Children's Home run by ACG Support LTD in Newcastle upon Tyne

Inspection report for children’s home: 2818079 1 Registered provider: ACG Support LTD Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care for three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 27 January 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

Three children were resident during the inspection, and the inspectors spoke to two of the children.

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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

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2818079 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children have developed positive and trusting relationships with staff in a short space of time. One child said that they know that the staff genuinely care and ‘have my back 100%’. Children are making good progress in different aspects of their development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children experience positive moves into the home. Three children have moved in since the home opened. The manager ensures that all moves into the home are child led. This helps children to prepare and to settle in quickly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff gather children’s views through a variety of methods, including key-working sessions and children’s meetings. One child attended a recent meeting, and with staff’s support, shared their views with the care team. This good support empowers children and demonstrates to them that they can influence their own future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff develop good relationships with people who are important to the children. Staff have helped one child to strengthen their relationship with their family. This helps children to maintain positive support networks outside of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are learning how to look after themselves for when they live more independently. Children can prepare food, do their own laundry and manage their own bank accounts. This helps children to be more confident in planning for their futures .

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s progress with their learning is mixed. Not all children are attending education. Children have limited structure to their days and staff do not consistently promote a routine. When children do not attend school, staff do not always encourage alternative activities. This does not prepare children to rejoin education or prepare for the workplace.

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

Staff know the children and their risks well. Comprehensive risk assessments and care plans are updated regularly and guide staff on how best to respond to children’s needs. Staff recognise when children’s presentation changes and respond effectively to safeguard children. One child felt safe enough to disclose a safeguarding concern and staff immediately protected the child. One professional commented on what a significant step it is for this child to be able to share their worries. It reflects the positive and trusting relationships children are developing with staff.

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

Staff actively search for children when they go missing from the home. They liaise with safeguarding professionals and contribute to the children’s safe return. Leaders and managers work closely to find strategies to prevent further episodes of children going Inspection report for children’s home: 2818079 3 missing from the home. Staff’s efforts have seen a reduction in these episodes for the children.

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

Staff have a good understanding of the signs of exploitation of children. Recent training helped staff to identify that one child was on the periphery of criminal activity. Staff took immediate action, working with the child and partner agencies to reduce this risk.

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

Staff help children to understand their own vulnerabilities and what they can do to manage them. Staff talk to children about difficult subjects, and do so effectively. They use humour to keep children interested while still delivering clear messages. This approach has supported one child to stop their fascination with weapons. Staff have also been able to support a child to agree to engage in therapeutic input, which they had previously refused.

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

On some occasions, staff do not implement agreed behaviour management strategies consistently. This can be confusing for children as they learn about what is expected of them and the boundaries in place.

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

The quality of written records is inconsistent, and this prevents a deeper understanding of potential patterns and trends in relation to children’s behaviours . The wording in some documents does not align with the considerate language that is used by staff when they interact with children .

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a suitably qualified and experienced registered manager. She is supported by an equally experienced assistant manager, and the two work together well to provide consistent leadership. The staff team members are enthusiastic and have a positive approach to caring for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff speak positively about working in the home. They say they are happy and feel well supported by the manager and the assistant manager. Staff said that they are proud that the children are always at the centre of the care they provide.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager knows the home’s strengths and uses monitoring and reviewing systems to identify areas for development. Regular internal audits help the manager to maintain oversight of the home and track what is happening for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff have developed good relationships with other agencies, which supports working together effectively. The manager values input from external agencies to support the team’s wider learning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

When new staff are recruited, gaps in their employment history are not always identified and explored. This is an area identified for improvement to strengthen safer recruitment practices. Inspection report for children’s home: 2818079 4

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

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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

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;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(ii)(iii)(v)(viii)) 29 August 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should maintain good employment practice. In particular, gaps in employment should be explored and the manager should be assured of the Inspection report for children’s home: 2818079 5 worker’s suitability. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)  The registered person should ensure that expectations and standards of behaviour are clear and unambiguous. In particular, responses to unwanted behaviour should be consistent and in line with agreed strategies. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes

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Recommendations

Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.11)

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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: 2818079 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Hurren & Jubb Accountants Ltd, Unit 2, Protection House, Howard Terrace, Albion Road, North Shields NE30 2RH

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Inspectors

Lisa Gordon, Social Care Inspector Dawn McCluskey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2818079 7 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.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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