Children's Home run by Sunbridge Childcare Ltd in North Tyneside

Inspection report for children’s home: 2638322 1 Registered provider: Sunbridge Childcare Ltd

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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 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

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 4 children were living in the home. One of the children was 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

Date of last inspection: 27 October 2025

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2638322 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/10/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 04/02/2025 Full Good 07/02/2024 Full Good 14/06/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2638322 3

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Summary of findings

Children experience warm, trusting relationships with staff who know them well and advocate strongly for their needs. Education engagement, emotional support and positive behaviour are consistently promoted, and children benefit from opportunities to develop their independence skills.

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Summary of findings

Incidents are managed well and missing ‑ from ‑ home incidents have reduced due to coordinated, timely responses by staff.

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Summary of findings

The manager provides strong, nurturing leadership, creating a culture where children feel valued and achievements are celebrated. Despite recent staffing changes, staff work collaboratively, providing children with stability and consistency. Children are happy, settled and well cared for.

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Summary of findings

There are some areas of development. Staff do not always write about the children’s experiences using child-friendly language. Staff have regular practice-related supervision, but supervision sessions are not reflective to help them further develop their practice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from consistently warm, trusting relationships with staff. These relationships have formed quickly despite recent changes in the staff team. Staff have placed strong emphasis on building secure relationships so that children feel safe and settled. As a result, children have continued to make positive progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Three of the 4 children have established education arrangements. Two children are settled and making good progress. One child is being supported to return to education for the first time in 2 years, a significant step forward for them. Although one child remains reluctant to re-engage in formal education, staff are helping the child to develop independence and life skills. Essential everyday routines are being used to build the child’s confidence and self ‑ care skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide support for children’s health needs. Concerns around vaping and substance misuse have been addressed through ongoing guidance. Staff help children understand the long ‑ term effect of these behaviours and are planning to work with external specialist agencies to improve their knowledge in this area. Although children are not yet engaging with these services, staff continue to build the foundations for future involvement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A recent admission to the home was well planned and sensitively managed. The child was given opportunities to visit and stay overnight beforehand. This preparation helped reduce anxiety around the move. While some settling ‑ in challenges remain, staff are Inspection report for children’s home: 2638322 4 working closely with the local authority to ensure that the child continues to feel supported and safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a wide range of positive and meaningful experiences. These include days out, shared activities across the providers homes, and monthly achievement letters written in a warm, child ‑ friendly style. Daily records capture children’s experiences; however, the quality of recording is inconsistent. Some entries lack the same child ‑ centred tone seen elsewhere. This is an area for development to ensure that all written records reflect the nurturing practice.

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

Incidents have reduced in the home. This has been achieved through children receiving consistent emotional support. Staff help children to recognise, name, and understand their feelings, as seen in the work with one child to identify emotions in the moment. Staff respond sensitively during times of distress and use clear boundaries to help children understand safe and acceptable ways to express themselves.

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

Missing-from-home episodes by children have also reduced since the last inspection. When children do go missing, staff follow clear, coordinated procedures. Staff understand their responsibilities, acting quickly to find children, and work with other agencies to ensure that children return home safely and with minimal harm.

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

Staff have a good understanding of the individual risks and challenges children face and act when issues arise. For example, staff responded effectively to one child’s misuse of substances, ensuring their safety while helping them understand the effects of their choices. Staff also support children to take positive, age ‑ appropriate risks that build confidence and independence, such as walking to school and spending time with friends in the community.

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

Children know how to complain and are comfortable doing so. Concerns raised by children are taken seriously and acted on. Complaints are responded to promptly and appropriately, helping children feel listened to and respected.

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

Positive behaviour is consistently promoted. Staff regularly talk with children about rules, expectations, and boundaries. Children are encouraged through incentives and rewards, and consequences are used fairly when needed. When children struggle, staff use de ‑ escalation, distraction, and diversion techniques, which are effective in most situations. When behaviour escalates, staff are skilled and experienced in managing challenging incidents safely and calmly.

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

The front door chimes are in use to monitor comings and goings in the home. However, their use is not reflected in any of the plans, despite the impact on children’s privacy. there is currently no review mechanism to consider if their continued use is necessary. Inspection report for children’s home: 2638322 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager provides strong, child ‑ centred leadership. She knows the children and staff well and has created a culture where children experience warm and nurturing care. Children feel valued and small achievements are recognised. This helps children to build their confidence and sense of belonging.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff advocate for children, ensuring that plans remain appropriate and reflect children’s wishes and feelings. For example, when a child initially expressed a desire to move to supported accommodation but later changed their mind, the manager ensured that this was communicated clearly to the wider multi ‑ agency network, including the child’s independent reviewing officer. This resulted in an agreed plan for the child to remain in the home for a longer period, supporting their stability.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team has experienced a period of significant change, with several staff leaving and new staff joining. Despite this, staff have been quick to develop positive working relationships. Staff report that they have gelled well as a team, which provides children with the consistency they need.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff work collaboratively with external professionals. Feedback from professionals is positive, and they describe children as happy, settled and well cared for. They value the quality of care and how the home is managed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff and managers benefit from a range of support mechanisms, including training, practice-related supervision sessions and team meetings. Bespoke training has improved staff’s understanding of children’s behaviour and emotional responses. While supervision sessions take place regularly, they are not yet reflective. This is an area for development to further enhance staff’s learning and practice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2638322 6

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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 within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised. (Regulation 21 (c)(iii)) 30 June 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that information about the child is always recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that practice-related supervision sessions enable staff to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.15)

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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: 2638322 7

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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, Tyne and Wear NE29 7ST

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Inspector

Miriam Dolman, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2638322 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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