Children's home run by Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council

Inspection report for children’s home: 2596897 1 Registered provider: Gateshead Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated and managed by a local authority. It provides care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, three children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2024.

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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: 2596897 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/06/2024 Full Good 12/12/2023 Full Good 28/07/2022 Full Good 17/08/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2596897 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make progress from their starting points. They live in the home for long periods, experiencing stability and a sense of security. Professionals speak highly of the quality of care afforded to the children. Staff focus on the children as individuals and promote their choices and interests. They understand the children’s needs and what is important to them, ensuring that they receive personalised care. This helps children to develop their identity and self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from consistent boundaries and structured routines. As a result, there have been fewer instances of children going missing from home, and behaviour for all the children has improved.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to develop important life skills. Children learn how to do their own laundry, and staff assist them with weekly budgeting and shopping. Children are encouraged to travel independently, with one child travelling to college by bus.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to have new experiences and are supported by staff to participate in activities of their choice, such as attending festivals and going on ghost hunts. Staff encourage children to express themselves and use enjoyable experiences to help them build their confidence in doing so. This is helping the children’s identities to flourish.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children access education in line with their needs and are making progress. Staff support children in having volunteer jobs in their local community, helping them to have a sense of belonging while developing their empathy for others. One child has been helped by staff to attend a job interview with the hope of working part time. The trusting relationships that children have with staff are helping them work towards their goals. The manager ensures that the children’s progress is praised to help encourage future success.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff have positive relationships with the children’s families, ensuring that the children spend meaningful time with those most important to them. Promoting the relationships between the children and their families has helped strengthen the children’s trust in staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s bedrooms are personalised according to their wishes. However, other areas of the home require attention. For example, there are office-type hand dryers in the bathroom, and damaged wallpaper needs to be replaced. This detracts from the homeliness of the environment. Inspection report for children’s home: 2596897 4

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

Staff engage children in discussions about risks. These discussions are extensive in nature and linked to children’s plans. Staff have helped the children manage their emotions more safely, and the children recognise the progress they have made. This is giving children confidence to be open about their feelings and has significantly reduced incidents of self-injurious behaviour.

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

Staff respond effectively when children go missing from home. They follow clear procedures that guide their practice. Staff make every effort to remain in contact with children and go looking for them. The staff ensure that children are safe and well when they return, meaning they feel cared for when they arrive home.

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

Behavioural incidents are managed well by staff. The manager and staff seek advice from external professionals to better understand the children’s needs and behaviours. Staff reflect with children following incidents to help them discuss their feelings and recognise when they become unsafe. This is helping children to develop better coping strategies. One professional said, ‘Their co-regulation with children is second to none.’

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

Staff ensure that children can discuss any allegations or complaints they make. There are robust procedures in place to manage these, ensuring that the children are listened to and all relevant parties are informed. This creates a culture of safety for the children living at the home, knowing that they can discuss matters that are important to them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has high expectations for the children. He is focused on ensuring that the children have the opportunities and services they are entitled to. Strong and effective leadership has developed a staff team that shares the same aspirations to ensure that children have the best experiences and opportunities while living at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that the local authority plans coincide with the home’s care plans for children. This ensures that staff work towards meeting the goals aimed at helping children prepare for their future. If the manager identifies any issues with planning, he escalates his concerns appropriately.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager understands the home’s strengths, and these are celebrated in team meetings and through the positive compliments received by professionals. Where areas for improvement are identified, the manager ensures that prompt actions are taken to address them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff achieve what is set out by the manager. This has created a consistent environment for the staff to develop their practice. The manager is approachable and forms strong links with professionals to improve the outcomes for the children in the home. One professional said, ‘Nothing seems to be an issue for the home; the registered manager shows great passion for helping the children.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2596897 5 The manager demonstrates effective oversight of all incidents, ensuring that they are thoroughly reviewed. There is a clear process for staff debriefs and reflection. This enables staff to learn from incidents and adjust their practice if needed. This creates a culture of improvement and accountability. As a result, staff are better equipped to manage challenging situations, meaning children are fully supported.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The training programme for staff helps them to be effective in their roles. Staff can express their views on the quality of training and what would be beneficial in further supporting them. However, the organisation has not ensured that all staff have attained the relevant qualification within the required time frame, with some going significantly beyond it. Inspection report for children’s home: 2596897 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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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

For the purposes of paragraph, 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; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (1) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b)) 5 September 2025

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets children’s needs. In most cases, children’s homes should be homely, domestic environments. The home must comply with relevant health and safety legislation, such as alarms and food hygiene. However, in doing so, managers should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than institutional impression. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 15, paragraph 3.9) Inspection report for children’s home: 2596897 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: 2596897 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Civic Centre, Regent Street, Gateshead NE8 1HH

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Inspectors

Jess Elliott, Social Care Inspector Gary Smithson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2596897 9 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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