Children's Home run by South Tyneside Council in South Tyneside

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC032697 1 SC032697 Registered provider: South Tyneside Council

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The children’s home is owned and run by a local authority. It provides care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2021. There were four children living at the home at the time of inspection. The inspector spoke to one of the children during the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At these inspections, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC032697 2

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Findings from the inspection

This inspection was carried out following a complaint received by Ofsted.

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Children have reported to the inspector, other professionals, and their family members that they are happy living at the home and feel safe. They have good relationships with the staff team.

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Findings from the inspection

Managers and staff support the children to give feedback and raise issues. ‘Big issues’ are discussed in the weekly children’s meetings. Staff report that children do not need to wait for the meeting to raise an issue. Key-work sessions and a dedicated wishes and feelings section on the daily recordings capture any issues or requests. Staff support children to attend their meetings and will share the child’s wishes and feelings if they do not want to attend.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff ensure that children know how to complain and direct children to the home’s complaints procedure when they are not able to reach a resolution at the time. All the children have been offered an independent advocate following the recent complaint and one child has accepted this offer.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager and other professionals have spoken to the children who made the complaint about their concerns that staff favour the male residents. The manager believes that these concerns are due to a perceived unfairness of resources and occasions where staff have removed a male resident from a situation when they were being targeted by the other children.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff are concerned about the care planning for one child and the impact this is having on everyone in the home. Staff also raise issues with staff from other homes being transferred to the home. The instability in management arrangements across the provider is having an impact on this home.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers have undertaken an extensive investigation into the issues raised in the complaint to Ofsted. They have gained an understanding of the mood in the home and the impact that some recent care planning decisions have had on this. All the children were spoken to by their social worker and an independent person. An experienced registered manager, who is independent of the home, has reviewed all the evidence and spoken to the children.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager has quickly resolved several of the issues raised in the complaint and has a plan in place to address any remaining issues. The children will be consulted on any changes to reduce unfairness between the male and female residents. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC032697 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/05/2025 Full Good 14/05/2024 Full Good 30/05/2023 Full Good 03/01/2023 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC032697 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 care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

the child is, or has been, persistently absent from the home without permission. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(e)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement has been restated. 31 October 2025

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Requirement Due date

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

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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 (c)) 31 October 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC032697 5 This requirement has been restated.

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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— helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 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)

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Requirement Due date

This requirement has been restated. 31 October 2025

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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

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

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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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(viii)(x))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement has been restated. 31 October 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC032697 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that any consequences used to address poor behaviour are restorative in nature. This is to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, and the staff caring for them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 46, paragraph 9.38) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC032697 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: South Tyneside Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: South Tyneside Council, Town Hall, Westoe Road, South Shields NE33 2RL

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Inspector

Kirstie Sutherland, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC032697 8 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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