Children's Home run by North Yorkshire County Council in North Yorkshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC034235 1 SC034235 Registered provider: North Yorkshire County Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a local authority. It provides care for up to 6 children who may experience 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

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2019.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, the home was providing care for 5 children. Inspectors met with all five children.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC034235 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/07/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 10/07/2024 Full Good 20/06/2023 Full Good 02/08/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC034235 3

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Summary of findings

Managers do not ensure that staff have the skills to identify and respond to bullying behaviours among children. Managers fail to monitor trends and patterns in behaviours effectively to help all children make positive behavioural decisions. This means that children are not consistently safe.

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Summary of findings

The home appears worn and in need of some repair. The home requires better general maintenance, and certain areas restrict children’s access. This creates a more institutionalised feel to the home.

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Summary of findings

The manager and staff team are enthusiastic and committed to the children. Staff talk with empathy and warmth about the children and advocate on their behalf. Children have good relationships with staff and create positive memories of their experiences.

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improvement to be good

Children do not have access to all areas of their home. Children have en-suite bathroom facilities; however, communal toilets are locked. This means that children need staff support if they wish to use them. This does not reflect a warm and nurturing environment.

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improvement to be good

The fabric of the building is in poor condition, with long-standing damage to children’s bedrooms and communal areas. Children’s en-suite facilities are not cleaned consistently, and while there is a plan to redecorate, the focus remains on cosmetic repair rather than addressing the causes of repeated damage.

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improvement to be good

Children are making mixed progress in their education. Staff do not consistently ensure that children who are out of education receive structure and routine. This does not help prepare children for their day or for their return to education.

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improvement to be good

Staff recognise children’s strengths and help them focus on their achievements. Children have reward boxes they can access when they receive praise, experience challenging situations or celebrate progress. They also have memory books that provide a permanent record of their experiences.

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improvement to be good

Children enjoy a wide range of experiences. Staff ensure that children can maintain existing interests and encourage them to participate in new activities that they would not normally have access to. This helps children be more engaged in the world.

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improvement to be good

Children have access to specialist services, such as police and mental health consultants based in the home. They provide consultation for staff, children, families and other Inspection report for children’s home: SC034235 4 professional agencies. This collaborative approach helps provide tailored care for each child .

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improvement to be good

The day-to-day care of children does not consistently protect them from harm. There have been several instances of bullying behaviour among children. These have included children accessing staff keys and causing considerable damage to other children’s personal spaces, furniture and belongings. There have also been some incidents of verbal abuse and physical assaults among children. Managers and staff have failed to recognise this behaviour as bullying, meaning they have not challenged it effectively. This means that not all possible steps have been taken to prevent such behaviours from being repeated.

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improvement to be good

Staff regularly update children’s risk assessments and ensure that they are clear to understand. Staff also regularly review the children’s plans in response to any current information or risks. An overview of children’s previous experiences is included to support staff in understanding what helps children and what is likely to cause them distress. This contributes to children being supported in ways they find helpful.

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improvement to be good

Staff talk to children to help them make better decisions. Children who have previously experienced exploitation and regularly gone missing from home no longer experience these issues. Children’s substance misuse is also significantly reduced. Staff say that the on-site specialist therapeutic guidance helps them understand children’s trauma and its effect on their behaviour.

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

An enthusiastic and committed manager leads the home. Equally motivated deputies support her. However, management oversight of children’s care has not always been effective. Some patterns in behaviour, as well as shortfalls in recording them, have not been identified. Follow-up actions to address these behaviours and recording issues have therefore not always been taken.

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

The manager does not consistently notify Ofsted of serious incidents. This has included some significant behavioural incidents, some of which have required police assistance. This affects the regulator’s ability to have effective oversight of the home and risks to children.

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

Team meetings and staff supervision sessions take place regularly. Supervision sessions vary in quality and do not capture whether staff have had the opportunity to reflect on their practice. The manager does not have an efficient and effective process to monitor and review staff practice, which hinders staff’s development. Inspection report for children’s home: SC034235 5 Staff feel well supported by managers. They say managers have an open-door policy and that they feel confident in sharing their concerns. This provides staff with important emotional support and space to reflect and learn following challenging incidents.

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

The manager takes children’s allegations against staff seriously and carries out timely investigations. Children are informed of the outcome of investigations and receive support to understand the findings. Inspection report for children’s home: SC034235 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

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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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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. (Regulation 9 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)) 15 June 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 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; 15 June 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC034235 7 manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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)(i)(iii)(iv)(vi))

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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 staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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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)(a)(b) (2)(c)(f)(h)) 15 June 2026

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Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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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 intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and 15 June 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC034235 8 allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Recommendation

 The registered person should notify Ofsted and other relevant parties if one of the situations specified in regulation 40 (4)(a) to (d) occurs or if there is an incident they consider serious relating to the protection, safeguarding or welfare of a child living in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 14.10)

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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: SC034235 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: North Yorkshire County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: County Hall, Racecourse Lane, Northallerton DL7 8AD

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Inspectors

Lisa Gordon, Social Care Inspector (lead) Lee Riley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC034235 10 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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