Children's home run by Northumberland County Council

Inspection report for children’s home: 1155757 1 Registered provider: Northumberland County Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

Three children were living in the home at the time of the inspection. The inspector spoke to all three children.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2015.

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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: 1155757 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/05/2024 Full Good 26/09/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 07/06/2022 Full Good 25/01/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 1155757 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know the children well and have close and trusting relationships with them. Children like to spend time together, and the dynamics in the home reflect those of a family. This helps children have a sense of permanence and stability, and one child describes this as their forever home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have a positive experience of moving into the home. There is a thorough plan to help children to know what to expect. Staff individualise each plan, such as by using a social story to prepare a younger child for their move. The child recalls fondly that a named person sat with them on their first night until they fell asleep.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are all making progress in their education. Staff prioritise the morning routine to prepare children for their day. Children attend regularly and are ready and willing to learn. One child has progressed from spending one hour per day in school to full-time attendance.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children maintain their relationships with those people who are important to them. Staff are empathetic with children’s families and recognise that by supporting family members, they are supporting the child. One parent commented on how supportive staff are and how they have helped make things better for their child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children learn that the relationships they build while living in the home are long lasting. When children have moved on, staff continue to welcome them back to events and celebrations and support them with their independent living. This provides children with an ongoing source of emotional and practical support .

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff use bedroom door alarms to alert them to when children leave their rooms at night. Staff review their use on an individual basis and have obtained consent from the local authority. However, their use is not consistently proportionate or necessary and continues to be intrusive for some children.

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

Staff know the children and their risks well. Staff understand how children’s past experiences affect them and ensure that they have regularly updated risk assessments and care plans. Staff demonstrate to children that they are important, and children trust that staff will respond to their needs. This helps children feel safer and supports them to develop a feeling of belonging.

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

Children rarely go missing from home. Staff are committed to making the home a welcoming and nurturing place for children to live in. This demonstrates to children that being at home is preferable to going missing from home. Missing-from-home episodes have significantly reduced. Inspection report for children’s home: 1155757 4 Staff hold children as a last resort and only to prevent them from harming themselves or others. Staff support children to recognise the strong emotions they are feeling and how these affect their behaviour. Children are learning strategies to self-regulate their emotions. This has reduced the number of incidents where children display negative behaviour as a result of being angry or upset .

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

The manager takes prompt action to respond to concerns about staff practice. They address shortfalls directly with staff and help them to understand the impact that their actions have on children. This improves the quality of the care children receive.

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

Staff work proactively to help children understand that their actions have consequences. Staff help children to develop their understanding of appropriate behaviour through reflective one-to-one sessions. One child is making better behaviour choices, significantly reducing aggressive incidents in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is well established and experienced. They hold high aspirations for what children can achieve, and their expectations for the standard of staff practice are also high. The manager has a good understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for development and is working through a plan for continuous improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has a full staff team. The manager understands the importance of training and development and provides protected time for staff to complete their required qualification. This assures the manager that staff can meet the children’s needs .

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that staff understand the impact of trauma on children. A recent training event focused on one child’s experiences and how these continue to affect them. This has helped staff to develop a deeper understanding of children’s behaviour and supported a greater level of empathy and patience in their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff work effectively with other professionals. They have relationships built on respect and honest communication. Professionals say that staff are strong advocates for children. Staff have successfully challenged a local authority decision regarding a child’s plan. This has contributed to the child’s ongoing progress. Inspection report for children’s home: 1155757 5

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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 registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(d)) 30 August 2025

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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: 1155757 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Northumberland County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: County Hall, Morpeth, Northumberland NE61 2EF

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Inspector

Lisa Gordon, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1155757 7 regulates and inspects 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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