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 3 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 and is suitably qualified.

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Information about this children’s home

Three children were living in the home at the time of the inspection. They all spoke with the inspector.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2783784 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/07/2025 Full Good 27/08/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: 2783784 3

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Summary of findings

Children experience nurturing care that helps them to feel safe and secure. As a result, they are making notable progress across all areas of their lives. This is underpinned by a committed staff team and leaders who have a good understanding of children’s individual needs. This means that children receive consistent, child-centred care. Children’s views are actively sought, listened to and acted on. However, feedback from children, alongside the views of others, is not consistently used to inform the home’s quality of care reviews. This is a missed opportunity to fully evaluate the effectiveness of care and identify areas for ongoing improvement. In addition, not all staff are enrolled to undertake the required qualification within the expected time frame.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved in, and no children have moved out. Staff welcomed the child to the home, helped them to settle and provided reassurance while they adapted to their new environment. Children live in a warm, welcoming and homely environment and have bedrooms that are personalised to their interests. Children say they like their rooms, feel happy living in the home and feel well supported by staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children experience nurturing care from staff who take a real interest in their lives, helping and encouraging them to make progress. Children receive rewards tailored to their interests for meeting individualised goals. This encourages them to reach their potential and feel supported. This has helped children to develop positive, trusting relationships with staff they can seek, and receive, reassurance and comfort from.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children are making progress in education from their starting points. One child has recently completed GCSEs and is enrolled at college to continue their studies. Other children are making notable academic progress in all areas and feedback from their schools is very positive about their achievements. Staff take an active role in helping children with education. There are set times during the week for study and homework, which has had a positive impact on how well they are doing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff effectively help children to learn and practise essential life skills, through structured workbooks, scenario-based activities and planned steps towards independence. This support helps children to build confidence and develop the skills they need to prepare for adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, significant improvements have been made in encouraging children to participate in a wider range of activities and experiences. Children now benefit from opportunities that enhance their interests and broaden their life experiences. For example, some children go horse-riding, and children recently enjoyed a summer holiday in Wales. Staff are mindful of the impact of electronic devices on children’s engagement and wellbeing and have worked to reduce their use. This has Inspection report for children's home: 2783784 4 enabled children to engage more fully in meaningful activities, develop new interests and enjoy a broader range of experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are well supported to explore and express their identity. Staff provide sensitive, nurturing and non-judgemental support, enabling children to be themselves with confidence. This individualised approach helps children feel accepted, valued and respected. One child was supported to attend their school prom, expressing their identity as they chose to, an experience they described as ‘the best day of my life’. This demonstrates the home’s commitment to promoting children’s individuality and supporting them to feel empowered to express themselves in a way that reflects who they are.

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

Staff have a strong understanding of each child’s individual needs and how to safeguard them effectively. Their practice is supported by detailed risk assessments and comprehensive safety plans, which provide clear guidance on how children should be supported and protected. Children are actively involved in the development and review of their own plans. They are encouraged to contribute their views, wishes and feelings, which helps to promote a sense of ownership and responsibility. This collaborative approach empowers children to identify the strategies and support that work best for them, and ensures that their plans remain relevant, child centred and responsive to their changing needs.

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

Missing-from-home incidents are rare. Since the last inspection, there has been one such incident. Staff and leaders responded promptly and appropriately, following agreed procedures to ensure the child’s safe return. Staff and leaders demonstrated professional curiosity to understand the underlying reasons why the child had gone missing. They took time to explore potential push and pull factors, engaged with the child to gain their views and worked collaboratively with relevant agencies. This approach helps to inform future planning and support, reduce risks, and promotes children’s safety.

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

Staff carry out regular key-working sessions with children, which help them to explore their thoughts and feelings, develop positive coping strategies and increase their understanding of how to keep themselves safe. These sessions provide children with valuable opportunities to reflect on their experiences and their progress, and work towards achieving positive outcomes. This also supports staff to further develop their relationships with children. As a result, all children have made good progress in managing their emotional regulation.

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

Thorough measures are in place to monitor and promote children’s online safety. Staff work proactively with children to increase their awareness and understanding of potential online risks. Effective monitoring systems, together with clear risk assessments and risk management strategies, help to safeguard children and support them to use technology safely and responsibly. When concerns are identified, staff respond promptly to reduce potential risks and take appropriate safeguarding action. Inspection report for children's home: 2783784 5 When children self-harm, staff demonstrate a caring, nurturing and sensitive approach. Staff engage children in meaningful conversations about their injuries, balancing professional curiosity with empathy and seeking medical attention as necessary. This calm approach helps children to feel safe to talk openly about their experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by an experienced and dedicated manager who understands children’s needs well and is a strong advocate for them. This supports them to have positive relationships with all the children. The manager has effectively addressed the requirements and recommendations raised at the last inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have regular supervision. These sessions provide opportunities to reflect on practice, discuss children’s needs and identify development goals. Staff say they feel well supported by leaders and the team and enjoy working in the home. The manager also has a clear focus on staff development. For example, team meetings include time to explore children’s experiences and outcomes, as well as giving time for workshops and learning activities that enhance staff knowledge, skills and practice. However, most staff have not yet completed the required qualification and not all staff are enrolled on the course.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring systems are effective and provide the manager with clear oversight of all areas. Detailed monthly audits help them to identify and address any shortfalls quickly. The manager also maintains strong oversight of children’s records, ensuring they are up to date and provide clear guidance for care planning. Records are written with children in mind, promoting accessibility and transparency. However, the most recent quality of care review does not sufficiently incorporate the views of children and others. This reduces the thoroughness of the evaluation of the quality of care and how this informs the home’s ongoing development and improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

External professionals consistently reported that children are happy, settled and well cared for by staff. They highlighted the nurturing relationships that staff have developed with children and the quality of care they provide. One professional specifically commented on the significant progress made by a child from their starting point, describing the clear improvements in their emotional wellbeing, confidence and overall outcomes. Feedback also noted effective communication and strong collaborative working practices, saying staff work proactively with partner agencies to ensure children receive consistent and well-coordinated support. Inspection report for children's home: 2783784 6

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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

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)) 25 October 2026

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Recommendation

 The registered person should undertake a review that focuses on the quality of the care provided by the home, the experiences of children living there and the impact the care is having on outcomes and improvements for the children. This should include seeking the views of children and others to ensure that their views contribute to the evaluation and ongoing improvement of the home’s overall effectiveness. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.2)

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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 7

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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

Joanne Humphreys, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2783784 8 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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