Children's Home run by Promoting Youth Ltd in Central Bedfordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2780237 1 Registered provider: Promoting Youth Ltd

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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 provides care for up to 3 children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been in post since November 2025 and has registered with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspection started on 1 June 2026. The inspector returned on 11 June 2026 to gather additional evidence in line with ‘Ofsted inspections and visits: deferring, pausing and gathering additional evidence’ policy.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: 22 September 2025

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2780237 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/09/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 02/07/2025 Full Inadequate 18/02/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2780237 3

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Summary of findings

Staff have not responded appropriately to a fire in the home despite a previous fire causing significant damage. Weak leadership and management have reduced the home’s effectiveness and safety, with poor oversight and limited learning from incidents. Serious events, including a house fire and an allegation against a member of staff un, have not been fully investigated. This weakens risk management. Leaders and managers have failed to ensure there is an up-to-date fire risk assessment, despite the 2 fires.

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Summary of findings

Poor placement planning has left a child without access to education. Safer recruitment is inconsistent. Records in the home lack transparency, and independent visitor reports have not been shared with Ofsted. These shortfalls reflect poor leadership and limited focus on improving safety and outcomes for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Since the last inspection, 2 children have moved out of the home and one child has moved in. One child was living at the home and contributed to the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Significant shortfalls in help and protection and leadership and management have undermined overall outcomes for children. As a result, the home has been judged ‘inadequate’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

In November 2025, a significant fire occurred at the home, leaving it uninhabitable. The home was temporarily closed for repairs, refurbishment and redecoration. A child was present at the time of the fire and raised the alarm to sleeping staff. The fire evacuation procedure was followed, and no individuals were physically harmed. Following the incident, the child moved out of the home. Once the home had been assessed by external agencies as safe to accommodate children, Ofsted visited and agreed that it was ready to resume admissions. A child moved into the home for a planned short-term placement. Another child moved in and continues to live at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Leaders and managers did not appropriately assess the child’s needs before they moved in, or supported them to access education effectively. The child moved from their local area some distance away, from where a bespoke education package had been established to meet their individual needs. It was agreed that the child would continue accessing this provision. However, this was unrealistic due to the daily travel distance. This was not adequately assessed or planned for before their move into the home. This has resulted in a lack of continuity in the child’s education and a loss of stability. This has impacted on the child’s daily routine and limited their engagement in learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

One child has developed a strong interest in football. The manager identified a suitable local club and supported the child to attend football trials. The child now regularly Inspection report for children’s home: 2780237 4 attends training sessions and plays in matches, which has contributed positively to their confidence, social skills and overall wellbeing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff work hard to develop positive and trusting relationships with children. One child has found night-time particularly challenging and is reluctant to spend time in their bedroom, choosing instead to sleep in the living area. Staff provide consistent support by remaining with the child to offer reassurance until they settle. As a result of this approach, the child has recently slept in their own bed.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Leaders, managers and staff have not understood their core roles and responsibilities to keep children safe.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

There have been two fires at the home. During the first incident, the child alerted staff to the fire. This fire caused the house to be uninhabitable for several months. Despite this, in the second incident, staff failed to take appropriate action to ensure the child’s safety during the emergency. Staff did not initially contact the emergency fire service and only did so when directed to by 101 helpline staff. Staff had reason to believe the child may have started this fire and had a lighter. However, a room search to identify the ignition source of the fire was not conducted until 4 days later. Medical advice and support were not sought for the child following the incident. Additionally, leaders and managers did not implement any further measures to reduce or eliminate the ongoing risk, and the local authority was not informed promptly. As a result, the child and others were placed at continued and unnecessary risk of harm.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

The cause of the initial and significant fire at the home remains undetermined. However, leaders and managers have not undertaken an internal review or reflection to identify any learning or preventative actions that they can take to make the home safer. Leaders and managers have not demonstrated effective oversight of risks. They have taken insufficient action to assess and mitigate fire risks.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Although regular fire safety checks and drills are carried out, leaders and managers have failed to ensure that the property has been properly assessed as safe in the event of a fire. There is no up-to-date fire risk assessment reflecting the current fire safety of the home. This means that potential hazards may not be identified or managed, leaving the child at ongoing risk of harm.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not respond consistently to safeguarding concerns. When concerns were raised about a permanent member of staff, managers took appropriate action. However, when concerns involved an agency staff member, a referral was not made to the local authority designated officer (LADO) until this was specifically requested by the inspector. This inconsistency in reporting safeguarding concerns to safeguarding partners places children at risk of harm. Inspection report for children’s home: 2780237 5 Physical intervention has been used as a behaviour management strategy, however, not all staff are trained to use physical intervention safely. Consequently, it has not always been applied appropriately by staff. Managers have taken suitable action when concerns have been identified. However, the shortfalls in practice have placed the child at risk and have contributed to the child’s local authority placing restrictions on the use of physical

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

intervention at the home. As a result, staff are less confident in managing challenging situations, leading to an increased reliance on police attendance. This approach has heightened the risk of children being criminalised, with one child having been arrested multiple times .

