Children's Home run by HMO NE Ltd in North Tyneside

Inspection report for children’s home: 2676045 1 Registered provider: HMO NE Ltd 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 private provider. It offers care for up to 4 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties or have learning disabilities and sensory impairment.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 3 children were living at the home. The inspector spoke with one child.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2022.

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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: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2676045 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/05/2025 Full Good 29/04/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 06/11/2023 Full Good 30/01/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2676045 3

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Summary of findings

Most children in the home are making progress from their individual starting points. However, not all children who have resided in the home have made progress. Similarly, not all children are helped to prepare for their moves from the home in planned ways, with some children moving on from the home with immediate effect. At times, staff have not been able to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all the children, and some children have been significantly affected by other children’s behaviours. This has resulted in a significant increase in serious incidents and behaviours for children in the home. Overall, the care the children receive requires improvement to be good.

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improvement to be good

Most children living in the home currently are making some progress. However, other children who have moved on from the home have not made progress and have had to move in emergency and crisis situations. Children witnessing increased incidents in the home has had a detrimental impact on them and has led to some children saying that they have not felt safe.

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improvement to be good

The home is sparse in decoration. Some areas, including the garden and communal areas downstairs, require maintenance to ensure that they are safe and meet children’s needs. The communal areas are not reflective of a family home environment that is welcoming for the children to spend their time in.

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improvement to be good

Some children spend most of their time in their bedrooms, not accessing education and employment. Staff encourage children to spend time with them. However, one child remains isolated in the home.

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improvement to be good

One child’s bedroom has video surveillance in place, and the child is approaching puberty. Staff do not regularly review this measure to ensure the child’s privacy and that it is used as a last resort. Furthermore, surveillance is not a recorded health need or supported by health professionals as being integral to the child’s plan.

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improvement to be good

The registered manager and staff ensure that children with complex health needs receive the specialist care and support they require. Children are making progress in their hygiene and receive support to increase independence. The registered manager and staff understand children’s needs and work hard to build positive relationships with them. Inspection report for children’s home: 2676045 4

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, there has been a significant increase in missing-from-home episodes, the use of physical intervention, police callouts and several changes in children living in the home. This has been unsettling for children who have lived in the home for longer periods, as they have witnessed these incidents, including police coming to their home. In recent weeks, following some children moving on from the home, there has been a more settled period for the children in the home.

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improvement to be good

Some challenges experienced in the home have affected children’s behaviours and feelings of safety. The registered manager and staff acknowledged the detrimental effect on the children and made the difficult decision to move children on from the home. However, not all children’s experience of moving on was positive, and this has had to be done in emergency and crisis situations.

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improvement to be good

Children have not always been safeguarded or had support in place from staff to feel safe in the home. On one occasion, a child’s safety was compromised when another child who was living in the home physically harmed them. Children have fractious relationships in the home, and several staff members have reported they believe the children are not always safe and that matching of children in the home has been ineffective.

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improvement to be good

There have been at least 2 occasions when serious incidents have not been notified to Ofsted, including incidents where children have been significantly affected. This prevents Ofsted from scrutinising information to ensure that children are safe.

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improvement to be good

When children make complaints, they do not always receive feedback or outcomes to help them understand what actions have been taken or that their complaints are taken seriously.

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improvement to be good

Physical interventions are used as a last resort, where appropriate, and are recorded clearly with management oversight and approval. When children go missing, staff actively search for them and know where they are likely to be. One professional said, ‘Staff follow the protocol to the letter.’

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

There are several ongoing investigations in relation to inappropriate and unprofessional behaviours of staff. When staff have been subject to serious allegations, the provider has not carried out internal investigations to ensure that staff members remain suitable to continue working in the home.

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

Mixed feedback has been received from staff, with a significant number of staff saying they do not feel the home consistently meets children’s needs. Additionally, some staff members say they do not feel supported by managers and leaders in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2676045 5 Staff receive regular, reflective supervision sessions. However, the registered manager has a significant gap in her recorded supervision sessions for over 6 months. This was during the most challenging period in the home.

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

There has been a high level of agency staff use, including 30 different workers. The registered manager acknowledges this is a high number and has prioritised increasing the core staff team to provide more consistency of care.

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

A parent provided positive feedback about the care their child received. However, the parent said they experienced inconsistent communication, which caused them to worry about their child when they could not get in contact with staff or the registered manager to assure themselves of their child’s safety and wellbeing.

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

When staff require specialist training to meet the individual health needs of a child, this is sourced and provided by the registered manager. She understands the skill sets of staff, with a focus on children with learning difficulties and disabilities, and this is reflected in the development plan for the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2676045 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 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

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

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to 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; 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)(b) (2)(c)(e)(f)(h)) 1 August 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

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (2)(c)(i)(ii)) 1 July 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— 1 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2676045 7 there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e))

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Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (a)(c)(iii)(iv)) 1 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home;

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character. (Regulation 31 (1) (2)(a) (3)(a)) 1 August 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they make suitable arrangements to manage, administer and dispose of medication. These are fundamentally the same sorts of arrangements as a good parent would make but are subject to additional safeguards. In particular, the manager should ensure that all staff are consistent with administering and recording medication in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.15)  The registered person should ensure that staff encourage children to express any concerns about their care or other matters as soon as they arise. Children must be able to raise issues or complaints with support and without fear of any adverse consequences. The registered person must ensure that children receive a written outcome of their complaint. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.13)

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Recommendations

Inspection report for children’s home: 2676045 8

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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: 2676045 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Hallgate House, 9 Grange Terrace, Sunderland SR2 7DF

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Inspector

Dawn McCluskey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2676045 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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