Children's Home run by KerryLynnCare Ltd in Gateshead

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2729959 1 Registered provider: KerryLynnCare Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and run by a private provider. 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

There is no registered manager. The acting manager has applied to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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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 this inspection, 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. The inspector 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: 2729959 2

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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

Two children were living in the home at the time of the inspection. The inspector spoke with both children during the inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

The new manager has made improvements to the running of the home, including how staff support children. They spend more time with children and there are increased opportunities for supportive conversations to take place. This has led to children forming improved and trusting relationships with staff and spending more time in the home.

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Findings from the inspection

Education is an important part of life in the home. Staff have helped children to make improvements in their attendance at school. One child has been helped to start at a new school provision. The other child has completed exams and has identified further education plans for the next academic year. Furthermore, staff support children to develop age-appropriate independence skills. This helps children to have a sense of achievement and prepare for their future.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff actively engage children in conversations about personal safety, helping them recognise potential risks. Recently, risky behaviours for both children have reduced. However, some known risks that need clear strategies are missing from their risk assessments. This prevents staff from having all the guidance needed to manage risk and safeguard children. Therefore, the requirement issued as the last inspection in relation to risk assessments has not been met, because they do not hold all required information to manage a significant risk.

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Findings from the inspection

When children go missing from the home, staff follow agreed protocols to locate them in the community and welcome them warmly when they return. However, there is no system to ensure that return home interviews are completed. As a result, these have been missed or not recorded. This prevents children from having an opportunity to speak to someone independent from the home about any worries or concerns they may have. It also prevents the manager from having important information to analyse missing incidents.

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Findings from the inspection

None of the staff members currently hold the required qualification. This prevents the manager from being assured that staff have acquired all the necessary skills and knowledge to care for children. The manager has plans to support staff to achieve the qualification within the relevant timescales.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager has systems to evaluate the performance of staff in the home. However, audits focus on practical tasks in the home but do not evaluate the quality of plans and records. This prevents the manager from having sufficient oversight of progress and limits their ability to identify areas of development. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2729959 3 The home provides a welcoming environment for children. However, the manager has not identified some aspects that require improvement to address comfort and safety. In addition, an educative display in the dining room is aimed at a younger age group than the children currently living at the home.

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Findings from the inspection

The home’s statement of purpose does not accurately reflect the experience and qualifications of those working in the home. This prevents the regulator and local authority commissioners from accurately assessing staff skills and qualities to meet the children’s needs.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager met most of the requirements from the last inspection. One remains unmet in relation to children’s risk assessments. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2729959 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/04/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/04/2024 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2729959 5

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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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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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)(i)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement has been restated. 16 September 2025

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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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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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; 16 September 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2729959 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)(c)(f)(h))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home provides the child with a homely, domestic environment. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that when a child returns home from being missing, the responsible local authority provides an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Information provided by such interviews should inform assessment of risk and arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.31)  The registered person should ensure that the statement of purpose accurately reflects the experience and qualifications of staff working in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.10) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2729959 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: KerryLynnCare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Tyne and Wear, Gateshead NE8 4QY

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Inspector

Mark Cryer, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2729959 8 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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