Children's Home run by Invested Childcare Ltd in Hartlepool

Inspection report for children’s home: 2749314 1 Registered provider: Invested Childcare Ltd 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 provider. It offers care for up to 3 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 3 children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2024.

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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: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2749314 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/07/2025 Full Good 11/09/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2749314 3

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Summary of findings

Children thrive in a nurturing and stable home where they feel safe, valued and supported. Children receive relational care that promotes their wellbeing and enables them to achieve positive change and make exceptional progress.

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Summary of findings

Staff create a safe and reflective environment where children understand risk, make safer choices and develop emotional awareness. Through personalised support and strong professional collaboration, children develop the confidence to be safe and to thrive.

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Summary of findings

Leaders and managers provide strong and informed leadership that drives high-quality and child-centred care. Leaders are actively involved in the day-to-day care for the children and lead by example. They build a confident workforce, and, as a result, children receive consistent therapeutic care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff provide a nurturing family-like environment through the exceptional care provided to children. Staff and children build strong and meaningful relationships that help children to feel safe and valued and develop a genuine sense of belonging. Children speak positively about living in the home and value the consistency of care and support they receive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children benefit greatly from having clear boundaries, and staff show unwavering commitment to children. This approach provides stability for children and helps them achieve the best outcomes. Staff’s relational and child-centred approach has been recognised by external professionals as an example of exemplary practice, with some saying that they plan to share this with other providers.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children make strong progress from their individual starting points. Risks and incidents reduce while behaviour continues to improve. Children develop better routines, improve personal hygiene and become healthier. Staff respond creatively to children’s individual needs and use tailored strategies to support them. One child now has a calming bedtime routine, which has improved their sleep. Children also embrace new experiences and show greater emotional and physical wellbeing because of the care they receive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff work proactively with external professionals to remove barriers and improve children’s access to education. There is a strong understanding of children’s learning needs. This supports carefully planned transitions back into education. For one child, staff used digital tools to help education professionals understand the child’s worries about going back to school. This enabled the teachers to carry out targeted work, and, as a result, the child reintegrated back into school full time. For another child, staff’s intervention and increased stability at home and in school removed the need for an Inspection report for children’s home: 2749314 4 alternative education provision assessment. The child’s school identified the support the child receives at home as being the key factor in the progress they are making.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are helped to have rich and meaningful opportunities and experiences. Staff encourage children to explore their interests, build confidence, and enjoy everyday moments. Children’s friends are warmly welcomed into the home, helping children strengthen peer relationships, and children take part in activities such as singing and dancing. One child was able to go on holiday abroad to see their favourite music band, another enjoys the safe use of their own motorbike, and another child records their own music at a recording studio.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Leaders and managers ensure that children maintain meaningful and active relationships with their families. When challenges arise, staff keep children at the centre of every decision and respond to concerns with empathy and respect. Staff recognise the importance of these relationships for children’s identity and wellbeing. They also provide compassionate support to help children process grief and loss. Staff further strengthen family connections by regularly sharing videos, photos and memories of children’s experiences with their families.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Managers carefully consider whether the home can continue to meet each child’s individual needs safely. They ensure that any decisions about children’s long-term care are thoughtfully made with a child’s welfare at the centre. When children move on, leaders plan transitions with sensitivity and a clear purpose, helping to reduce uncertainty for children. Even in complex situations, where external influences may affect outcomes, staff remain committed to providing ongoing support to children after they move from the home. By maintaining relationships after children leave, staff help them to sustain trusted connections and strengthen their wider support networks.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff record information about children thoughtfully and sensitively. Records are clear, reflect children’s voices and lived experiences. Information is written with the understanding that children may read their records in the future. This approach upholds children’s dignity.

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

Staff demonstrate a strong understanding of how to support and manage behaviour and risk effectively. As a result, incidents of concern reduce, and children make safer choices. Staff adapt safeguards and measures in a responsive and flexible way to meet children’s changing needs. Their curiosity and reflective approach help to reduce risk and enable children to feel and be safe.

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

Staff support other professionals to gain a clearer understanding of what children need to thrive. Their thoughtful evaluation of children’s needs and the risks that they face strengthens care planning and informs decision-making. Through reflective and meaningful discussions, staff help children to develop greater insight into their behaviour, understand the reasons behind their actions, and begin to recognise and manage strong Inspection report for children’s home: 2749314 5 emotions. This approach promotes emotional growth and increases children’s self- awareness.

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

Children are actively involved in decisions about their safety, and staff help them to understand the reasons behind risk management strategies. This empowers children to take appropriate risks that support their independence and development. Staff know children well and adapt support during distressing times by asking children what helps them most. This helps children develop greater self-awareness and identify positive strategies that they can use in the future.

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

Staff equip children with the knowledge and understanding to recognise online risks and make safer choices. They deliver engaging and personalised direct work in line with each child’s level of understanding. For example, staff create tailored quizzes to address specific gaps in children’s knowledge.

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

When staff use physical intervention, they do so only to safeguard children. Leaders review incidents carefully and reflect openly when practice could have been more effective. They seek specialist advice when needed to evaluate whether strategies remain appropriate and adapt future responses. This insightful and informed approach strengthens practice and promotes safer and more considered care.

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

Leaders and managers respond to concerns with care and integrity. They respond to allegations thoroughly and ensure that decisions remain fair, transparent and focused on children’s welfare. When staff return to work following any allegations, leaders put clear support plans in place to rebuild trust with children and strengthen relationships when needed. This measured approach helps children feel listened to and promotes positive and restorative outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers have high aspirations and demonstrate unwavering commitment to achieving the best possible outcomes for children. They use research-informed practice and individualised approaches that respond to each child’s unique needs and experiences. Through careful observation and strong oversight, leaders develop a detailed understanding of children’s needs and use clinical expertise and formulation to strengthen assessment and planning. This informed and purposeful approach enriches children’s experiences and enables sustained and exceptional progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager maintains strong oversight of staff practice through successful monitoring and reviewing systems. They analyse incidents to build a detailed understanding of children’s behaviours and the factors influencing them. This insight enhances decision- making, strengthens care planning and ensures that support remains responsive and effective. In addition, managers address areas for development with staff during regular discussions. As a result, children receive care that is better informed and more closely aligned to their needs. Inspection report for children’s home: 2749314 6 Leaders have developed a skilled and committed staff team that fully embraces the values and expectations of the home. Staff report feeling valued, encouraged and well supported in their roles. Leaders invest time in developing staff and helping them strengthen their practice and confidence. They are visible and present, which enables

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

staff to learn through observation and experience, creating a culture of accountability, growth and high-quality care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Professionals consistently speak positively about the quality of care and leadership in the home. They say that staff are highly committed and dedicated to providing the highest levels of support to children. Leaders and staff’s sustained investment helps children to feel important, valued and cared for.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers respond to complaints with rigour and clear oversight. They investigate concerns through a structured process that ensures that proportionate action is taken based on the information gathered. When concerns remain unresolved, they seek independent review to provide additional scrutiny and reassurance. Leaders use learning from complaints to strengthen practice and make improvements that support future decision-making and accountability.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager shows a clear commitment to continuous development and maintains a strong understanding of the staff team’s strengths and areas for growth. He plans to further expand staff’s knowledge and deepen their understanding of children’s development and diagnostic pathways. This forward-thinking approach strengthens practice and supports the delivery of increasingly well-informed therapeutic care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

No requirements or recommendations were raised following this inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: 2749314 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: 2749314 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Invested Childcare Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Acklam Hall, Hall Gardens, Middlesbrough TS5 7BJ

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Inspector

Laura Roberts, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2749314 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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