Children's Home run by Investing in Children CIC in Sunderland

Inspection report for children’s home: 2522240 1 Registered provider: Investing in Children CIC 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 private organisation. It provides care for up to 5 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 3 children were living in the home. The inspector saw 2 of the children.

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Information about this children’s home

The post for a registered manager has been vacant since September 2024.

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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: On 27 January 2026, an assurance inspection was carried out to review the provider’s response to a serious incident that had been notified to Ofsted. This inspection identified serious and widespread concerns regarding the care and protection of children, as well as the leadership and management of the home. Ofsted issued 2 compliance notices under Regulation 12 (the protection of children standard) and Regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard). The responsible individual provided a clear action plan to address the identified concerns. Inspection report for children’s home: 2522240 2 On 10 March 2026, a monitoring visit was carried out to review the effectiveness of the action taken by the provider in response to the compliance notices. The provider had made progress in line with their action plan to improve the wellbeing and safety of children. A case review held on 11 March 2026 determined that all steps in the

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good

compliance notices had been met. Inspection report for children’s home: 2522240 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/06/2025 Full Good 06/08/2024 Full Good 20/06/2023 Full Good 18/10/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2522240 4

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Summary of findings

Children say that they are happy living in the home and are encouraged to be their true selves. They have positive relationships with staff, and there is a warm family-like atmosphere throughout the home. Children are making good progress, and staff are proactive in supporting them to understand risks and keep themselves safe. Although there is no registered manager, the current management arrangements are working well. Staff feel well supported and have regular opportunities to reflect on their practice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has modern decor that reflects a lived-in family environment. Children’s bedrooms are personalised and provide them with safe spaces that they take pride in. Children are at the heart of the home, with a games room, a fully equipped gym, and home-made items decorating communal areas.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy positive relationships with staff. They share private jokes with staff and are comfortable approaching them for any support they may need. The home is full of fun and laughter, creating a warm atmosphere throughout.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of children’s individual culture and identity. Children are free to be themselves and are supported to explore their identities without judgement. Staff embrace children’s different cultures and identities, accepting language differences, and show a willingness to learn more. Children attend events that are important to their individual identities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to be involved in the decision-making about their care. Their views, wishes and feelings are actively sought. Staff listen to children and use their views to adapt the care provided. As a result, children are happier with the care they receive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are determined to secure positive endings for children. One child who is preparing to move on from the home has been appropriately supported by staff to plan, pack, and purchase essential items, ensuring that they are fully equipped for their upcoming move to their new home. The child has developed independence skills and has been supported to increase their knowledge of local amenities, including a doctor’s surgery and a dentist. Staff implement ‘aftercare’ for children who move out of the home that is in line with their individual wants and needs. Children remain in contact with staff at the home and praise the ongoing support they provide.

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

Staff are attuned to children’s needs. They are alert to any slight changes in children’s presentation and recognise when these may indicate that a child is at risk. Staff understand children’s individual risks and safety plans; implementing these appropriately Inspection report for children’s home: 2522240 5 reduces the risk of children experiencing harm. Risk assessments are detailed and provide clear direction to staff. However, when documents are updated, the information is not always accurate.

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

Staff carry out work with children in an empathetic and nurturing manner. Children are educated about their own risks and supported to develop strategies to keep themselves safe. Work carried out with children is fun and engaging. The use of resources promotes children’s understanding and provides tools for them to revisit in the future. Staff demonstrate professional curiosity, continuously exploring concerns to enhance their understanding of children’s risks and to implement further safety measures where appropriate.

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

Staff continuously search for children if they are missing from home. They work closely with external agencies and family members to locate children as quickly as possible. Staff identify patterns in incidents and successfully advocate for changes in children’s care. This has resulted in a reduction in missing-from-home incidents.

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

Room searches are carried out when necessary and promote children’s safety. Staff are open and honest with children and support them to understand why room searches are undertaken. Children are encouraged to be part of this process and are informed of any searches that take place in their absence due to safeguarding concerns. Room searches are regularly reviewed to ensure that they are necessary to keep children safe and are not overly intrusive on children’s privacy.

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

Staff respond to incidents of self-harm in an empathetic and caring manner. Medical support is always sought to ensure that children are safe. Staff identify triggers and are proactive in implementing safeguards to reduce the risk of recurrence. Children are encouraged to manage their emotions in alternative ways.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Senior leaders have made attempts to recruit a registered manager and have previously employed an interim manager. However, the role of manager is currently vacant. The responsible individual is present and supports the deputy manager in the day-to-day running of the home. Together, they demonstrate a strong working relationship, with an ethos of continuous development of staff practice and the care children receive. There are plans for the deputy manager to undertake the role of interim manager and apply to register with Ofsted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers care about children. They have high aspirations and celebrate children’s achievements. They work closely with external agencies to secure positive outcomes for children. Professionals have commented on communication being a strength and how this enhances children’s daily care and external oversight.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings and supervision sessions are used as opportunities for reflection. Staff are encouraged to share their views and ideas. Staff respond positively to this and use Inspection report for children’s home: 2522240 6 these opportunities to learn and adapt their practice, ultimately providing higher levels of care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The provider’s mandatory training programme is not reviewed regularly, which means that staff do not always receive the required training to fulfil their roles. However, leaders and managers actively seek innovative training to develop staff skills in caring for children. They collaborate closely with a clinical psychologist, requesting relevant training. These training sessions are adapted to the specific needs of the children living in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders’ and managers’ oversight of the home is not always consistent. Reporting and recording of documents are often inaccurate and lack detail. This affects the understanding of incidents and children’s care. Inspection report for children’s home: 2522240 7

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 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

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; 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)(a)(b) (2)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all receive the provider’s mandatory training to enable them to fulfil their roles. Additionally, the registered person must ensure that the reporting and recording of documents are accurate and sufficiently detailed to support full oversight of children’s care. 7 July 2026

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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: 2522240 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Investing in Children CIC

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Sjovoll Centre, Front Street, Pity Me, Durham DH1 5BZ

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Inspector

Sarah McGow, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2522240 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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