Children's home run by North East Specialist Therapeutic Services CIC

Inspection report for children’s home: 1278217 1 Registered provider: North East Specialist Therapeutic Services CIC

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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 owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, two children were living at the home. The inspectors spoke with both children.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 2018.

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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: 22 October 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: 1278217 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/10/2024 Full Good 05/09/2023 Full Good 24/10/2022 Full Good 17/02/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: 1278217 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Both children, who are different ages and at different stages of their development, are making good progress and have good experiences of living in the home. They both attend an educational setting and are doing well, and they are also making friendships and developing their social networks. Both children enjoy their time with their families, which is supported by staff. One child is developing their independence skills in advance of moving on from the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to move in and out of the home effectively. They make the necessary preparations for children. This includes visits, having tea and sleepovers, all before admission. Children can take things slowly and do not feel rushed into making the final move. One child, who moved into the home from one of the provider’s other homes, was able to bring her key workers. This provided the child with continuity of support. For another child, staff supported them to create videos and online content to celebrate their moving into the home. The child was proud of this video and has kept it to show others.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to keep healthy and well, with an active lifestyle and balanced diet. Staff work effectively with health professionals. When one child attended hospital on several occasions, staff accompanied the child and stayed to offer support and reassurance. Staff have created detailed support plans to strengthen their responses to identified needs. Children with specific needs receive individualised support, building their confidence and enabling them to respond effectively.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff use a range of forums to gather the views of children effectively. These include key- work sessions and children’s meetings. One child said that they find the meetings helpful, as they sit around the dinner table and chat about the home. This approach empowers children to share their views and enables them to shape the care that they receive in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are prepared for independence effectively. Work completed includes self-care, daily tasks, finances and driving lessons. Children are supported to make friendships and engage in their education, increasing their wider support networks. One child said that they feel well prepared to move on but, for now, wish to stay in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders and managers welcome the children’s views and will use this to influence how the home is run. Managers facilitate formal advocacy support for children. An allocated independent advocate visits the home monthly and is currently completing specific work with the children. This work ensures that children’s views are given prominence and that they can effectively contribute to their care. Inspection report for children’s home: 1278217 4 One child’s bedroom is monitored without any appropriate reason. The risk assessment relates to sexual exploitation and leaving the home, but these are not current risks for the child. An alarm sounds in the staff bedroom each time the child leaves their bedroom and goes to the bathroom. The alarm was introduced to reduce a potential risk of children entering each other’s bedrooms when a previous child was in the home, and this has not been reviewed. The alarm is intrusive for the child and does not reflect a family

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

The home is a safe environment for the children to live in. Children’s safety is supported by the positive relationships they have with staff. Children do not go missing from home, and there are no concerns regarding bullying. Where some other risks have emerged, staff show awareness and understand the children’s support plans.

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

Key-work sessions with the children take place regularly. These link directly to known risks, including online harm and potential risk in the children’s family networks. Children respond well to these sessions and show good insight into their own risks and ways to manage this.

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

Staff understand children’s previous experiences and how this can manifest into behaviour. Staff use weekly reflection sessions to understand those behaviours and how to support their needs. Staff handovers allow additional reflection and understanding of children’s experiences. This supports the staff to continually share learning across the team.

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

Children are familiar with their individual routines and boundaries in the home. Staff talk to children to help them understand their emotions. This includes discussion on acceptable behaviour and the impact their actions can have on others. Children respond well and can show empathy for their peers. As a result, there is very little significant conflict in the home, with no need for physical interventions.

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

Leaders and managers complete effective, safer recruitment practices. Checks that are completed ensure that only those people who are suitable to work with children do so.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers are ambitious and aspirational regarding children living in the home. This ambition translates into planning for the children, resulting in positive progress. Managers know the children well and liaise with staff and other professionals to drive progress. One child has attended summer school and is steadily building her friendship network. The other child is embracing college studies and beginning to consider their options for when they move on.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers have excellent oversight of the home. The registered manager uses information from the daily shift recordings to complete her weekly reports. The Inspection report for children’s home: 1278217 5 responsible individual gives feedback and offers additional oversight to the manager’s observations. This then provides oversight for the manager’s monthly audits of the home. As a result, issues are addressed quickly, and actions are rarely carried over from one month to the next.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers take action to address staff turnover and ensure that there is continuity of care for children. This includes the introduction of a career advancement programme, allowing junior staff to progress to more senior roles. This has been successful in identifying potential leaders and motivating them to remain employed in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Regular staff team meetings take place, which are well attended and consider a range of relevant subjects. Similarly, regular training and development sessions are arranged for staff. The home’s clinical consultants also deliver fortnightly training as part of their work with the staff team. The sessions use research-based practice to explore individual aspects of the home’s ethos and model of care, using reflective discussions to link their work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff receive regular supervision sessions of their practice. Staff can reflect on their work with children and share ideas on how to improve their care. Staff are encouraged to develop professionally and are supported to manage personal issues that they may have. Staff say that they feel supported by managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers challenge other agencies when needed. This includes challenging family time, which resulted in changes to children’s plans. These changes have been beneficial to children in terms of their safety and emotional needs. Inspection report for children’s home: 1278217 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 registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

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Requirement Due date

the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance;

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Requirement Due date

so far as reasonably practicable in the light of the child’s age and understanding, the child is informed in advance of the intention to do the monitoring or surveillance; and

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d)) 1 January 2026

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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: 1278217 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: North East Specialist Therapeutic Services CIC

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 34 Westbourne Road, Hartlepool TS25 5RE

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Jason Darbyshire

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Inspectors

Jon Collins, Social Care Inspector (Lead) Lee Riley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1278217 8 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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