Children's home run by North Lincolnshire Council

Inspection report for children’s home: 2833671 1 Registered provider: North Lincolnshire 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

The home is a multi-build home across two settings. The home is managed and run by the local authority. It provides care for up to six children who may have emotional and social difficulties, and one of those children may have a physical disability.

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Information about this children’s home

Six children were seen and spoken to as part of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2025 as part of a full registration as a new multi-building children’s home.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: not previously inspected

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2833671 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from living in a stable and nurturing home. A consistent and committed staff team provides care that enables children to feel safe, secure and valued. Children said they feel safe and happy. As a result, children are making progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have developed trusting relationships with staff. Staff understand the importance of building trust and taking the time to get to know each child. Children feel listened to and understood. Children describe the home as their own and have a sense of belonging. Observations show that children feel comfortable and safe, including those who have only recently moved in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s education is promoted. All children attend some form of learning provision and are making progress from their individual starting points. Staff and managers work closely with education providers. Communication is regular and contributes to children’s progress. Staff advocate for children’s educational needs and ensure any barriers to learning are addressed to prevent disruption. For one child, this has prevented a learning break and ensured that learning routines are maintained.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children experience thoughtful transitions into the home. Where possible, plans support children’s emotional well-being and stability. Children are welcomed warmly, and staff take proactive steps to help them feel safe and secure. The manager carefully considers the needs of all children to ensure that their needs can be met. The welfare and well- being of each child is prioritised, alongside the needs and feelings of those already living in the home. This contributes to children feeling secure and promotes positive experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s well-being is central to the care provided. Staff celebrate children’s achievements and progress; this helps to build confidence and self-esteem. Children benefit from consistent routines to support their emotional stability.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to maintain relationships that are important to them. Family time is promoted and facilitated in a safe way. This helps children to sustain positive connections and contributes to their overall sense of identity and belonging.

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

Children feel safe and protected. Staff understand the model of care, which contributes to children’s sense of safety. Staff are responsive to children’s needs. Staff create a home where children feel listened to and supported, which builds trust and emotional security. Feedback from professionals supports the views of the children, who say they feel safe and view the home as their own. Inspection report for children’s home: 2833671 3 Staff understand children’s individual risks. Risk assessments are up to date and provide clear, effective strategies to mitigate identified risks. These plans are implemented consistently and contribute to children staying safe. There has been a noticeable reduction in incidents, including children going missing from home. When a child goes missing from home, staff follow individual plans to ensure that the child is located and returned safely. Children are offered independent return home interviews. Managers use

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

this information to identify any emerging patterns or themes to further strengthen safeguarding practice.

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

Children are supported to manage their feelings and emotions safely. Staff use a nurturing approach and work closely with external professionals to understand children’s behaviours. Staff are skilled in de-escalating situations using the home’s model of care, which is embedded in practice. Physical interventions are only used as a last resort to prevent harm. When used, they are proportionate and, where appropriate, tailored creatively to meet the individual needs of the child. However, the views of children following incidents are not always captured as part of the debrief process. This is a missed opportunity for reflection and learning.

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

Staff have effective links with partner agencies. Communication is initiative-taking and responsive, ensuring that safeguarding information is shared promptly. There is a coordinated approach to keeping children safe. Embedded professional relationships across agencies enable challenge and reflective discussions when needed. This promotes the safety of children and contributes to stability and consistency in care provided.

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

Regular multi-agency meetings ensure that all professionals are well informed. Staff caring for the children have access to up-to-date information, which ensures that safe and effective care is provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The culture of the home is one of high support and high nurture. This is consistently promoted and modelled by the manager and the wider leadership team. The home is appropriately staffed to meet the needs of the children. Creative use of space ensures that children with specific needs are supported effectively, while minimising any impact on others living in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision that supports their practice, and, where appropriate, their progression within the organisation. Reflective discussions take place, contributing to staff learning and development. There is variation in the quality of how reflection is recorded. This is recognised by the manager, who is actively working to improve this area. Creative approaches, such as peer audits and skill sharing are being used to strengthen consistency and embed good practice across all documentation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a robust and effective monitoring system in place. This system helps to ensure that the care provided remains responsive to children’s needs. Thematic audits are regularly completed, and these help to identify any gaps in expected standards and Inspection report for children’s home: 2833671 4 develop the standard of care. This means staff are supported to deliver care of a consistently high standard.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager understands the strengths and areas for development. Audits also consider the use of language and other aspects of care, with actions taken to address any shortfalls. This is a reflective approach and a commitment to continuous improvement. However, some elements of this approach are still being embedded across all documents and in staff practice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2833671 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that any child who has been restrained should be allowed to express their feelings about their experience of the restraint as soon as is practicable, taking the age of the child and the circumstances of the restraint into account. In some cases, children may need longer to work through their feelings, so a record that the child has talked about their feelings should be made no longer than 5 days after the incident of restraint. Children should be encouraged to add their views and comments to the record of restraint. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 50, paragraph 9.60).

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Information about this inspection

The inspector has 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: 2833671 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: North Lincolnshire Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Church Square House, 30–40 High Street, Scunthorpe DN15 6NL

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Inspector

Kate Jackson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2833671 7 regulates 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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