Children's home run by EJ Childcare Services Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2638781 1 Registered provider: EJ Childcare Services Ltd

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

A private provider operates this home. It provides care for one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of this visit, there was one child living at the home. The inspector spoke with this child.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The post for a registered manager has been vacant since April 2025.

p.1

This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit took place to evaluate the provider’s response to two compliance notices issued under regulation 12 (the help and protection standard) and regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard). These compliance notices were issued following a full inspection on 3 and 4 September 2025 where the home was judged as inadequate.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have provided appropriate safety measures for staff to follow since the full inspection. The child’s risk assessments now contain updated and accurate information about all known risks. They also include clear strategies for staff to follow to mitigate these risks. In team meetings, staff review and discuss risk assessments to assess if strategies are effective or not. Staff follow risk assessments and respond appropriately to safeguard the child.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have provided staff with the time and space to develop, learn and digest important new information. All staff have completed a new induction and training programme where they have learned about self-harm and children’s safeguarding.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have provided the child with ‘emotional health kits’ to help better manage their emotions. Staff are spending time talking to the child when the Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2638781 2 child is distressed. Consequently, incidents are reducing, and the child is making some progress in managing their emotions.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have put new systems in place to address any shortfalls in staff practice. These processes help the manager to identify and evaluate patterns and trends that may affect the child. The manager identifies and addresses any issues and provides staff with feedback to improve their practice.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have put a new process in place that supports the development of the out-of-hours service. This means that advice is offered to staff when they telephone for help or support. Furthermore, leaders and managers are planning to review this service, where only managers will be on call outside of office hours.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The manager has benefited from support that has been provided following the full inspection. He generally now has better oversight of the home. Recent incidents have been managed better, and this has led to improved outcomes for the child’s well-being.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have implemented sufficient changes, and the steps in both compliance notices have been met.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The other requirements and two recommendations from the full inspection were not reviewed at this visit and therefore have been restated. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2638781 3

p.2

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/09/2025 Full Inadequate 04/07/2024 Full Good 17/10/2023 Full Good 20/02/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2638781 4

p.3

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 with the given timescales.

p.4

Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

p.4

Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

p.4

Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

p.4

Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

p.4

Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(c) 30 November 2025

p.4

Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.4

Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives. 30 November 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2638781 5 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.4

Requirement Due date

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

p.5

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

p.5

Requirement Due date

is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives;

p.5

Requirement Due date

has access to the home’s children’s guide, and the home’s complaints procedure, when the child’s placement in the home is agreed and throughout the child’s stay in the home; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

keep the children’s guide and the home’s complaints procedure under review and seek children’s comments before revising either document;

p.5

Requirement Due date

how to make a complaint or representations in relation to the home or the care the child receives and how any such complaint or representations will be dealt with; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

ensure that the views of each relevant person are taken into account, so far as reasonably practicable, before making a decision about the care or welfare of a child. (Regulation 7 (1)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)(ii)(e))

p.5

Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

p.5

Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

p.5

Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs; 30 November 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2638781 6 seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(d))

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

p.6

Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation—

p.6

Requirement Due date

the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter;

p.6

Requirement Due date

must be made or confirmed in writing. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)(e) (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b)) 30 November 2025

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

p.6

Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)) 30 November 2025

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that any consequences used to address poor behaviour should be restorative in nature to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. In particular, staff must not withhold a child’s family time. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38) Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2638781 7  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. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

p.6

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.

p.7

Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2638781 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: EJ Childcare Services Ltd

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Foxhaven, Easington Road, Hartlepool TS24 9RE

p.8

Inspector

Laura Roberts, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2638781 9 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.

p.8

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9