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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC477428 1 SC477428

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North East Lincolnshire council

Inspected under the social care common assessment framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a local authority. It is registered to provide care for up to 2 children who may experience social and emotional needs, a physical disability, or a learning disability.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2026 but is not currently in post. There are interim management arrangements in place.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living at the home and was spoken with.

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This monitoring visit

Following an assurance inspection on 17 June 2026, compliance notices were issued under regulation 12, the protection of children standard and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard. A monitoring visit took place on 3 August 2026 to monitor the provider’s response to the compliance notices. Leaders and managers have taken steps to implement actions and review progress. However, the required improvements are not embedded in the care being provided. As a result, the impact of the steps taken is not clear.

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This monitoring visit

There is a lack of consistency in the management of the home. The registered manager is absent from the home. Senior leaders and managers are providing oversight which is inconsistent. This has had a negative impact on staff morale and has contributed to mistrust between the staff with senior leaders and managers.

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This monitoring visit

Some staff report a lack of confidence in the decision-making of senior leaders and managers. Staff describe feeling unsafe and undermined in their roles, which they believe is having a negative impact on the quality of care provided. Several staff Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC477428 2 state that there has been little or no progress in improving care for children and that the required steps in the compliance notices have not been achieved.

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This monitoring visit

Senior leaders and managers are more visible in the home and have increased oversight. This has led to some improvements in the monitoring of care. However, oversight is not yet consistently effective. Different leaders and managers make decisions about children's care, which creates confusion for staff and prevents a consistent approach to meeting children's needs.

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This monitoring visit

Children's plans are not aligned and contain conflicting information. Staff receive inconsistent guidance about how to meet children's needs. Consequently, care is not delivered consistently. Not all staff demonstrate an understanding of the plans in place for children and care is not informed by clear and up-to-date plans.

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This monitoring visit

Manager oversight does not identify shortfalls in children's records and documentation. Staff said that management expectations and decisions can vary. One member of staff said, ‘The goalposts keep changing.’ This lack of consistency contributes to the staff’s uncertainty about the care that they are providing to children.

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This monitoring visit

Communication between staff in the home is improving. This helps staff to remain informed about current risks and care arrangements. Leaders and managers have plans to introduce weekly staff meetings and regular team meetings. These arrangements are not yet in place.

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This monitoring visit

Staff are receiving supervision sessions. Staff told inspectors that they have been assured that supervision sessions will continue regularly. Leaders and managers intend to extend these arrangements to agency staff who work in the home on a regular basis, but this is not currently in place.

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This monitoring visit

Staffing sufficiency impacts the continuity of care. Staff who do not have an established relationship with the child are sometimes required to provide care. There is an overreliance on staff from other homes, relief staff and agency workers to maintain required staffing levels. Although many staff are familiar to children, they do not all have established relationships.

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This monitoring visit

Recruitment for staff is ongoing. Leaders and managers’ report that staff members have been recruited for the home but have yet to start. New staff will require support to develop their understanding of children’s needs to provide care which is consistent.

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This monitoring visit

Medication is stored away from the home and reach of children. A new medication process has been implemented to reduce risk. There have been no further medication incidents. However, knowledge of the new medication process is not understood by all staff, which limits assurances that the new arrangements are embedded into practice. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC477428 3 Monitoring and reviewing systems are not effective. Some recent actions have been taken by senior leaders to strengthen management oversight but are not yet embedded into practice

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This monitoring visit

Staff have access to training intended to help them understand and meet the needs of the children. No physical interventions have been recorded since the last inspection. The model of practice used within the home for staff is changing. Not all staff have had training in the new model, and as a result, there is some confusion within the staff team.

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This monitoring visit

Professionals say that children are safe and making progress. Observations during the inspection showed one child enjoyed positive relationships with staff.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers acknowledge the identified shortfalls. They have produced an action plan and have identified actions to reduce the risk of future safeguarding issues. However, these plans are at an early stage, and their impact is not yet embedded or measurable.

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Recent inspection history

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 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC477428 4

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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, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. The registered person must comply with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

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

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home's child protection policies is monitored regularly.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e)) 30 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC477428 5 *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 work as a team where appropriate;

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home's workforce provides continuity of care to 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

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h)) 30 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— receive effectively planned care in or through the children's home; and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. 15 September Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC477428 6 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

that each child's relevant plans are followed;

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Requirement Due date

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

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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;

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Requirement Due date

the child is, or has been, persistently absent from the home without permission

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(ii)(c)(e)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter;

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Requirement Due date

must be made or confirmed in writing. 15 September Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC477428 7 (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(e) (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b)) 15 September

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to compliance notices.

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Recommendation

 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)

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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 carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC477428 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: North East Lincolnshire Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: North East Lincolnshire Council, Municipal Offices, Town Hall Square, Grimsby DN31 1HU

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Inspectors

Kate Jackson, Social Care Inspector (lead) Ali Owens, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC477428 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 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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