Children's home run by Sunbridge Childcare Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2837023 1 Registered provider: Sunbridge Childcare Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in September 2025 and is privately operated. It provides care for up to 4 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 4 children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2025.

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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

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2837023 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The inspector spoke with all 4 children as part of the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children have settled in well. They have told professionals that they are happy, they feel safe and that they can talk to staff comfortably.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Professionals have unanimously stated that the children are benefitting from the care they are receiving and from the stability that the staff provide. One professional said, ‘I observed good relationships. The staff have been great; there is no pressure on the children. They are encouraged to engage in individual activities.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children moved into the home at the same time, at short notice due to the urgency of their circumstances. Staff ensured that children were well supported and helped them settle quickly despite the limited time they had to adjust to their new surroundings. Children were encouraged to have some ownership of the home by choosing their bedrooms and decor. This helped them feel welcome and wanted.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children enjoy many fun activities; some are individual to each child, and some are organised as a group. All the children have memory books that document their enjoyable experiences, which also include celebration cards from family members that the children will be able to treasure.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children have excellent school attendance, which has improved significantly since being at this home. A member of staff from their school said, ‘Staff have endeavoured to make sure that the children are supported to be fully inclusive members of our school.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children’s health needs are being met. Staff help children attend health appointments, and children are up to date with universal screening and immunisations.

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

Children say they feel safe. They all have individual risk assessments and care plans. The manager and staff are aware of how the children’s previous experiences may have affected them and ensure that plans align to meet their specific needs.

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

Regular therapeutic conversations take place between children and staff to help children explore their emotions, how they might be feeling and why. This is helping the children develop strategies for coping with difficult emotions.

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

There have been no incidents of the children going missing from home, but the staff know how to respond to such incidents, and protocols are in place for them to follow. Furthermore, physical interventions are rarely used. When they have been needed, staff Inspection report for children’s home: 2837023 3 have used them appropriately to guide children away from each other during times of frustration or disagreement to keep everyone safe.

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

Bedroom door alarms are used at night to monitor children’s movement and prevent them from going into each other’s bedrooms. The use of alarms is reviewed regularly, and they are used alongside staff supporting the children to develop healthy sleep routines as they continue to settle. However, the need for door alarms is not mentioned in the children’s plans.

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

Consequences given to the children have not always been appropriate, timely or restorative. Furthermore, consequences are not always clearly linked to behaviours. The manager and staff recognise this and are working together to improve their understanding about how to use consequences appropriately, so children are helped to learn from their actions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

This is a new home with a new staff team. The staff have gelled well during the short time they have been together, and all speak highly of the support they have received from managers. One staff member said, ‘We have a really good team. It’s supportive and nurturing; it feels like home. Everyone has the children’s best interests at heart. The management team are on hand and available.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is dedicated to making the home as welcoming as possible for the children and has high aspirations for what children can achieve. The manager has a clear understanding of the needs of the children and provides effective leadership to staff, consequently helping staff to develop in their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Practice-related supervision sessions are thorough and reflective. Staff find their supervision very supportive. They can discuss their views honestly, which encourages an open culture.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a system for monitoring all aspects of the home monthly. The quality of the manager’s monitoring is scrutinised by the responsible individual, who reviews the findings and any actions taken. This additional layer of oversight ensures that the management team has insight into what is happening for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager supports staff in producing child-focused documentation that describes the children’s experiences. He has provided examples to staff of how to write in a way that children will find meaningful. However, this is a work in progress. There are examples of unhelpful language on the children’s records. Inspection report for children’s home: 2837023 4

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that bedroom door alarms are only used for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children when necessary and are agreed with by the child’s placing authority. The use of door alarms should be recorded in children’s care plans and be kept under review to assess whether they continue to be necessary and proportionate. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that any consequences used to address poor behaviour are 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. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)  The registered person should ensure that staff record information about individual

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Recommendations

children in a non-stigmatising way. This specifically relates to ensuring that children’s records are written in a kind and caring manner. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 2837023 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sunbridge Childcare Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 3 Hedley Court, North Shields NE29 7ST

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Inspector

Karen Karlsson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2837023 6 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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