Children's Home run by North Yorkshire Council in North Yorkshire

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC034189 1 SC034189 Registered provider: North Yorkshire Council

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

This home is owned and managed by a local authority using the 'No Wrong Door' model.

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Information about this children's home

The home provides care for up to 6 children with social and emotional difficulties. The home can also care for a further 2 children in separate accommodation for up to 28 days.

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Information about this children's home

At the time of the inspection, the home was providing care for 5 children. During the inspection 4 children were spoken to.

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Information about this children's home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2025.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was completed following receipt of 2 complaints regarding the care and safety of children in the home. The complaint highlighted concerns in relation to how children's relationships are managed and the impact of children's behaviours on one another. There were concerns highlighted regarding the use of the police to support children's behaviour.

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This monitoring visit

Children say that living in the home feels 'crazy' and like they are 'piggy in the middle'. There are complex dynamics between the children that have resulted in one child being hit, children having eggs and cups thrown at their bedroom door and the police being called to manage behaviour on a further occasion. There has been damage to the property, which has occurred during incidents. Staff have been ineffective in preventing incidents from occurring.

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This monitoring visit

Staff and managers have worked with psychology services to try to understand the needs of the children and the approaches required to build empathy and restore Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC034189 2 relationships. Children have engaged in some meaningful conversations about bullying. However, the dynamics in the home remain problematic. Children's risk assessments do not fully detail the complexity of the relationships or offer clarity on how staff should work to promote these relationships.

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This monitoring visit

Children do not feel fully able to trust staff. The lack of trust stems from children not fully understanding how staff are managing relationships in the home. Children do not feel assured that their concerns have been listened to. Staff have taken appropriate action to safeguard children when concerns have been raised regarding relationships outside of the home. One child perceives the safeguarding actions negatively, which has impacted their relationships with staff.

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This monitoring visit

Physical intervention is used as a last resort to manage safety in the home. The use of physical intervention is well considered, with managers having oversight of its use. Children do not always receive debriefs regarding the use of physical intervention, and staff are not always debriefed following significant incidents.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have good oversight of incidents. Managers have responded to the need for additional support on evenings by adjusting rotas and shift patterns to meet the needs of the children.

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This monitoring visit

When children go missing from the home, there is a proactive response from staff. Staff look for children and contact the police appropriately. When children return to the home at night with the police, this can cause upset to other children. Some children do not feel that their welfare is considered when incidents occur elsewhere in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Staff and managers have worked with the psychology service to support an alternative approach from emergency services when working with children. This means that children receive a calmer, more-coordinated response in line with their needs and is demonstrative of positive advocacy.

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This monitoring visit

Communication with key agencies is strong. Social workers and education providers have highlighted how the staff know the children well and engage in regular meetings to progress the care of children. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC034189 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/04/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/05/2024 Full Good 12/12/2023 Full Good 07/11/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC034189 4

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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 with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child's behaviour, in accordance with the child's age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child's age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child's respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children; 25 January 2026 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC034189 5 understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; and

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi)(viii)(xi)(xii)(xiii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

*This requirement is the subject of a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should provide a nurturing environment that is welcoming for children. This includes ensuring that the home is decorated throughout to a good standard. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,' page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,' page 61, paragraph 13.2). This recommendation has been restated from the previous assurance inspection.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that any child who has been restrained is given the opportunity express their feelings about their experience of the restraint as soon as is practicable, ideally within 24 hours of the restraint incident, taking the age of the child and the circumstances of the restraint into account. A record that the child has talked about their feelings should be made no longer than 5 days after the incident of restraint ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,' page 50, paragraph 9.60)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should debrief staff following all significant incidents. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 55, paragraph 10.24) Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC034189 6

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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.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC034189 7

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Children's home details

Registered provider: North Yorkshire Council

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: County Hall, Racecourse Lane, Northallerton DL7 8AD

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Inspector

Ali Owens, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC034189 8 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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