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Managers update safety plans and risk assessments regularly. However, they have not ensured that all identified and emerging concerns are documented and planned for. This lack of accurate and up-to-date guidance for staff undermines their ability to reduce risks effectively.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

External professionals highlight the progress made by a child they support. One social worker said that the number of significant incidents for the child has decreased. A police officer said that the staff are working hard to keep the child safe and communication with the home is good.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leadership and management are poor. Any monitoring systems in place are ineffective. As a result, the manager does not have adequate oversight to identify themes and trends, evaluate practice or recognise areas that require development and improvement. Leaders and managers have not ensured that children are safeguarded or their wellbeing promoted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have not fully addressed significant incidents. This leaves children at risk of harm. The manager has not undertaken formal reviews of incidents, including the fire and allegations concerning staff practice. This has resulted in missed opportunities to fully respond to safeguarding concerns and to appropriately challenge and improve staff practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The ineffective monitoring and lack of review have meant that the manager’s report of the review of the quality of care lacks essential analysis and evaluative information. Feedback is not sought from children. This limits any drive to make improvements in the quality of care provided to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Records management is poor and incidents that occur are not always clearly and accurately recorded. An incident of physical intervention was not properly recorded. The record lacked clarity and was not stored in the correct location. Although the manager has made amendments to the content and the recording system, these changes have not been supported by a clear rationale. As a result, there is insufficient transparency Inspection report for children’s home: 2780237 6 and a lack of an audit trail to demonstrate effective management oversight and accountability.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Although the staff have regular reflective discussions following incidents of physical intervention, there are no individual discussions with the staff directly involved. This limits the manager’s ability to scrutinise incidents effectively, identify potential themes or patterns and assess areas for targeted staff development and improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Safer recruitment practices are not consistently followed. Staff’s employment histories, including any gaps, have not been fully explored and there is a general lack of professional curiosity during the recruitment process. This increases the risk of unsuitable individuals being employed to work with vulnerable children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers did not adequately assess the home’s ability to meet the current child’s needs before admission. Although some consideration was given to the increased demands on staffing levels, insufficient attention was paid to staff’s skills and experience and the training required to meet the child’s needs. This has resulted in staff supporting a vulnerable child without the necessary training to provide safe and consistent care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Senior leaders and managers have not sought children’s feedback. They have not ensured that the independent visitor’s reports are sent to Ofsted, which has limited regulatory oversight of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager is working towards a relevant level 5 diploma. Inspection report for children’s home: 2780237 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, 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 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

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 have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of 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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(f)(h)) 26 July 2026

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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 26 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2780237 8 arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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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

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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm;

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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)(iii)(v)(vi)(b)(d)

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that safeguarding referrals to the LADO are made promptly and in line with safeguarding procedures, ensure that an up-to-date fire risk assessment has been completed and any actions to ensure the safety of the home have been completed. ensure that staff have the knowledge and skills to take appropriate action in the case of fire.

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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—

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

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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; and 26 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2780237 9 has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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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. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(v)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children and staff are routinely spoken to following incidents.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d)) 26 July 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

This specifically refers to independent visitor reports not being sent to Ofsted every month. 26 July 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating— 26 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2780237 10 the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report").

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, seek children’s feedback for the quality of care review and ensure that effective monitoring systems are in place, together with clear reflection and evaluation of significant incidents which inform and contribute to plans to improve the quality of care for children.

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that incident records are accurate and up to date. When amendments are made, there must be a clear and 26 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2780237 11 recorded rationale, including who made the change and when.

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the child’s needs are fully understood and assessed before admission, and that the home can meet those needs, including arrangements to support the child’s access to education. 26 July 2026

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home environment is maintained to a good standard of cleanliness. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7)

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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: 2780237 12

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Promoting Youth Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: c/o JP Accountancy, Phoenix House, Rosslyn Crescent, Harrow HA1 2SP

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Inspectors

Sarah Cooper, Social Care Inspector Daniel Sancto, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2780237 13 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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

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