Children's Home run by Newcastle City Council in Newcastle upon Tyne

Inspection report for children’s home: 2822617 1 Registered provider: Newcastle City Council

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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 operated by a local authority. Ofsted registered the home and manager in September 2025. The home provides care for up to 4 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Four children were living in the home at the time of this inspection, and 3 were spoken with.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2822617 2

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improvement to be good

Children are making varying degrees of progress in the home. Some children have made positive progress from their starting points by returning to education. Others continue to face significant challenges, meaning high levels of absence. This has led to one family member raising concerns over their child’s limited progress. However, the home continues to identify appropriate learning for children and work alongside education providers.

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improvement to be good

Routines for children are inconsistent. One child is spending long periods in their room and not sleeping during the night. Some children leave the home to go for a walk during the early hours. This increases the risks to children’s safety and wellbeing. Some children have difficulties engaging with staff and can present as being withdrawn. This leads to them spending long periods without structure.

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improvement to be good

Incentive plans are in place for children to support them in making positive choices. Current plans have shown mixed successes, with some children adapting, while others have continued to exhibit persistent resistance. This includes health risks with children vaping in the home and suitable hygiene and cleanliness in children’s bedrooms. This means the current strategies in place for children are ineffective in supporting staff in meeting children’s individual needs.

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improvement to be good

The home has established a process for children who are moving towards independence by linking in with partner agencies. The effectiveness of these arrangements is inconsistent, with some children being unprepared for the practical and emotional demands of independent living. One family member said, ‘I am worried about the future for my child. They are not ready for independence, and I don’t know what will happen.’

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improvement to be good

The home offers a spacious and homely feel, with photos of children and staff throughout. Children benefit from a variety of communal areas, including a games room, lounges and a large kitchen diner. The children can also access an outdoor space. Children have their own en-suite bedrooms, which they are encouraged to personalise. While the communal areas of the home are well maintained, some children’s bedrooms are unclean and untidy. This falls short of expected standards for maintaining a safe and well ‑ organised space for children.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children with activities both inside and outside the home. While some children are more likely to engage in activities, staff remain consistent in offering these for children’s benefit. This includes horse riding, quad biking and football. This provides children with new experiences and opportunities to develop new interests. Inspection report for children’s home: 2822617 3 When children raise complaints or allegations, these are taken seriously by leaders and staff. All matters are investigated. Children are provided with an outcome by the manager, which helps children to feel listened to.

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improvement to be good

Some children go missing from the home. When this occurs, staff usually follow the child’s plan and missing-from-home procedures. However, on one occasion, a child left the home during the early hours of the morning, and this was not recorded as a missing- from-home incident. The manager of the home was not aware this incident had occurred because of poor management oversight. Furthermore, the child’s records do not provide a true reflection of the child’s risks, leading to gaps in staff’s understanding of the child’s needs.

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improvement to be good

Children are practically supported by staff to manage big feelings. Staff use proportionate holds effectively as a last resort to prevent harm to children and others. However, there are shortfalls in staff engaging in purposeful and educational discussions with children after incidents. The lack of timely reflection limits children’s ability to understand boundaries and the consequences of their actions. As a result, children lack the support required to develop alternative strategies for managing these situations effectively.

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improvement to be good

While some children in the home have made progress in reducing substance misuse, there has been an increase for others. This has resulted in some children’s risks increasing in other areas, including exploitation. Furthermore, some children have been known to misuse substances in the home, which has led to concerns about children sharing substances with their peers. Staff refer children to partner agencies and offer educational work to support their understanding of substance misuse and its impact. However, staff have been ineffective in raising concerns for children’s health and wellbeing appropriately. A family member raised concerns about the safety of their child.

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improvement to be good

When children display self-injurious behaviours, staff intervene with prompt support. This includes providing medical help and emotional support. Incidents are well recorded to ensure the staff team has up-to-date and current information.

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improvement to be good

Children have individualised risk assessments and safety plans. Care plans are written directly to the child using child-friendly language. Children also have positive behaviour support plans, which guide staff in knowing how to meet the needs of children and manage risks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Disruptions to the staff team, including vacancies and multiple departures, have affected the staff’s ability to provide a stable environment for children. This has negatively impinged children’s ability to develop trusting relationships with staff. The reliance on Inspection report for children’s home: 2822617 4 staff from other homes to meet gaps in the rota has also been detrimental to the continuity of care. One family member said that staff advised they cannot provide an update on their child as they do not work regularly in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Children’s records do not contain essential, up-to-date information from the local authority. This prevents staff from accurately assessing the risks and needs of children. While the manager has attempted in some instances to resolve the issue, some children have no current information on their records.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager leads a collaborative and inclusive culture, seeking input from staff to develop positive practice in the home. Changes are being embedded to support children, including a shift from punitive approaches to more restorative work. Despite encountering some pushback from the staff team, the manager is working towards the ethos of the home, which aims to deliver therapeutic care to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff and leaders have established positive working relationships with partner agencies. The manager works closely with professionals to advocate on behalf of children to support their individual needs. This has included referrals to specialist services and working with dedicated teams in the local authority.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager supports the staff team through regular supervision sessions that are reflective and meaningful. This helps the manager to identify strengths and areas for development in staff practice. Staff say they appreciate and benefit from these sessions. Inspection report for children’s home: 2822617 5

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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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; and

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2) (a)(iii)(vi)) 2 April 2026

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(e)) 2 April 2026

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; and

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. 2 April 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2822617 6 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult; and

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iv)(v)(vi)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; and

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)) 2 April 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: 2822617 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Newcastle City Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Civic Centre, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne NE1 8QH

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Inspector

Kerry Chater, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2822617 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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