Children's Home run by Steps Support Residential Limited in Newcastle upon Tyne

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2858011 1 Registered provider: Steps Support Residential Limited

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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 privately operated. It provides care for one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties or have a learning disability.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspector spoke to the child living in the home during this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager’s post is vacant, but the deputy manager has submitted their application to Ofsted to register as manager.

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This monitoring visit

At a full inspection on 3 and 4 June 2026, Ofsted judged this home to be inadequate. Subsequently, compliance notices were issued under Regulation 12, ‘The protection of children standard’ and Regulation 13, ‘The leadership and management standard’. This monitoring visit took place to consider the response to the steps in the compliance notices issued.

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This monitoring visit

The child has trusting relationships with staff. Staff understand the importance of ensuring the home is a place that the child wants to be. Staff recognise the triggers for the child going missing from home, and work to mitigate those. Staff work with the child to help them to understand risk and make safer decisions. The child has not been missing from home since the last inspection.

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This monitoring visit

Staff know the child and risks that they face well. Staff follow updated and easy to- understand-plans that guide them on how to best meet the child’s needs. The child is helped to participate in decisions about their care and in updating their own plans.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have completed a practice review and implemented a detailed improvement plan. A range of policies have been updated since the last inspection. A thorough monitoring tool has been implemented, which is accompanied Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2858011 2 by detailed guidance. This will support the manager to track patterns of behaviour in the home and help to provide a greater depth of management oversight.

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This monitoring visit

The child has familiar and consistent rules and boundaries. They understand and accept these rules. Staff use effective incentives and explain their reasoning for decisions to the child so that they understand why rules are implemented. The child is proud of what they have achieved and is looking forward to achieving their next goal. The child said that they are happier and feel safer.

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This monitoring visit

Reflective discussion in supervision and team meetings is not yet happening. Leaders and managers recognise this as an outstanding area for development in order to make further improvements to the quality of care provided.

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This monitoring visit

The requirement under Regulation 35 was not considered at this visit and is therefore restated. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2858011 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/06/2026 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2858011 4

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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 with 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

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

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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)(c)(h)) 1 September 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure; 1 September 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2858011 5 the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2858011 6

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was conducted under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2858011 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Steps Support Residential Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 38 Hawthorn Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE3 4DE

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Inspector

Lisa Gordon, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2858011 8 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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