Children's Home run by Park Blue Homes Limited in Gateshead

Inspection report for children's home: 2800606 1 Registered provider: Park Blue Homes Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

This home is privately operated. It provides care for up to 3 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2025.

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Information about this children's home

At the time of this inspection, 3 children were living in the home. All 3 children were spoken with during the inspection.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: none Inspection report for children's home: 2800606 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/03/2026 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2800606 3

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Summary of findings

Children receive warm, nurturing care from staff. Children are happy and making progress. They benefit from individualised support that promotes positive behaviour, confidence and inclusion. Staff respond to risks effectively to keep children safe, including missing-from-home incidents, and provide children with regular opportunities to share their views and feelings.

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Summary of findings

There are some weaknesses in the leadership and management of the team. This contributes to inconsistencies in staff practice and professional boundaries and gaps in monitoring and oversight by managers and leaders, including information-sharing with other professionals. Records completed by staff are child centred and reflect the children's experiences, but records completed for children who are struggling are less celebratory of their progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff develop warm and trusting relationships with children. Children are happy and enjoy spending lots of time with the staff. Staff's nurturing approach helps children to feel loved and well cared for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making good progress. Staff understand the children's needs and use creative strategies to promote positive behaviour. For example, staff have created a 'kindness jar' for one child. This has been effective in helping the child recognise the effect of positive behaviour on others. There has been a noticeable improvement in the child's behaviour and quality of their relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from a wide range of activities. Activities are tailored to the children's individual interests. These opportunities are helping children to develop confidence, resilience and important life skills. For example, one child is being supported to participate in a variety of outdoor pursuits that they greatly enjoy. The child's confidence has increased because of these experiences. Another child has been supported to take part in social activities and celebrations that they had not previously experienced. These experiences have helped the child to develop a stronger sense of belonging and inclusion.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff consistently complete records in a child-friendly, warm manner. The child's voice is at the forefront of records. The records provide a comprehensive account of the children's lived experiences. Recordings are often linked to the provider's therapeutic model of care, with staff providing evidence of how they are using this daily to support children. Inspection report for children's home: 2800606 4 However, staff do not consistently identify and celebrate progress for children when children are experiencing a particularly challenging period. In such circumstances, staff find it difficult to reflect on and record positive achievements and strengths. This means that smaller but significant achievements for children are not being recognised or built upon.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff do not challenge children vaping in the home effectively. Although there is acknowledgement from staff that vaping is a concern, there is a lack of proactive work to try and support children to understand the health implications and stop vaping.

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

Children benefit from coordinated support when they go missing from home. Staff work proactively to encourage the children's safe return, helping them to feel safe by welcoming them back to the home. Staff understand the factors that contribute to children going missing and take meaningful action to reduce risks. This has contributed to a reduction in missing-from-home incidents.

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

Challenging incidents when children are upset or angry have reduced. Staff respond to such incidents in a calm, supportive and reflective manner. Staff use their relationships with children positively, preventing incidents from escalating and supporting children to develop safer and more appropriate ways of expressing their feelings. This has helped children to better understand their emotions and behaviours.

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

Children benefit from meaningful one-to-one discussions that are tailored to their individual needs and circumstances. Staff speak about a range of topics, including about the children's experiences, and ensure that sensitive issues are revisited when further discussion or support is required. This approach helps children to feel listened to and valued, creating an environment where they can openly share their thoughts, feelings and worries without fear of judgement. This has helped to reduce concerns around risks for children.

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

While children receive good support to keep safe, opportunities to have more targeted conversations around healthy relationships are not consistent for all children. Staff do not show commitment to ensure that all children have structured discussions about relationships with friends and the other children who they live with.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There are several inconsistencies in the routines and boundaries set by staff. As a result, some children are unclear about what is expected of them and what they are permitted to do. For example, staff have not applied a consistent approach to one child's education routine in the home, meaning the child is given mixed messages day to day. Furthermore, staff are not clear about the broader range of agreed boundaries and expectations. Inconsistencies around staff's decision-making sometimes leave children uncertain about what is expected of them. Inspection report for children's home: 2800606 5 There is a lack of direction from the manager for those staff who smoke. Consequently, staff are unclear where they need to go to do so in private. This has created a culture where smoking and vaping have become normalised. This does not role model to children a healthy lifestyle and does not empower staff to help children make healthy

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have not always ensured that concerns regarding staff practice are clearly recorded to demonstrate what action was taken. On one occasion, records completed by a senior manager do not clearly evidence the content of discussions, whether the matter was addressed or what actions were taken. Furthermore, there is no evidence that follow-up discussions were completed with the relevant child. Therefore, managers cannot demonstrate that the concern has been appropriately explored, monitored and resolved.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Information-sharing is not always timely. There was a delay in notifying a child's social worker about a safeguarding concern. Additionally, the notification to Ofsted was delayed and lacked clarity. Further administrative errors resulted in the manager's quality of care review report and the home's statement of purpose not being received by Ofsted. These shortfalls indicate gaps in management oversight and do not support effective information-sharing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Children's safety plans do not reflect the immediate risks and when new risks emerge. Although staff have managed children's behaviours safely and effectively, they do not have up-to-date information to guide their practice, and this may lead to children's needs not being met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Team meetings take place regularly and are detailed, reflective and child centred. Staff are encouraged to engage in meaningful discussions about children's experiences, needs and outcomes, supporting them to continually develop their practice. Staff wellbeing is routinely considered in team meetings and supervision sessions, and managers actively monitor and offer support to staff when required.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Practice-related supervision arrangements are generally effective and provide staff with opportunities to reflect on their practice. Management evaluation is evident throughout supervision records, with managers providing appropriate guidance, challenge and support. Discussions explore children's needs and, at times, are linked to the therapeutic model of care used by staff. Staff knowledge and understanding of important areas of practice are reviewed, and personal development plans are used to monitor progress, identify learning opportunities and support future aspirations. Inspection report for children's home: 2800606 6

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received;

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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)(a)(c)(f)(g)((ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This includes the registered person ensuring that:

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Requirement Due date

- Professional boundaries are clear to staff and followed 25 August 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2800606 7 - staff keep children's risk assessments up to date and record information that captures their progress and outcomes

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Requirement Due date

- staff have clear direction to provide children with structure and boundaries consistently

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Requirement Due date

- records regarding staff are accurate and reflective of all action take and well organised

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Requirement Due date

- monitoring systems ensure that information is submitted to Ofsted within the required timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

understand the child's health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child's health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child's age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child's well-being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(ii)(iv)) 25 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone; 25 August 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2800606 8 help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child's age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child's respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(b) (2)(a)(iv)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b))

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Recommendation

 The registered person should have a system in place so that all serious events are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 63, paragraphs 14.13)

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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: 2800606 9

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Park Blue Homes Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: 38 Freemans Way, Harrogate HG3 1DH

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Inspectors

Gary Smithson, Social Care Inspector (lead) Ladean Wilson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2800606 10 regulates and inspects 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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

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