Children's Home run by Sunbridge Childcare Ltd in Sunderland

Inspection report for children’s home: 2767802 1 Registered provider: Sunbridge Childcare Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a private provider. It provides care for up to 4 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 4 children were living at the home. The inspector spoke with all the children during the inspection.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The inspection started on 2 June 2026. An inspector returned on 7 July 2026 to gather additional evidence in line with ‘Ofsted inspections and visits: deferring, pausing and gathering additional evidence policy’.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

p.1

outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

p.1

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.

p.1

outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

p.1

outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2767802 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/07/2025 Full Outstanding 10/09/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2767802 3

p.2

Summary of findings

Children develop positive relationships with staff and greatly benefit from the care they receive. Staff persevere with the children, even when children are having difficult experiences. Staff build children’s trust and confidence, which helps children to talk openly about their worries and concerns. The leadership and management of this home is excellent. Managers and staff advocate strongly for the children. Highly nurturing and caring staff enhance the lived experiences of children. Staff work collaboratively with other agencies to help keep children safe, and risks have reduced for most children.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Managers and staff show unwavering commitment to children, providing them with excellent care and stability. Significant and continuous improvements made by children are a direct result of the high-quality care they receive. Most children thrive because of the genuine warmth, care and attention they experience. Even those children who may internalise their feelings seek help and support, showing that they feel safe and understood by staff.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

All children are valued unconditionally. When children experience difficulties, staff strive to understand what is happening for the child in the moment, showing caring curiosity and asking the right questions. Concerns about children’s behaviour and wellbeing are discussed in non-blaming ways that are helpful to each child. This builds confidence in children, and staff do this incredibly well and with love.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children have individualised arrangements to support their learning and education. This has helped most children to get back into learning after long absences. Some children are now taking exams, which is a significant achievement. When children’s school arrangements are at risk, managers and staff are actively involved. They attend meetings, ensuring that children’s voices are heard, and challenge delays in decision-making.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s health and wellbeing are a priority for staff. When children have health concerns, managers and staff seek to understand them. One child has made huge progress because of the help they have in place. Therapeutic support is offered to children through specialist services. When children struggle to attend sessions, the manager creates ways to help children to develop relationships with their therapist over time and at their pace. Eventually, this enables children to embrace the therapeutic support fully. This progress has allowed a child to make strides in their emotional wellbeing.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Feedback from parents is excellent. One parent has a deep appreciation for the high-quality, compassionate care provided to their child. The parent feels reassured that Inspection report for children’s home: 2767802 4 staff genuinely know, value and love their child. The team maintains open and proactive communication, ensuring that parents remain fully informed. One parent expressed confidence in their child’s safeguarding arrangements and values the therapeutic support they have been given directly. This demonstrates highly effective partnership working between the staff and children’s families.

p.3

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

When children struggle to share their feelings, staff use imaginative ways to help. For example, they encourage children to write their feelings down when they are embarrassed or worried about talking openly. This helps children to share their feelings, allowing staff to make sure that there is help in place for children’s emotional wellbeing.

p.4

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

Staff use their trusting relationships to support children. House rules and boundaries help to manage behavioural issues. These are underpinned by individualised strategies to help children manage their emotions. As a result, restraint is rarely needed to keep children safe and only ever as a last resort.

p.4

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

Staff have an excellent understanding of the issues that children are coping with. For most children, their safety has improved. For example, most children rarely go missing from the home and there has been a reduction in incidents. For one child, episodes of going missing have increased. Staff do all they can to find the child and bring them home at the earliest opportunity to keep them safe. Written records of these incidents are split over 2 different formats and, in some instances, lack detail. The manager is fully aware of this and is improving the system and quality of recording.

p.4

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

Complaints from children are dealt with appropriately. This reassures children that their concerns will be taken seriously and that steps are made to ensure their safety and wellbeing. Furthermore, when there are drift and delay in allegations being resolved, the manager does all she can to escalate this as a concern to the relevant agencies.

p.4

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

Consequences and incentives are used to help children understand the effect of their choices and work toward goals positively. Consequences are used sparingly and are generally directly linked to the children’s behaviour. Some staff have encouraged children to make reparations, such as fixing any damage caused to the home. However, one consequence was initially put in place indefinitely. Although reviewed weeks later and rectified, this could have been avoided.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is an inspirational leader. She sets high standards for the whole staff team. The established culture is built on trust and respect for one another, and is rooted in a shared commitment to securing excellent outcomes for children. The manager is very well supported by a deputy. Together, they are highly aspirational, advocating fiercely on behalf of children when they identify shortfalls. Consequently, children experience a culture where their needs are prioritised at every level. Inspection report for children’s home: 2767802 5 There is an open and nurturing culture that comes directly from the managers, and this is embedded across the team. The staff exude warmth, stability and genuine affection for children. Staff demonstrate a deep knowledge of each child and speak with pride about their progress. The shared belief in each child’s potential helps children to feel valued and understood.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff’s feedback about their experiences is inspiring. They describe the home as the best place they have ever worked. They say that managers are always available, responsive and proactive in offering help. Staff feel well supported not only professionally but also personally, with managers being supportive of their wellbeing. Strong team unity results in highly dependable care for children.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager’s improvement planning is thorough and rooted in a clear vision for continuous growth. Staff development is prioritised and well delivered. Training is research informed. The reflective supervision sessions are purposeful and team meetings are used to improve practice. Safeguarding is the central focus, with regular discussions about children’s plans, risks and protective strategies. These sessions ensure that staff remain confident and well equipped.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is highly creative and innovative in how staff develop their skills. Learning opportunities are carefully identified and used to maximum effect. A particularly strong example is the drug ‑ awareness work completed jointly with a child from the home and specialist support services. This provided a powerful, shared learning experience that deepened staff’s understanding, while empowering the child to contribute meaningfully to their own support.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Feedback from professionals is incredibly positive. Even in situations where a child’s risks have increased, professionals express confidence that this home is the right place for the child, with the right staff and support. Professionals recognise the team’s persistence, compassion and ability to see beyond children’s behaviour. This steady commitment ensures that children are not defined by their challenges but are, instead, supported to grow, recover and thrive. Inspection report for children’s home: 2767802 6

p.5

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that any consequences used to address poor behaviour are restorative in nature. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 47, paragraph 9.38)

p.6

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: 2767802 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sunbridge Childcare Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 3 Hedley Court, North Shields, Tyne-and-Wear NE29 7ST

p.7

Inspector

Miriam Dolman, Social Care Inspector Gary Smithson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2767802 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.

p.7

Inspector

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.8

Inspector

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.8

Inspector

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

p.8

Inspector

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

p.8