff demonstrate professional curiosity in their work with children, which acts as a safeguard to help identify potential risks. When concerns are identified, staff share Inspection report children's home: 2807199 5 relevant information with children’s social workers and engage children in supportive discussions to help them understand risks and build their safety awareness.

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improvement to be good

The child currently living in the home shared that there has been an increase in rules in the home since the recent change in management. While they did not necessarily agree with all the rules, they demonstrated an understanding that they are intended to help keep them safe.

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

Since the last inspection, both the registered manager and the responsible individual have stopped working for the organisation. The registered manager left the home at short notice without the child having the opportunity to say goodbye.

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

Prior to the registered manager leaving, senior leaders had identified concerns regarding the effectiveness of leadership and management, including failures to consistently comply with regulatory requirements and the organisation’s expected standards of practice.

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

Management monitoring and scrutiny of the home has been ineffective. As a result, shortfalls have not been identified or addressed in a timely way. The senior management team openly acknowledge both previous and remaining areas for improvement and demonstrate a commitment to addressing these.

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

Independent monthly reports and the registered manager’s quarterly review of care have not provided sufficient scrutiny to identify weaknesses or drive improvement in the home. Senior leaders recognised this shortfall and have appointed a new independent person, who completed their first visit this month.

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

Alongside changes in leadership, the home has experienced significant staff turnover, with only one staff member remaining in post since the last inspection. The service has been overly reliant on agency staff, which has negatively affected continuity of care and consistency of practice. Although there has been some recent progress with recruitment, this does not reduce the impact that prolonged instability has had on children’s experiences.

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

New staff describe a positive induction experience, including access to good ‑ quality training and opportunities to shadow colleagues before taking on full responsibilities. Staff feel well supported by the interim manager and senior leadership team and speak positively about morale, describing a culture of optimism about the future of the home. However, despite informal support being available, there have been gaps in the consistent provision of regular, structured supervision.

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

Most professionals and family members speak positively about the quality of communication from staff. However, one education professional raised concerns about the effectiveness of joint working, stating they are not always promptly informed of significant events outside of formal meetings. They questioned whether earlier Inspection report children's home: 2807199 6 information ‑ sharing may have enabled additional safeguarding measures to be put in place to better support the child.

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

Children’s views are regularly sought, and new managers have introduced creative approaches to help capture children’s voices. This feedback is appropriately reflected in children’s day ‑ to ‑ day experiences and helps informs their care planning. Inspection report children's home: 2807199 7

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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, 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 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;

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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 home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home's statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home's workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; 29 May 2026 Inspection report children's home: 2807199 8 feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation (13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h)) The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience

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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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home's child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vii)) 24 April 2026

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes— 24 April 2026 Inspection report children's home: 2807199 9 the name of the child;

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Requirement Due date

details of the child's behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure;

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate;

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii))(b)(i)(ii)(c)) The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children's home;

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended 29 May 2026 Inspection report children's home: 2807199 10 that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home's statement of purpose; that arrangements are in place to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home

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Requirement Due date

that each child's relevant plans are followed;

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children's home is to provide care and accommodation.

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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 children's home: 2807199 11

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Young UK Today Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Suite 85, 77 Victoria Street, London, SW1H 0HW

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Inspector

Kerry Howarth, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 2807199 12 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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