Children's Home run by ACG Support LTD in Newcastle upon Tyne

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2818079 1 Registered provider: ACG Support Ltd

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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 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

Three children were living in the home. One child was spoken with.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since 22 August 2025.

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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 has 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: 2818079 2

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Findings from the inspection

We identified the following serious concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection:

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Findings from the inspection

 Staff are not sufficiently familiar with children’s risk assessments.  There are insufficient staff to maintain the quality of care for all three children.  There are insufficient staff with the required qualification, and staff are inexperienced with children who have complex needs.  Senior leaders have failed to ensure that staff have adequate support, nor do they have sufficient oversight of staff practice.  Staff have failed to respond effectively to children’s needs in line with children’s plans, including missing-from-home procedures and risk assessments.

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Findings from the inspection

There has been a high number of staff who have left their roles without warning. Leaders and managers are relying on unfamiliar staff to provide care for the children. Staff do not consistently follow missing-from-home procedures, and risk assessments for one child are inaccessible to some staff. Therefore, staff are not fully equipped to meet the children’s needs.

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Findings from the inspection

Insufficient staff hold the qualification required through regulation, and some lack experience. Leaders and managers cannot be assured that staff have the skills and experience to keep all children safe.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers have not ensured that children’s moves into the home are planned effectively. One child has not had the support needed for them to be able to manage this change effectively. This has contributed to a child moving on from the home to a new placement.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers do not have effective oversight of the current management arrangements and staff practice. Staff have not provided a structure or routine to support children who are out of school to return to education. Two children remain out of education, employment or training.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff are working consistently to address children’s misuse of substances and unwanted behaviours. Staff work directly with a consultant clinical psychologist to understand children’s behaviour and personalise their plans to provide support for each child.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff speak to children and gather their views about decisions in the home. Staff routinely reflect on children’s views in the direct work carried out. Staff feed back any actions in response to children’s views in weekly meetings. Children said they feel listened to. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2818079 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/06/2025 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2818079 4

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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 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

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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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)(ii)(iii)(v)(viii)) 3 November 2025

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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

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)(b) 3 November 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2818079 5 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

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

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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; and

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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)(b) (2)(d)(e)(f)) 3 November 2025

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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

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iii)) 3 November 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2818079 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that expectations and standards of behaviour are clear and unambiguous. In particular, responses to unwanted behaviour should be consistent and in line with agreed strategies. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.11)  The registered person should maintain good employment practice. In particular, gaps in employment should be explored and the manager should be assured of the worker’s suitability. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the

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Recommendations

quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2818079 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Hurren & Jubb Accountants Ltd, Unit 2, Protection House, Howard Terrace, Albion Road, North Shields NE30 2RH

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Inspector

Lisa Gordon, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2818079 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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