Children's Home run by Youthworx London Limited in Enfield

Inspection report for children’s home: 2735311 1 Registered provider: Youthworx London Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned and provides care for up to 5 children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home and the manager registered with Ofsted in August 2023.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

There were 2 children living in the home at the time of the full inspection. One child moved out of the home, and another moved in and out of the home before the additional inspection days. One child was living in the home at the time of the additional inspection days. As such, since the last full inspection, 3 children have moved into the home and 3 children have moved out of the home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The inspection started on 9 September 2025. An inspector returned on 3 and 4 February 2026 to gather additional evidence in line with Ofsted inspections and visits: deferring, pausing and gathering additional evidence policy.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

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.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 14 January 2025

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good Inspection report for children’s home: 2735311 2 Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2735311 3

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/01/2025 Full Good 13/03/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2735311 4

p.3

improvement to be good

Children make differing levels of progress while living in this home. Leaders carefully consider whether they can meet children’s needs prior to admission and make good use of the information they receive. When children move in at short notice, there is an opportunity for leaders to be more persistent in gathering all relevant information to ensure children’s needs can be fully met.

p.4

improvement to be good

The child, who has lived in the home for a significant period, has begun to make some progress in relation to their health. Initially, their engagement with health services was limited. However, the child has since begun attending some health appointments.

p.4

improvement to be good

Children have had varied educational experiences while living in the home. Since the full inspection in January 2025, four children have lived in the home, some of whom faced significant disruption to their education prior to admission. The child currently living in the home also experienced disrupted education before moving in. Leaders and managers take steps to support children who face barriers to learning, including providing some educational activities within the home. While children’s engagement with these opportunities has been inconsistent, leaders appropriately raise concerns with partner professionals. There is an opportunity to build on this practice by pursuing these concerns more robustly and escalating them further when required. Leaders recognise this and understand that a stronger approach would help secure suitable educational provision more promptly, supporting improved engagement and outcomes for children.

p.4

improvement to be good

Children do not have independent advocates. This is a missed opportunity to ensure that their voices are heard and to support them in raising concerns or contributing meaningfully to decisions about their care and education.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff encourage children to engage in a range of community-based activities designed to offer new experiences and to develop their social skills. However, children do not consistently engage in these activities. As a result, children often spend time online in their bedrooms or out in the community with friends or acquaintances. Providing further encouragement for children to engage in activities with staff would help them to build confidence, broaden their interests and develop stronger relationships with staff.

p.4

improvement to be good

The home is warm and welcoming, and children’s personalities are clearly reflected in their bedrooms. This helps children feel valued and respected. The outside space has also improved, giving children more opportunity to enjoy the garden. However, damage to a fence panel gives access to and from the garden, a light switch did not have its plastic cover in place, leaving the inner workings accessible, and a dormer Inspection report for children’s home: 2735311 5 window restrictor was broken, giving access to the roof. These issues pose health and safety risks to children.

p.4

improvement to be good

Children receive consistent therapeutic support when required. Staff are sensitive to each child’s pace and take the time to listen to their views.

p.5

improvement to be good

Risk assessments for children are in place but the guidance for staff and mitigations to manage risks do not adequately reduce the key risks that staff believe children face. Risk assessments are not always updated regularly and are not always accurate. In addition, updates do not always provide clear, detailed guidance for staff about the most effective protective measures. Staff are not clear about when risk assessments are updated so it is not clear that they are always acting with the most up-to-date information.

p.5

improvement to be good

Staff and the registered manager put in place safety plans to address concerns such as child sexual exploitation and teenage relationship abuse. These plans offer useful guidance to staff but are not reviewed in line with the provider’s own timescale or at a frequency that keeps pace with children’s changing needs and circumstances. There is also a lack of a formal plan of work in these areas. This means that progress relating to children’s safety is hard to evidentially determine over time. In addition, it does not help understanding of when children may need more help or when restrictions around them can be reduced.

p.5

improvement to be good

Leaders and managers appropriately escalate safeguarding concerns and engage with relevant partner agencies. However, evidence of change in the level of identified risks is limited. Staff attempt to address the identified risks with children. However, this has not yet resulted in a reduction of risks in key areas such as drug use, frequent absences and exploitation.

p.5

improvement to be good

Staff respond promptly when children go missing from home. They make consistent efforts to maintain telephone contact with children and actively encourage their safe return. Staff ensure that return home interviews take place and that relevant agencies are appropriately notified. For one child, who goes missing, but also spends some agreed time away from the home at a known address, staff have not always followed through on visits to that address as set out in the child’s care plan. The purpose of the visits is so that staff can check on the child’s welfare, including being assured that they are at that address. Staff have now strengthened their safeguarding response and undertake these ‘in-person’ welfare checks more frequently when concerns arise. This approach was not implemented consistently until more recently, which previously limited staff’s ability to fully safeguard the child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2735311 6

p.5

improvement to be good

Some staff develop trusting relationships with children and offer opportunities for one-to-one discussions. However, these conversations are often unstructured and unplanned and do not consistently focus on key risks, such as exploitation. The targets set for children are often generic, which limits staff’s ability to support meaningful progress or provide clear, consistent messages about risks and expectations. As a result, children’s understanding of their own vulnerabilities is hindered, and opportunities for effective risk reduction are missed.

