Children's Home run by ACG Support LTD in Newcastle upon Tyne

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2818079 1 Registered provider: ACG Support LTD

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private company operates this home. It provides care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection three children lived in the home and two were spoken with during the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since August 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At these inspections, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2818079 2

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Findings from the inspection

We identified the following widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection:

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Findings from the inspection

The home has been without a registered manager since August 2025. Interim arrangements have not ensured consistency of management oversight. Staff have not always followed appropriate processes and procedures.

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Findings from the inspection

The home environment is not warm and welcoming for all children. Some areas are no longer homely and need cleaning. Children’s bedrooms are not all personalised and children do not routinely have access to their belongings without staff assistance.

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Findings from the inspection

Children have mixed experiences of arriving at and leaving the home. Managers do not consistently ensure that sufficient planning is in place for children’s moves in and out. When the manager admitted a child in an emergency, there were delays in staff action to ensure that the child felt welcomed and at home.

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Findings from the inspection

Children are not all engaged in education. Staff do not consistently provide a structure or routine to support children who are out of education. This does not help prepare children for their day or to return to education.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff do not always effectively protect children. They do not consistently follow missing from home procedures or help children to identify risks and develop the skills to stay safe. While risks relating to substance misuse have reduced for some children, there is no structured and effective approach to reduce the risk of exploitation for them.

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Findings from the inspection

Care plans do not reflect thought out planning for all children. The manager has introduced new care plans; however, they do not include important health information. Furthermore, staff do not follow the process to show they have read and understood all children's plans.

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Findings from the inspection

Managers have a plan of improvement. A schedule of decorating has started, and new processes have been put in place to help the manager to monitor the quality of children’s care. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2818079 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/06/2025 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2818079 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 within the given timescales.

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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

promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1) (2)(a)(b) (2)(a)(e)(f)(g)(ii) (h)) 18 April 2026

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if 18 April 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2818079 5 necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(Vi)(Vii))

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally; and

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(ii)(iii)(v)(viii)) 18 April 2026

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. 18 April 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2818079 6 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)(2)(b)(iii)) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2818079 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 2-4 Protection House, Albion Road, North Shields, Tyne and Wear NE30 2RH

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Inspector

Lisa Gordon, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2818079 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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