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 visit, the home was providing care for 4 children. All 4 children were spoken with as part of the inspection process.

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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

On 9 December 2025, a monitoring visit was completed following a complaint received by Ofsted. The inspector found shortfalls in the relationships in the home, and a compliance notice was issued under Regulation 11, the positive relationships standard. This visit was carried out to look at the action taken to meet the steps in the compliance notice. Since the last monitoring visit, one child has moved out, and no children have moved into the home.

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This monitoring visit

Children now say that living in the home is usually good. One child described how ‘the good days are really good, but the bad days are really bad’. Children have recognised that the relationships between one another have improved. Staff are building trusting relationships with children through spending time together and engaging in meaningful conversations. Some children feel that staff would help them if they were worried. One child has spoken to staff about their concerns when spending time in the community.

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This monitoring visit

Staff are helping children to build relationships. Since the last monitoring visit, children are engaging in positive activities together and have a greater structure to Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC034189 2 their day. At the time of this visit, 2 children were on holiday together. The registered manager has worked with staff to help re-establish routines for the children in the home. One child has re-entered education on a part-time basis, and another child has told professionals how her sleep has improved.

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This monitoring visit

Communication with key agencies is effective. The registered manager has regular communication with social care teams and advocates for children in relation to their care plans. There is regular work taking place with the psychology services to help staff meet the needs of children. Psychologists have worked alongside staff to support children following some incidents in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Children in the home sometimes disagree. One child explained that when they had fallen out recently, they had apologised to another child, and their relationship has recovered. While staff are trying to help children navigate the difficult relationships, some children thought that staff’s actions were not always helpful during these times.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last monitoring visit there has been a shift in the risky behaviour presented. One child who was going missing from home frequently has not been missing for 3 weeks. There has been an increase in property damage and threatening behaviour in the home from children towards staff. Staff have not been effective in preventing incidents from occurring and, at times, have required police to support with behaviour management and to maintain safety in the home. Children have felt that ‘staff could do more’ when incidents happen in the home, particularly if they are the focus of negative behaviour from others.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have oversight of significant incidents. When the police were being called frequently, there was a review of the incidents, including consideration of the dynamics of the children at the time. Children were taken out of the home on staggered holidays. The aim of this was for children to be able to establish relationships with staff and to break the cycle of negative behaviour in the home. Since this time, there have been no police callouts, and there has been one significant incident.

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This monitoring visit

It is recognised that the changes made are in their infancy, and children have not lived together collectively since the holidays were implemented. This means the long-term impact of the actions taken has not yet been evaluated. There has been some progress made against the compliance notice.

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This monitoring visit

The compliance notice has not been met in its entirety and will be restated. 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(s) 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(s) 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

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust; and

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(viii)(xi)) 15 March 2026

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Requirement Due date

*This requirement is subject to 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)  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 monitoring visit Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC034189 5

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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 6

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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 7 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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