Children's Home run by Tees-Valley Care Limited in Redcar and Cleveland

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1272220 1 Registered provider: Tees-Valley Care 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 operated 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

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

Three children were living in the home at the time of the visit.

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This monitoring visit

A full inspection took place on 23 and 24 July 2025. The inspector gave a provisional judgement of inadequate. There were widespread safeguarding shortfalls for very vulnerable children, all of whom are subject to deprivation of liberty. Concerns included children being left at risk of harm from ligatures and from ingesting items, and children being able to go missing due to poor levels of supervision by staff. An action plan was provided that gave enough assurances to prevent any higher enforcement action being taken at that time. However, Ofsted issued two compliance notices under regulations 12 and 13.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit took place following receipt of further concerns in relation to the safety and well-being of children.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have not followed a child’s risk assessment and have taken the child to a location that is a known risk to them. Both members of staff were suspended pending an investigation. However, one member of staff is known to have been reinstated before the completion of that investigation. Furthermore, that member of staff was the most senior member of staff in the home at the time the monitoring visit commenced. This raises concerns that staff who are working with children may not be able to keep them safe. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1272220 2 Staff do not have access to clear risk assessments or care plans to provide them with the information they need to meet the needs of children and keep them safe. Staff said that they did not know where risk assessments were located or whether there were any protocols to follow in the event that a child was at risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager continues to fail to notify Ofsted when a child makes an allegation against staff. The registered manager was advised to submit a notification by the responsible individual; however, a decision was taken not to notify Ofsted in line with regulation. This does not provide assurances that leaders and managers are keeping Ofsted updated in relation to serious incidents in the home or their ability to work in an open and honest way with the regulator.

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This monitoring visit

Staff do not record all events that happen in the home. A child made an allegation to their child and adolescent mental health services support worker that staff in the home had forced them to take their medication. There is no record of this event. This raises concerns that records are not kept of all incidents where children are at risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have not planned for a week where the responsible individual will not be in post and the registered manager and deputy will be on annual leave. This leaves the home without any management cover. Staff do not know who will oversee the home for that period. The registered manager and director of the organisation provided different accounts of the cover arrangements. This does not provide assurances that leaders and managers understand the impact of all of the home’s management being unavailable to work at the same time.

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This monitoring visit

The compliance notices, requirements and recommendations were not reviewed as part of this monitoring visit and have therefore been restated below. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1272220 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/07/2025 Full Inadequate 03/09/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 13/04/2023 Full Good 25/07/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1272220 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 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; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(vi)(vii)(b)(d)) 31 August 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— 31 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1272220 5 ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to 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;

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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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(ii))

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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

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, that the home is able to meet the needs of each child effectively with sufficient staffing in place. 4 September 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— 4 September 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1272220 6 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

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)(b)(i)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; and

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)(e)) 4 September 2025

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of their children and is a homely, domestic environment. In particular maintenance to the home must be actioned in a timely manner. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should maintain good employment practice. They must ensure that the recruitment of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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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: 1272220 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Tees-Valley Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Tees-Valley Care, PO Box 547, Middlesbrough TS1 9HG

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Inspector

Lee Riley, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1272220 8 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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