Children's Home run by North Tyneside Council in North Tyneside

Inspection report for children’s home: 2682261 1 Registered provider: North Tyneside Council

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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 one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Since the last full inspection, 4 children have lived at the home. At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home. The child was spoken with during the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2022.

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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: 2682261 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/06/2025 Full Good 20/05/2024 Full Good 24/04/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2682261 3

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Summary of findings

Children have consistent care from a skilled and committed staff team. Steady relationships help children to make progress, including one child returning to their family successfully. Education is well supported, with individualised plans when children’s school attendance is limited. Children’s health needs are understood, and children receive appropriate guidance.

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Summary of findings

Behaviour is managed positively, and children are supported to understand their emotions. Missing-from-home incidents are rare. One child experienced significant unrest, which challenged the staff. Generally, this was managed well, but there were some gaps in safety planning, recording, and oversight.

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Summary of findings

Children moving to and from the home is managed well, but more consideration needs to be given to the needs of the new child alongside the need of the children who live close by in the provider’s sister home. Multi-agency relationships are strong. Staff are well trained, reflective, and invested in children’s wellbeing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Stability is achieved for children, who usually stay for a long time. When children do move on, there are reasons for this. For example, one child returned to hospital due to their health needs, and another child moved to the provider’s sister home close by, where they could benefit from more social interaction with other children. These decisions are made with the children’s best interests at the centre.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff invest time in getting to know children well. Over time, secure and trusting relationships are formed, which help children to make progress. One child’s progress has enabled them to successfully return home to their family. This is a significant achievement for the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand their responsibility to support children’s education. Where children do not have a school place or attend on a part-time basis, structured educational activities are offered throughout the day. Alternative plans are tailored to children’s interests and future aspirations. One child expressed a keen interest in farming. Staff actively looked for ways to include this in their daily learning. Another child had a personalised daily plan. Staff advocate for children to return to formal education as soon as possible.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are generally in good physical health and have their health needs met. Where there are concerns, such as substance misuse, staff work with children to help them understand the long-term risks and consequences. Support is offered consistently, and staff encourage children to make safer and healthier choices. Inspection report for children’s home: 2682261 4 Positive relationships with children’s families are developed wherever possible. For example, one child’s mother was able to visit in person when the child was unwell. This provided the child with comfort and reassured them that the staff and their family are working together.

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

The staff promote positive behaviour well. Children understand what is expected of them. Staff use their positive relationships to guide, encourage and challenge behaviour appropriately. Staff are skilled in strategies to help children. Their consistent approach prevents most situations from escalating, meaning that children are rarely restrained or guided for their safety. When this kind of intervention is required, staff use approved techniques safely and only when necessary.

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

Children benefit from staff who help them to make sense of their emotions. Through planned and everyday conversations, staff encourage children to reflect on their feelings and the effect of their actions. One child made particularly good progress, developing insight into both their own emotions and those of others, which is an important milestone for them.

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

Incidents of children going missing from home are rare. When they do occur, staff respond quickly and follow clear procedures to find children and return them safely to the home. This lessens the risk of harm they may be exposed to.

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

Staff work hard to support children during times of crisis. This was seen for one child whose risks increased significantly after moving into the home. Staff acted to adjust plans and increase support, although the child remained unsettle and struggled emotionally during their brief stay. Despite staff’s best efforts, there were some missed opportunities to keep the child safe, and they were able to find and take items to hurt themself with. Additionally, gaps in recording made it difficult to gain a full picture of what was happening for the child in the moment. These gaps were not addressed through management monitoring and oversight.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager knows the children well. She understands what progress each child has made and the challenges they have faced. Where things have not gone according to plan, the manager has been able to reflect on them with leaders. Important learning has come from this and will be used to improve how future children are considered before they move to the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Moves into and out of the home are well planned and take place over a time that reflects each child’s individual needs. One child moved out gradually over several months. Another child, who was unable to visit the home beforehand, was supported through 3 introductory visits from staff prior to moving in. This approach helps children to begin building important relationships before they arrive. However, the initial assessment done Inspection report for children’s home: 2682261 5 before a child moves into the home needs to be broader to consider the children at the sister home next door.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a stable staff team who provide consistent care to the children. This stability helps children to feel secure and ensures that they always know who will be supporting them. Staff describe strong relationships with one another and a shared commitment to the children. This teamwork has been seen during more challenging periods, when staff have relied on each other and on management for guidance and emotional support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff work collaboratively with external agencies and multi-agency professionals. Children are provided a wide range of support based on their individual needs. When children choose not to engage, staff ensure that all possible avenues are explored so that children have access to the support available. Feedback from professionals about the staff is consistently positive, with many expressing confidence that children are well cared for.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff development is an important part of the team’s culture. Staff are invested in their roles and take pride in their learning. Training and development opportunities are wide-ranging and well utilised, ensuring that staff have the skills and up-to-date knowledge needed to meet children’s needs effectively. Inspection report for children’s home: 2682261 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 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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)) 18 July 2026

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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

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

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Recommendation

 The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs, and where they have fully considered the effect that the placement will have on all children who live close by. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 56, paragraph 11.4) Inspection report for children’s home: 2682261 7

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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: 2682261 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: North Tyneside Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2a-2b The Silverlink North, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE27 0BY

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Jacqueline Ingram

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Inspector

Miriam Dolman, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2682261 9 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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