Children's Home run by Darlington Borough Council in Darlington

Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC037861 1 SC037861 Registered provider: Darlington Borough Council

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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 short-break stays for up to 3 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties. The local authority has applied to vary their registration conditions.

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Information about this children's home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home.

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Information about this children's home

The post for a registered manager is vacant. An interim manager has been appointed and has applied to register with Ofsted.

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Inspection date: 7 July 2026

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 7 July 2026

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has 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: SC037861 2

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Outcome from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Outcome from the inspection

Due to an escalation in safeguarding notifications, the assurance inspection was brought forward to understand how staff are responding to increased risk for the child in the community and home. The manager ensures that staff know what action to take to safeguard the child in the home and community. The systems in place to have oversight of children's risk assessment, safety plans and incidents of concern are effective.

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Outcome from the inspection

Leaders and managers are responding to the shortfalls raised at the full inspection on 19 May 2026.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff understand the actions that they need to take to respond to the risks to the child in the home and community. The manager ensures that staff have clear guidance about how they should respond to mitigate risk and respond when there are potential risks to the child. This ensures that the child receives a consistent response from staff.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers work well together when the child's needs change. Regular meetings have taken place to explore appropriate placements for the child as the manager recognises that they are no longer able to ensure that the child can feel safe in the home and local community.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager has improved the child's plans. Safety plans are easy to read and are regularly updated and reviewed. There are systems in place to ensure that any changes are highlighted for staff. The manager regularly consults with staff to ensure that changes are beneficial and understood.

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Findings from the inspection

All safeguarding incidents involving the child have the oversight of the manager. Incidents are clearly recorded and the staff responses evaluated by the manager. Learning from this helps to inform plans for the child.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers have made an application to vary the conditions of registration for the home, which has been submitted. This will address the concerns that the home has been operating outside of their registration conditions.

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Findings from the inspection

Essential work to the property to improve the fire safety in the home remains outstanding. The property requires significant renovations to the walls and doors. In the interim, the fire assessment has been updated to ensure that staff understand what to do in an emergency. Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC037861 3 Staff who do not have a qualification to work in residential care are being enrolled on an appropriate course. The manager has reviewed staff qualifications to ensure that those staff who have worked in residential care for over 2 years have now been enrolled on, or provided the opportunity to complete, their qualification.

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Findings from the inspection

Due to the brief time since the full inspection on 19 May 2026, none of the requirements and recommendations have been met. Although there has been progress seen, the previous requirements under regulation 13, leadership and management standard, regulation 32, fitness of workers and 2 recommendations are restated. Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC037861 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/05/2026 Full Requires improvement to be good 08/04/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 18/12/2024 Full Inadequate 05/12/2023 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC037861 5

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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

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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(f))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must consult with the fire and rescue authority when there are known concerns about fire safety measures in the home. In addition, measures to improve fire safety in the home must be completed. 28 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children's safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children's home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

The requirements are that— 28 August 2026 Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC037861 6 the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must complete an equivalent exercise to determine whether a staff qualification is equivalent to the level 3 diploma.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that there are plans for staff to attain the relevant qualification within timescales. Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC037861 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority provides an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,' page 45, paragraph 9.30)  The registered person should ensure that they have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, casual and agency staff, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. ( 'Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality

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Recommendations

standards,' page 61, paragraph 13.2) Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC037861 8

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Darlington Borough Council

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Darlington Borough Council, Town Hall, Feethams, Darlington DL1 5QT

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Children's home details

Responsible individual: Christopher Bell

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Inspector

Joanne Wallis, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC037861 9 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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