Children's home run by St Cuthbert’s Care in Newcastle upon Tyne

Inspection report for children’s home: SC391993 1 OFSTED USE ONLY

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SC391993 Registered provider: St Cuthbert’s Care Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a private provider. It offers care for up to six children who may experience social and emotional difficulties and have special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2020.

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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 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

Date of last inspection: 6 November 2024

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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: SC391993 2 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/11/2024 Full Good 26/02/2024 Full Good 06/09/2022 Full Outstanding 22/07/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC391993 3 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know the children well and build positive, trusting relationships with them. Children report feeling happy in the home and that staff provide them with good support. This helps children feel settled and have a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are well understood by staff. Staff supervise children with lifelong conditions to help them learn how to manage their health needs. This allows children to build the skills necessary to meet their health needs when they move on from the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote children’s education and are proactive in seeking the right provisions for them. Staff advocate strongly for the children to find them an education setting that best meets their needs. Where there are challenges with school attendance, staff use praise to encourage the child to attend and reward them for doing so. The manager is seeking tutoring for a child to ensure that they do not miss out on their education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s views are well represented and respected by staff. Children say they feel heard and are confident that their views will be acted on. Children participate in their care planning and are encouraged to attend meetings that are about them. This helps children feel empowered and have influence over their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy living with their pets in the home. Staff support children in caring for their pets. Through these experiences, children can develop their sense of responsibility.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff assist children in preparing for moving on from the home and tailor their plans accordingly. Children who have left the home often return to visit and remain in contact with staff. Adults who have previously lived at the home have invited staff to weddings and have sent them photos of their families. This is testament to the lasting relationships that are built in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some areas of the home require redecorating and repair. For example, there are missing door handles and some damp patches in a communal area. The decor in some areas is worn and in need of updating. The manager has a development plan for the home and is in the process of addressing these issues.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff are confident in helping children manage risks, including supporting them in taking age-appropriate risks. Staff work with other agencies to reduce risks to children in the local community. Police say that the staff’s approach to safeguarding has been effective in reducing the risks associated with offending behaviour.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The staff are proactive in searching for children when they go missing from the home. Staff have excellent multi-agency relationships to ensure the most effective response Inspection report for children’s home: SC391993 4 OFSTED USE ONLY

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

when children are missing from home or at risk of exploitation. This has resulted in a reduction of missing-from-home incidents and the perceived risk levels for children.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff know the organisation’s model of care well, and they use it effectively to help children learn what is safe and acceptable. Staff have regular discussions with children about a range of topics, including how their behaviour affects them and others. This helps children learn about consequences and how to make amends.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children’s behaviour management plans detail how staff should support them when they are angry or upset. Staff are skilled in helping children understand their thoughts and feelings and how they can affect their choices. Staff carry out key work with children to provide them with tools to help them manage their emotions appropriately. This is effective in reducing the number of incidents in the home and has meant that physical interventions are not required.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is committed and focused on achieving good outcomes for all the children in the home. The manager is experienced and provides the home with stability and continuity. Feedback from staff is consistently positive about the support provided by the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a stable team of staff who are enthusiastic and motivated to provide the children with good standards of care. Staff morale is high, and other professionals have said they feel it is a warm and welcoming environment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a good understanding of each child’s needs and starting points. The manager advocates strongly on behalf of all children and appropriately challenges decisions she does not believe to be in the children’s best interests.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff development is a priority for the manager. She ensures that staff have access to training to upskill them in areas specific to children’s needs. Tailored training helps to ensure that the standards of care provided to children consistently meet their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has built strong and effective working relationships with professionals involved in caring for the children. This is achieved through good communication, which is a particular strength of the home. Professionals speak highly of the manager and staff. A professional described being ‘really impressed’ with the care given to children and said, ‘It is the best communication I’ve had with any children’s home.’ Inspection report for children’s home: SC391993 5 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meet the needs of the children, being homely and domestic. In doing so, the registered person should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: SC391993 6 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: St Cuthberts House, West Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear NE15 7PY

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Inspectors

Dawn McCluskey, Social Care Inspector Deb Duffy, Regulatory Inspection Manager Inspection report for children’s home: SC391993 7 OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspectors

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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