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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2818079 1 Registered provider: ACG Support LTD Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care for up to 3 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered in January 2025. The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2026.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 3 children were living at the home and 2 children were spoken with during the inspection.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2818079 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/06/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2818079 3

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Summary of findings

Children are well cared for and develop positive relationships with staff. Staff support children to maintain good health. The new manager has introduced new routines and boundaries, and this has seen positive changes in children’s behaviour. Staff promote children’s rights and ensure that their voices are heard, but do not always meaningfully involve children in choices about how their home is decorated.

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Summary of findings

Staff work with other agencies to help keep children safe and reduce risks. Children’s trust in staff helps them to talk openly about their worries and concerns. Leadership and management of the home is effective. However, improvements to safer recruitment would be beneficial.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children develop positive relationships with staff. Children benefit from better and more consistent routines and boundaries, and this has resulted in more settled behaviour from children. Children understand expectations and develop trust in the staff as a result. When children have difficulties building relationships, staff adjust their approach to each child’s individual needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have important conversations with children about their health and if there are any concerns about substance misuse. Children are helped to understand the long-term effect this might have on their health. For one child, this has led to a reduction in substance misuse.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to either attend or have their wishes shared at care planning meetings. This helps them to have a say in their care plans and decisions that affect their lives. Staff understand children’s individual needs and advocate these to others. The moving-on plan for one child, who is due to move out of the home, is thorough and well thought-out. The child is being helped to work towards moving on positively from the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote children’s engagement in their education. When there are barriers to attendance, staff structure children’s daily routines to help prepare them to return to a school setting. Some children are at different stages of this as but have plans in place to support their return.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to personalise their bedrooms. However, children’s views and wishes are not always considered when decorating of the rest of the home. This prevents children from having a say in how their home looks. Inspection report for children’s home: 2818079 4

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

Children are effectively safeguarded because staff understand children’s individual risks and vulnerabilities. Risk assessments and behaviour support plans are clearly written and regularly reviewed. This ensures that staff have the right information to help them keep children safe.

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

Staff understand how to respond when children go missing from the home. Staff work effectively with social care professionals to understand reasons children go missing. This joint working helped to develop preventative strategies. As a result, missing from home incidents have reduced.

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

Staff have caring conversations with children about important matters in the children’s lives and approach these matters with empathy and understanding. This helps children to talk about their worries. Children are helped to understand their emotions and learn to manage their emotional responses more safely.

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

When staff identify bullying concerns, they work with children to help them understand differences in others. Children are supported to understand the effect of their behaviour can have on others. This leads to improved relationships between the children.

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

Managers ensure that safer recruitment checks are completed. However, the working history for one member of staff has not been fully checked or verified. This prevents the manager from having all the appropriate information to assess a staff member’s suitability to work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a good understanding of the team’s strengths and areas for development. She has identified necessary improvements required in staff practice and children’s care planning since commencing in her role. These improvements have had a positive effect on both children and staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has improved the frequency and quality of practice-related supervision sessions. Staff now receive these regularly and allow them to reflect on their practice. Staff say they feel well supported by the manager and hold her in high regard.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has high expectations of the team. When she identifies shortfalls in practice, she responds quickly and supports staff to understand their responsibilities in relation to the safe care of children. This helps staff to be effective in their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has made improvements to the induction and training of staff. Furthermore, regular team meetings are used to explore and consolidate staff understanding of their roles and responsibilities. The manager uses these meetings as a forum to share quality assurance findings and agree consistent approaches to meeting children’s needs. Inspection report for children’s home: 2818079 5 The manager has developed positive relationships with external professionals. Professional feedback about the quality of care provided and positive communication with staff is consistent. The manager confidently challenges professionals when she identifies shortfalls in any responses to children’s needs. Inspection report for children’s home: 2818079 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children are consulted regularly on their views about the home. Children should be able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted upon. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11)  The registered person should ensure that recruitment of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks for them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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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: 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

Mark Cryer, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2818079 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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