Children's home run by North East Specialist Therapeutic Services CIC in Northumberland

Inspection report for children’s home: SC488112 1 OFSTED USE ONLY

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SC488112 Registered provider: Northeast Specialist Therapeutic Services CIC 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 private company. It provides care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties and may have learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, four children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 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 requires improvement to be 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: SC488112 2 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/06/2024 Full Good 11/07/2023 Full Good 15/08/2022 Full Good 08/07/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC488112 3 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive a well-planned and supported transition into the home. Staff speak with families and professionals to understand children’s routines and needs. The staff speak with the children to understand their preferences and to create their plans. When children express reservations, staff adjust the approach to move at the child’s pace. This supports a positive move to the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are helped to understand and manage their emotions. Following challenging incidents, staff talk with children and explore strategies to manage things differently. The staff use information from previous incidents to share common themes and help children understand patterns and triggers in a way that is appropriate for their age and understanding. This has significantly reduced the number of incidents when children experience distress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making good progress with their education. They attend school daily and maintain consistently high attendance. Staff help children with their homework and encourage them to engage in their learning. When barriers to learning arise, staff work with schools to identify issues and help children promptly return to full-time learning. Children attend after-school clubs and school-related community events, which helps them feel included and valued. Staff communicate with school staff daily to keep them informed of any issues that may support a positive school day or help with the emotional support of children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children take an active role in making decisions about their care and daily life. An independent advocate visits monthly to provide children the opportunity to speak to someone independent of the home. Children choose whether to attend but are encouraged to take part in weekly meetings with peers and staff. Children also attend additional meetings with the manager. During the meetings, the children offer praise, raise concerns, and resolve issues with their peers. This helps children feel involved and in control of their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have not yet adapted recording practices to make them child friendly. The language is formal and lacks warmth. Children’s records do not reflect the care they receive. The tone does not match the home’s approach and may leave children with a negative impression of their time there.

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improvement to be good

The local authority designated officer was not informed when a child made an allegation of harm against a member of staff. Managers discussed the matter with staff at the child’s school and the local authority and agreed to close the complaint. A parent raised concerns twice before a formal process was followed. This is outside of statutory Inspection report for children’s home: SC488112 4 OFSTED USE ONLY

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improvement to be good

guidelines and the home’s safeguarding policy. The delay means the child’s voice was not acted on and the parent was not heard.

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improvement to be good

Not all staff are trained to intervene safely when children or staff are at risk of harm. The staff who support the home from an agency do not have the relevant training to hold children when this is necessary. The number of physical interventions during this inspection period is high, and staff report feeling vulnerable and unsupported when working alongside untrained colleagues. Staff say that these concerns are long-standing and have not been addressed by leaders and managers. This affects the consistency and safety of care for children.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers analyse behaviour to understand patterns and common themes. The staff use this data to update children’s plans and adjust the response to children accordingly. This has led to a reduction in the frequency and seriousness of incidents involving physical intervention.

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improvement to be good

Staff are alert to changes in children’s behaviours and routines that may signal increased risk. The staff know each child well and use this understanding to offer timely support and supervision. Staff promptly share concerns and adjust daily planning to minimise vulnerability. No children have gone missing during this inspection period, which reflects the proactive approach and vigilance of staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers are ambitious and set high expectations for children and the care they receive. Staff consistently recognise and celebrate children’s achievements, including academic progress and personal milestones. External professionals endorse this approach and characterise the home's culture as centred on fostering a sense of value and care for children. This contributes to improved outcomes and positive experiences for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers use the model of care to positively impact children’s progress. The manager commissions external consultancy services to embed reflective practice across the staff team. Staff, managers and clinical consultants meet weekly to review children’s histories and current needs. This helps staff respond more consistently to children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and staff routinely reflect on how their responses affect children’s well-being and behaviour. They explore how children use alternative staff to receive preferred responses or support. This insight informs the care planning and helps staff adapt their approach to meet the individual needs of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff receive regular and effective supervision. Staff say supervision is supportive and helps them develop their practice. Leaders provide one-to-one and group sessions that allow staff to reflect on their role and share learning with their colleagues. Inspection report for children’s home: SC488112 5 OFSTED USE ONLY

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers develop and maintain effective relationships with external professionals. Local authorities and schools praise the manager and staff’s commitment to children and their willingness to challenge decisions that they regard as substandard. Staff advocate effectively for children and ensure that agencies work in their best interests. Inspection report for children’s home: SC488112 6 OFSTED USE ONLY

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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 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

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(vii)) 15 October 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

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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(d)(e)) 15 October 2025

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff record information about individual children in a non-stigmatising way that is helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Inspection report for children’s home: SC488112 7 OFSTED USE ONLY

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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: SC488112 8 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: North East Specialist Therapeutic Services CIC

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Jason Darbyshire

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Inspector

Lee Riley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC488112 9 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspector

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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