Children's Home run by North Yorkshire County Council in North Yorkshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC034235 1 SC034235 Registered provider: North Yorkshire Council

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Full inspection 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 local authority using the ‘No Wrong Door’ model. The home offers care for up to six children who may have social and emotional difficulties. The home can also care for a further two children in separate accommodation for up to 28 days.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, the home was providing care for six children, and one child moved out during the first inspection. Inspectors met with three of the children, and one child who has recently moved out of the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspection started on 21 July 2025. Inspectors returned on 7 August 2025 to gather additional evidence in line with Ofsted inspections and visits: deferring, pausing and gathering additional evidence policy.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC034235 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/07/2024 Full Good 20/06/2023 Full Good 02/08/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 26/05/2022 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: SC034235 3

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improvement to be good

The home continues to care for a high number of children with complex needs, including those admitted in emergencies for short-term placements. While the home provides a vital service for children, it does not consistently promote stability. Some children experience frequent changes in their living arrangements, which may impact their emotional well-being.

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improvement to be good

Staff have raised concerns about the compatibility of children placed together, particularly when individual needs are highly complex. One social worker described the environment as overstimulating for one child, contributing to increased risks. Impact risk assessments lack sufficient detail to demonstrate that the home is suitable for each child and that staff have the necessary skills to meet their needs.

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improvement to be good

Some children continue to experience disruption to their education, which affects their ability to develop routines and engage meaningfully in learning. Despite efforts to identify suitable educational placements, children are often excluded or choose not to attend. Some children lack consistent encouragement and structure, which contributes to poor engagement with education.

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improvement to be good

Children report feeling unnecessarily restricted in their home environment. They experience limited access to communal spaces, such as the games room and kitchen, which staff routinely lock to promote evening routines. These restrictions affect children’s sense of comfort and autonomy, and do not reflect a homely or nurturing environment.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to attend routine and specialist health appointments, helping them to maintain good physical and emotional well-being. They are helped to access health services, including initial and annual health assessments. When children experience emotional distress or crisis, they receive timely and appropriate support, including access to mental health and emergency services. Children benefit from swift responses to health concerns, which ensures they receive the right help at the right time.

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improvement to be good

Staff take time to speak with children and to listen to them. Key-worker sessions regularly take place with children and their views are incorporated into records. Staff are skilled in how they engage children and how they record children’s information sensitively.

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improvement to be good

Positive relationships for children with staff are evident. One child spoke warmly about the support received before and after leaving the home, and transitions are celebrated to promote positive endings. Staff speak with warmth and affection about the children in their care and show compassion for children and empathy for children’s experiences. Inspection report for children’s home: SC034235 4

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improvement to be good

Not all children feel safe in the home. One child reported feeling targeted by peers, and staff confirmed that the child may not be appropriately placed. Although key-work sessions and anti-bullying strategies are in place, interventions have not consistently prevented harmful incidents.

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improvement to be good

Children do not consistently receive safe and timely responses when they go missing or leave the home without permission. In one incident, staff observed a child leaving the property, but it took staff 15 minutes to respond. The response to unauthorised absences varies, and in some cases, safeguarding procedures are not followed. These issues raise concerns about supervision and risk management.

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improvement to be good

During a serious incident, the fire brigade was not called until the police arrived and made the call themselves, delaying the emergency response. The on-call advice was to contact the police rather than the fire service and no call was made to the children’s local authority to inform them about the serious incident. These missed steps indicate a lack of clarity in emergency procedures and communication protocols, which must be addressed to ensure timely and effective responses in future incidents.

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improvement to be good

Staff have shown vigilance and compassion in responding to incidents of self-harm. When a child harmed themselves, staff noticed changes in the child’s behaviour and acted swiftly to assess the risks. They supported the child’s hospital attendance and ensured that they received mental health care. Staff also facilitated parental involvement and updated care plans following the incident. This response reflects good safeguarding practice and emotional support.

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improvement to be good

Physical interventions are used appropriately and only as a last resort. Staff use their skills to try to de-escalate situations and support children in crisis. However, records are inconsistent, and post-incident support for children and staff is not reliably provided. Managers are developing systems to improve oversight and learning from these incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager’s monthly audits of health and safety are ineffective. While the fire file is checked regularly, the associated assessments are up to two years old and contain outstanding actions. The most current documents are stored on a database that the manager cannot access, which limits her oversight and ability to address high-risk concerns. Health and safety representatives have explained that actions remain unaddressed because they are not deemed life-critical and are part of a future plan. This explanation does not mitigate the risk and highlights a significant gap in managerial control and accountability. Inspection report for children’s home: SC034235 5 Managers have systems to monitor children’s progress and escalate concerns. However, it is unclear how concerns about children’s placements and deteriorating well-being are escalated to senior leaders to make positive changes for children. Some staff expressed

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

concerns that children are placed due to a lack of alternatives, even when the home may not be suitable.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

A quality-of-care review is completed by the manager within timescales. However, the review does not fully evaluate the impact of children’s experiences of living in the home, and lacks consultation with staff, children, parents and professionals. As a result, it does not inform service improvement effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff do not formally record behaviour management strategies, which prevents the manager from evaluating their effectiveness. They often fail to document negative consequences imposed on children, and as a result, the manager cannot maintain oversight or assess whether these measures support positive behaviour.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Most permanent staff hold a suitable qualification to work with children in a residential setting. Managers actively support those without a qualification to enrol on or complete the required course. However, some permanent and relief staff have worked in the home for over two years without attaining the necessary qualification.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Managers do not ensure that all supervision records demonstrate embedded reflective practice, although some staff confirm that they receive it. Managers have completed supervision training, but they do not maintain accessible records for staff who have been delegated this responsibility.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have systems in place to monitor children’s progress and behaviours. They meet regularly to discuss children in their care. Managers escalate concerns about children’s behaviours to seek support and guidance.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Senior leaders have recently introduced a new database and reporting spreadsheet to track health and safety actions. This system clearly distinguishes between actions assigned to the central health and safety team and those delegated to the manager and staff team. Although the tool had only been in place for a week and no actions had been completed at the time of the second inspection, it demonstrates planning and a commitment to improving oversight and accountability moving forward. Inspection report for children’s home: SC034235 6

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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 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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(iv)(vi)(b)) 19 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

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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(f)) 19 September 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC034235 7 The registered person must ensure that—

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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

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use 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

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Requirement Due date

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)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 19 September 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

that staff— 19 September 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC034235 8 help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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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. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(iv)(viii)

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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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(e)(i)) 19 September 2025

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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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

The requirements are that— 19 September 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC034235 9 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

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), 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. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a) (3)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a))

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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

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) (5)) 19 September 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC034235 10

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the Quality Standards, Page 61, paragraph 16.2)  The registered person should ensure that children are able to access all shared areas of their home unless there are specific reasons why this would not meet a child’s needs. Any decisions to limit a child’s access to any area of the home must only be made where this is intended to safeguard the child’s welfare. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the Quality Standards’, Page 15, paragraph 3.10)

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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: SC034235 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: North Yorkshire Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: County Hall, Racecourse Lane, Northallerton DL7 8AD

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Inspectors

Joanne Wallis, Social Care Inspector Kirstie Sutherland, Social Care Inspector Lee Riley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC034235 12 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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