Children's Home run by North East Lincolnshire Council in North East Lincolnshire

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC477428 1 SC477428

p.1

Registered provider: North East Lincolnshire Council

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

A local authority runs the home. It provides care for up to 2 children who may have a learning disability or physical disability or who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Two children were living in the home at the time of this inspection. Both children were spoken with.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home was registered with Ofsted in September 2014, and the manager registered with Ofsted in May 2026.

p.1

Inspection date: 17 June 2026

Date of last inspection: 11 November 2025

p.1

Inspection date: 17 June 2026

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

p.1

Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspectors evaluated:

p.1

Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC477428 2

p.1

Findings from the inspection

We identified the following serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection:

p.2

Findings from the inspection

 Staff are not providing care to the children in line with their plans. This is increasing risk and not keeping children safe. There is no stable staff team. Staff have left or are unable to work in the home. This means children have no consistent or familiar staff to provide care.  The management arrangements in the home are ineffective. This impacts the monitoring and oversight of the staff at the home and how well children are helped and protected.  Serious incidents are not always notified. This restricts the regulator in assessing whether the provider responds appropriately to the children when there is a risk of harm.

p.2

Summary of findings

The assurance inspection was completed following a whistleblowing complaint. The complaint raised serious safeguarding concerns that were occurring in the home. This included staff being harmed and children being exposed to care that did not keep them safe.

p.2

Summary of findings

This assurance inspection found that children are at increased risk of harm. Staff are unable to manage behaviours effectively to reduce risk. This has resulted in one child seriously harming a number of staff. Staff said they are fearful of one child and of the potential repercussions if staff do not do what the child asks.

p.2

Summary of findings

Children’s plans are not effective. Staff are unable to follow the strategies provided to manage behaviour safely. This means that staff are following the child’s requests to prevent behaviour escalation and unsafe responses. The risk to this child is increased due to their behaviours. This is also impacting on the other child in the home, who is witnessing very hostile relationships.

p.2

Summary of findings

Significant incidents are regularly occurring in the home. They regularly result in damage to the home and harm to staff. The home is frequently damaged and in need of repair. On one occasion, the damage posed significant environmental risks, resulting in a child moving out for safety reasons.

p.2

Summary of findings

Staffing sufficiency is poor. Staff have left the home or are off sick. There is one member of permanent staff who is now providing care. Senior managers are commissioning agency and relief staff or asking staff from other homes to provide care. Children have no consistent or familiar faces in their home on a daily basis. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC477428 3 Staffing rotas are not completed. The lack of staff means that rotas cannot be planned ahead of time. This means staff often do not know who they will be working with, and many staff who do come in have not worked together before. Teamwork is difficult to establish due to the lack of staff relationships.

p.2

Summary of findings

Staff have lost confidence in senior managers. Staff say that they feel unheard and devalued in their roles. Staff said that the home felt like a place that cannot keep children safe. Staff report that senior managers know this, and that no changes have happened.

p.3

Summary of findings

Monitoring and review systems are ineffective. Staff are not receiving supervision in a timely manner to have the opportunity to reflect and strengthen their understanding of the care needed for the children.

p.3

Summary of findings

There is a lack of reporting to Ofsted when serious incidents happen. This raises concerns about the regulator having timely and independent oversight of safeguarding incidents.

p.3

Summary of findings

Staff report being told to talk to senior managers if they have concerns. However, this is not supporting any changes or creating additional support. Staff are unaware of how they can raise concerns to the regulator if they do not feel heard by the managers.

p.3

Summary of findings

Serious and widespread concerns were found throughout this inspection. However, before the end of the inspection, assurances had been offered to the regulator that immediate actions would be taken. These assurances prevented Ofsted from suspending the service. A restriction was put in place during the inspection to avoid any further children being placed at the home and ensure children living at the home were safe. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC477428 4

p.3

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/11/2025 Full Good 08/10/2024 Full Good 19/03/2024 Full Good 12/12/2022 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC477428 5

p.4

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

*The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.5

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;

p.5

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

p.5

Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

p.5

Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

p.5

Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

p.5

Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm;

p.5

Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e)) 30 July 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC477428 6 *The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

p.5

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.6

Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

p.6

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;

p.6

Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

p.6

Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

p.6

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)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h)) 30 July 2026

p.6

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

p.6

Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and 15 September Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC477428 7 have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.7

Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

p.7

Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed;

p.7

Requirement Due date

that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if—

p.7

Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs;

p.7

Requirement Due date

the child is, or has been, persistently absent from the home without permission. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(ii)(c)(e)(i)(ii))

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

p.7

Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

p.7

Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

p.7

Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation—

p.7

Requirement Due date

the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter; 15 September Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC477428 8 must be made or confirmed in writing. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(e) (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

p.7

Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

p.8

Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

p.8

Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b)) 15 September

p.8

Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

p.8

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that medicines are administered in line with a medically approved protocol. Any medication allergies a child has should be well known and visible to prevent any medication errors. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.15)  The registered person should ensure that all staff receive supervision which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children they care for. Additionally, staff supervision should allow reflection on their wellbeing relating to their role. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC477428 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: North East Lincolnshire Council

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Municipal Offices, Town Hall Square, Grimsby DN31 1HU

p.9

Inspectors

Kate Jackson, Social Care Inspector Lisa Richards, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC477428 10 to 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.9

Inspectors

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.10

Inspectors

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.10

Inspectors

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.10

Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.10