Children's Home run by Durham County Council in Durham

Inspection report for children’s home: 2777607 1 Registered provider: Durham County 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 run by a local authority. It provides care for up to 2 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and manager registered with Ofsted in April 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

Two children were living at the home at the time of this inspection. The inspector spoke with both children.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2777607 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/10/2025 Full Outstanding 17/12/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2777607 3

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Summary of findings

Children receive excellent care from staff who know them well. Secure relationships allow children to speak openly about their worries. Staff support children to improve and maintain good health. Consistent routines and boundaries support children to make progress in all areas of their lives.

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Summary of findings

Safeguarding arrangements are effective and staff work proactively with other agencies to understand and reduce risks. Children feel safe and trust the adults caring for them. Staff promote children’s understanding of their emotions.

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Summary of findings

Management oversight is robust and consistent. Staff are encouraged to develop their skills and are proud of their achievements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children have lived at the home for nearly 2 years and are thriving. Staff know the children and their needs exceptionally well. Children’s plans are detailed and reviewed regularly by the team. Staff maintain strong routines and structures, which help children to feel secure and build trust in staff. Children openly share their concerns and any worries with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff promote children having the right education placements and work well with professionals to understand children’s behaviours. Children’s attendance at school is excellent. Education professionals said that staff interventions help children to make progress in their learning. One education professional said, ‘Communication is excellent; it’s what helps us work so well together.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children make improvements in their health and wellbeing as a result of living at the home. Staff target important areas of children’s health and encourage them to meet their own health needs. Where there are worries, staff work effectively to understand needs. They involve and challenge health professionals to ensure that children receive the right care in a timely manner.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Relationships in the home are well managed. Staff recognise the children’s need for independence from one another. Activities are planned in a way that promotes individuality while allowing for time together. This thoughtful planning has led to an improvement in children’s relationships with each other.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff help children to try new activities and develop long-term hobbies. This encouragement to explore new interests helps children to make new friendships and social networks. This leads to improvements in children’s physical health, confidence and self-esteem. Inspection report for children’s home: 2777607 4 Staff encourage children to learn age-appropriate life skills at a pace that is right for them. Independence work is well planned, thorough and engaging. Children learn social responsibility and valuable skills to help them negotiate their lives after moving on from the home.

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

Children said that they feel safe and happy living at the home. Staff have a strong understanding of children’s individual risks and vulnerabilities. Staff lead supportive discussions with children to help them understand their own emotions and behaviours. This equips children with important skills to help them communicate their feelings to staff.

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

Children’s safety plans are detailed and give staff the information they need to keep children safe and help children to identify how to keep themselves safe. When the team agrees strategies to help children, the manager thoroughly evaluates them to measure their success. This helps staff to embed safeguarding practices and improves their effectiveness.

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

When there is a need for staff to physically restrain children to keep them safe, children and staff are spoken to afterwards to help everyone understand why the holds were necessary. Children are supported to link emotions to behaviours. Physical interventions have reduced because of this prevention work. One professional said, ‘Staff are excellent at pre-empting and preventing anxiety in children.’

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

When there are allegations against staff, the manager’s response is thorough, includes all relevant professionals and helps to identify reasons for the allegation. Learning is taken from such incidents. Children are helped to repair relationships and understand the outcomes of investigations.

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

When serious incidents occur, the manager and staff work proactively to help external agencies understand children’s needs and behaviours. This promotes professionals’ understanding of children’s needs and improves responses to keep them safe both at the home and in the community.

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

Children rarely go missing from home. Despite this rarity, staff understand how to respond and follow agreed protocols. When one child left the home, staff’s responses led to the child being returned safely. The child was encouraged to talk about this experience and there have been no further missing-from-home incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has an excellent understanding of the strengths of the home. There is a strong learning culture, and the manager constantly strives to develop the home further. She has a clear vision for how she wants the home to run and inspires the same values in the staff team. Staff speak highly of the manager and are proud of the home and the team. One member of staff said, ‘The support, guidance and knowledge shared by Inspection report for children’s home: 2777607 5 management, leaders, colleagues and, most importantly, the young people themselves, have helped me grow both personally and professionally.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Management oversight is exceptionally strong and leads to an improved understanding of the team. When the manager identifies any shortfalls in staff practice or development, she responds quickly to support staff. This helps staff to be clear about what is expected of them and drives forward improvements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is aspirational for what children and staff can achieve. She has devised a programme which aims to develop the skills of staff. This has been implemented in the wider organisation. This development of the team as professionals has led to staff taking on more-senior opportunities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

When the manager identifies any shortfalls in professionals’ responses to children’s needs, she offers appropriate challenge. This helps children to access the right services at the right time for them. Professionals hold the manager in high regard and are clear about the progress that children have made as a result of living at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff receive regular and thoroughly structured supervisions, which allow them to reflect and develop their own practice. Team meetings and development days bring staff together to discuss all aspects of the children’s care. Staff relate care planning to relevant training and research. This informs their approach to children’s care and gives them a strong sense of purpose in their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

No requirements of recommendations were raised following this inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: 2777607 6

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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: 2777607 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Fostering & Adoption Team, Spectrum 8, Spectrum Business Park, Seaham SR7 7TT

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Inspector

Mark Cryer, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2777607 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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