Children's home run by North East Autism Society in County Durham

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC416136 1 SC416136 Registered provider: North East Autism Society

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care for up to five children with learning disabilities. At the time of the inspection, five children were living in the home. Two children were spoken with during the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The current manager’s application to register with Ofsted is in progress.

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This monitoring visit

Following a full inspection on 30 June and 1 July 2025, compliance notices were issued under regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard. A monitoring visit took place on 28 July 2025 to monitor the provider’s response to the compliance notices. Leaders had taken action to address the steps in the compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

When children have an accident or sustain an injury, they receive appropriate first-aid and medical treatment. Staff are vigilant in their monitoring of injuries as well as recording these. The managers have full oversight of accidents, and reviews include discussions with children. When necessary, children’s plans are updated and any lessons learned for staff practice are discussed. Records are clear and well detailed and include the voice of the child.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s plans are not clear about how staff should hold children safely, if restraint is necessary. Although there has been a decrease in the frequency of children being held by staff, one child’s care plan still states that staff can hold them in a supine position as a last resort. The manager has not reviewed this due to his misunderstanding of the company’s procedures. Therefore, there are limited assurances that a change in practice within the home has been embedded. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC416136 2 When children are held, staff have debrief conversations with them. However, this often involves someone who has been involved in the hold. Records of restraint have improved. However, there is no information recorded to say that the registered person, or someone authorised to do so, has spoken with the child within five days of the incident and added their comments to confirm this. Staff are also receiving

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This monitoring visit

debriefs, and records show these are reflective and review whether the hold was proportionate and necessary. However, the provider’s behaviour management policy does not clearly set out the expectations of how staff and children will be supported in line with regulations.

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This monitoring visit

The home and garden are well-maintained. Improvements have been made to the interior of the home, to make areas safer and more accessible for children. The manager has brought in systems to monitor the cleanliness of the home. Locks have been removed from kitchen doors, including cabinets and children’s wardrobes. In addition, gardens have been tidied and made safer. Although there is ongoing maintenance in the garden, the environment in the home and garden for children is safer and more accessible.

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This monitoring visit

Fire safety in the home has also improved. Fire doors have appropriate release systems to ensure they can close in the case of a fire. The fire risk assessment has been brought up to date, and the range cooker has been replaced and is now regularly checked to ensure it is clean and safe to use.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have attended training to refresh their knowledge of how to administer medication. New procedures have been introduced to ensure medication is administered safely. Furthermore, the room children access to receive their medication has been made safer with items locked away, which were previously accessible to children.

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This monitoring visit

Recruitment records have improved, but there are still gaps in information. Checks and references for overseas workers are not verified.

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This monitoring visit

Appropriate notifications have been received by the regulator from the managers when there has been an incident the manager considers to be serious. There have been no allegations since the full inspection and therefore it has not been possible to review how the managers respond and manage these situations.

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This monitoring visit

The leaders have taken steps to appoint a new independent visitor to the home. However, a report has not yet been submitted for the regulator to confirm if this provides a rigorous and impartial assessment. This recommendation will be reviewed at the next inspection.

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This monitoring visit

Feedback from social workers was positive. They say that children are well cared for and safe. Children were observed as happy and engaged with staff. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC416136 3 As a result of the improvements made since the last inspection, the compliance notices have been lifted and replaced with requirements under regulations 12 and 13 to address the further improvements needed. Not all requirements raised at the last inspection have been reviewed but will be considered at the next inspection. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC416136 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/06/2025 Full Inadequate 03/09/2024 Full Good 11/09/2023 Full Good 20/09/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC416136 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 must comply with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2(a)(iii)(vi)) 12 September

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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—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and 12 September Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC416136 6 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(f)(g)(ii)(h))

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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

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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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 (b)(c)) 19 August 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”).

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; 19 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC416136 7 The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a) (5))

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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

employ an individual to work at the children’s home, or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(b)(d)) 19 August 2025

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and 19 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC416136 8 within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date; and

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Requirement Due date

retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must have a record showing each person working in the home and their full details. The staff rosters must show the actual staff who worked. 19 August 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person makes a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5)  The registered person should ensure that the content of the statement of purpose is kept under review. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.5)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC416136 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: North East Autism Society

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 15 Lumley Court, Drum Industrial Estate, Chester- le-Street, County Durham DH2 1AN

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Inspectors

Joanne Wallis, Social Care Inspector Claire Webster, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC416136 10 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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Inspectors

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