p.6

improvement to be good

Staff use effective de-escalation techniques during incidents and keep detailed records. Reflective debriefs help improve practice. Staff show compassion and understanding when children are distressed, which, in most cases, helps children feel supported and safer in the home.

p.6

good

Leaders and managers introduced a new system for storing children’s documents, with the aim of improving organisation and accessibility. However, difficulties with the system impacted the effectiveness of management oversight to ensure that key documents, such as care plans and risk assessments, were up to date and supported staff. This affected the consistency and effectiveness of the care and safeguarding provided to children. Leaders have since discontinued the system and plan to introduce an alternative system to store children’s records. In the meantime, record keeping arrangements lack cohesion and remain difficult for staff to navigate.

p.6

good

Leaders and the registered manager’s oversight is variable. The home’s statement of purpose was updated to reflect some staff changes, but this was not sent to Ofsted as required. In addition, the outline of staffing is not accurate, there is confusion in the number of children the home can care for and staff cannot describe the therapeutic approach used by the home. This is a missed opportunity to provide an accurate view of the home’s operations and model of staffing. In addition, some children’s records are not reviewed in the provider’s own timescale or in a timely way to respond to children’s changing needs, and some are not accurate.

p.6

good

Children’s homes regulations set out an expectation that the registered person reviews the quality of care that children receive at least six monthly and shares these reviews with Ofsted. Despite this being noted at the first part of this inspection in September 2025, the quality of care review covering the period of October 2024 to March 2025 had not been provided to Ofsted and was not provided until it was asked for a second time, during the return visit in February 2026. This limits the regulator’s oversight of the home and does not give confidence about leaders’ oversight. Inspection report for children’s home: 2735311 7 Staff receive supervision, and some benefit from reflective support. Nevertheless, for some staff, their individual support is irregular and inconsistent. This has improved for some, and leaders are committed to the support they offer so that staff development is not hindered and there is consistency of practice.

p.6

good

Leaders and managers have responded proactively to high staff turnover. They have recruited new staff and worked to maintain stability for children during this unsettled period.

p.7

good

Staff say that they feel supported by leaders and managers and enjoy their roles. They develop skills through a detailed and comprehensive training and induction programme, reflecting the manager’s ambition to improve the service for both children and staff.

p.7

good

Leaders and managers have a clear workforce plan that demonstrates an ambitious vision for the home, professional development of staff and quality of care for children. They have learned from staffing challenges and plan to employ 2 additional deputy managers to increase support for the team. Inspection report for children’s home: 2735311 8

p.7

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.

p.8

Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

p.8

Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

p.8

Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

p.8

Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

p.8

Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

p.8

Requirement Due date

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)) 11 March 2026

p.8

Requirement Due date

The enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills. 11 March 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2735311 9 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.8

Requirement Due date

develop the child’s interests and hobbies;

p.9

Requirement Due date

participate in activities that the child enjoys and which meet and expand the child’s interests and preferences. (Regulation 9 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii))

p.9

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

p.9

Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a))

p.9

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that they receive all necessary information about children to inform their decision-making about whether children’s needs can be met in the home before children move in. 11 March 2026

p.9

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.9

Requirement Due date

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

p.9

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;

p.9

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

p.9

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)(ii)(d))

p.9

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that staff complete planned work with children about their risks and vulnerabilities, and that leaders monitor the effectiveness of this work in relation to children’s safety and progress. In addition, 11 March 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2735311 10 risk assessments should accurately reflect the levels of concern about risks and the action staff need to take to reduce risk.

p.9

Requirement Due date

The registered person should also ensure that children do not have unrestricted access to the roof, light switches have covers to reduce access to the inner workings of those switches and the electric current, and loose fence panels are secured or replaced.

p.10

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—

p.10

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.10

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.10

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))

p.10

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should establish clear and consistent monitoring systems to ensure effective oversight of both the quality of children’s records and the care they receive. 11 March 2026

p.10

Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

p.10

Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

p.10

Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (b)(c)

p.10

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that any concerns are escalated effectively to gain the services and support children need without delay. 11 March 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2735311 11

p.10

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the statement of purpose is kept under review so that it is clear how many children can live in the home, the dates of any reviews and an accurate indication of staffing is included. When revised, this should be sent to HMCI without delay. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.6)  The registered person should, where the placing authority or another relevant person does not provide the input and services needed to meet a child’s needs during their time in the home, challenge them to meet the child’s needs (see regulation 5 (c)). Staff should act as champions for the children, expecting nothing less than a good parent would. The registered person should consider the use of an independent advocate (see paragraph 4.16) if the child’s needs are not being met. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality

p.11

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: 2735311 12

p.11

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Youthworx London Limited

p.12

Inspectors

Angela Reid, Social Care Inspector Karol Keenan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2735311 13 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.12

Inspectors

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.13

Inspectors

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.13

Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.13