Children's home run by Nuevavida Ne Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2502176 1 Registered provider: Nuevavida Ne Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately operated. It provides care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties or have learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

There were three children living in the home. All children were seen and observed or spoken with during the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2024.

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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 outstanding

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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: 12 November 2024

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2502176 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/11/2024 Full Outstanding 12/12/2023 Full Good 25/05/2022 Full Good 20/04/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2502176 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have strong, trusting relationships with staff and make progress across most areas of their lives. Managers and staff put children at the centre of their decision- making and include them in everything they do. Children with different communication needs have aids that enable them to participate fully in life at the home. Staff communicate with children effectively, and one child’s use of language has significantly improved because of their interactions with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who are in education make good progress. Staff worked with education professionals to provide the right support for one child to move up to secondary school and join the school choir. However, one child has not been in education for a significant amount of time. Staff provide the child with alternative activities in the home, but have been unable to help them to re-engage with formal learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are helped to look after their own health. One child has been encouraged to engage with their health assessment after previously being reluctant to do so. Furthermore, one child’s complex health needs are clearly documented, monitored, and managed by the staff effectively, with support from specialist services.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy lots of activities, hobbies and positive life experiences including holidays abroad, outward bound adventures and community events. One child has a talent for their chosen sport and attends classes with an inclusive dance school to help nurture their talent. Opportunities for the children to contribute and participate in the running of the home are promoted, for example choosing the menu, bedroom designs, to caravan holidays and making their own short film. Children feel included in knowing their voice is heard.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are committed to facilitating children’s time with family and other important people. They create and maintain positive relationships with people who are important to the children, and ensure that children have open lines of communication with the people they spend time with when in the community. This broadens the children’s support network and helps them see the adults in their lives working together to make a difference.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to complete age-appropriate independence work and ensure that they are prepared for life as an adult, using structured programmes to support their learning. One child was well prepared and moved out of the home into a property nearby. The child’s worries about being alone were reduced in knowing they could reach out to the staff if they need help. The child secured employment including working with the provider to deliver induction training successfully for new staff. Inspection report for children’s home: 2502176 4 Children have attractive, curated memory books. Where children require different methods of communication, their books have social stories to assist them in understanding the photographs.

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

Staff understand children’s risks well, and comprehensive, regularly reviewed risk assessments are available for staff to follow. The manager arranges training from specialist services regarding complex behaviours and risks. Staff maintain positive links with services to inform their work with the children. All children have made some progress in reducing their risks.

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

When children go missing from home, staff respond effectively to help them return safely. The children have individualised missing-from-home plans in line with their age and development. Staff use these to inform their response. Staff’s insight into the children’s needs helps them to analyse children’s behaviour and the reasons that lead to them going missing. The staff work with professionals to safeguard children when needed. The manager requests strategy meetings and interventions when concerns escalate, and children access the services they need to help them be safer.

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

Staff record incidents clearly and they are signed off by managers. The manager seeks to understand the context of the incident for the child. Staff rarely need to hold children. When they do, management oversight is timely and informative. Children’s risk assessments consider the effect of past trauma and guide staff effectively. As a result, physical intervention is rare. However, the duration of physical interventions is not always clear from the recording, limiting the completeness of any analysis.

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

The manager ensures that medication is safely stored, that all staff are trained and daily medication checks are complete. When a child receives medication, the effectiveness of this is reviewed with the prescriber and changed if a more structured approach may be more effective.

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

Children develop an age-appropriate understanding of online risks and are helped to stay safe online. One child has been helped to understand why they cannot watch certain content. Another child is completing the provider’s online safety e-learning module for staff, to further develop their awareness of the dangers of the internet.

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

Staff have discussions with children in response to them misusing substances. Staff talk about the risks and impact of substance misuse and offer support from specialist services regularly. Staff have received training to improve their knowledge around current forms of drugs misuse. The relationships staff have with the children help children understand that staff’s concerns come from a place of care. Children understand the risks and feel confident that they can come to staff for advice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2502176 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is led by a committed and inspirational leadership team that goes above and beyond to provide children with opportunities. Managers are found to be approachable and always available to listen and support staff who are overwhelmingly positive about the support they receive. Staff are trained and supported by managers to undertake their roles effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager clearly understands the team’s strengths and areas for development. She aspires for the children to make continuous progress and for staff to be able to grow and progress in their careers. She is committed to delivering the provider’s model of care and uses it with the staff team and the children effectively, creating a feeling of emotional safety for everyone in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager seeks support and guidance from specialist services and has fostered helpful links with the local community, attending the local partnership meeting and arranging for a parish councillor to judge the home’s scarecrow competition. The provider’s leaders have created a sense of community across their homes, bringing the children together for fun activities, including sports days and celebrations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has a firm grip on all aspects of the home with an extensive suite of auditing tools to support this. She is curious and analyses trends over time to inform practice. Monthly audits inform an action plan that is monitored and updated throughout the month. When needed, leaders and managers advocate strongly on behalf of children, challenging decision-making and raising concerns appropriately.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Practice-related supervisions are well structured and supportive to staff. Staff complete a pre-supervision document that supports their reflections during the supervision session. All the children are discussed in every supervision. Staff well-being is equally considered. Appraisals of staff’s practice are undertaken away from the home to facilitate engagement with the task.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers ensure that new staff receive a comprehensive induction. Some staff commented that they have never felt so confident starting a new job. Former residents join the induction to provide a child’s perspective on the role and to give the new staff some ‘top tips.’ The provider has developed a leadership and management programme for managers and deputy managers to support their development as leaders. These highly supportive processes are helping managers and staff to perform well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff have access to a wide range of training and development opportunities throughout their employment with the provider. Staff access additional training on request to support the changing needs of the children. ‘Learning lunches’ happen every month and focus on translating theory into practice for an identified topic. Additional training in communication has been sought for the team to support one child, and external professionals attend team meetings as a result. Inspection report for children’s home: 2502176 6

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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

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement; and

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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)(vi)(viii)) 31 January 2026

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that any restraint is in place for no longer than is necessary to manage the immediate risk. In particular, that the manager has access to all the information required to make an assessment regarding the duration of the restraint. (‘Guide to The Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 48, paragraph 9.52)

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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 Inspection report for children’s home: 2502176 7 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: 2502176 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 20 Oakwood Gardens, Gateshead, Durham NE11 0DD

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Inspector

Kirstie Sutherland, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2502176 9 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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