Children's Home run by Stockton Borough Council in Stockton-on-Tees

Inspection report for children’s home: SC442886 1 SC442886 Registered provider: Stockton Borough Council

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Full inspection 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 care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

Four children were living at the home at the time of the inspection. All four children spoke with the inspector.

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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 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: SC442886 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/07/2025 Full Good 27/11/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 13/06/2023 Full Good 04/01/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC442886 3

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Summary of findings

Children benefit from consistent care, positive experiences, and support from staff who understand their individual needs and promote positive outcomes. Staff respond effectively to incidents and work proactively with partner agencies to manage risks and promote children's safety. Individualised plans, risk assessments, and targeted support help children reduce risk. Children benefit from strong leadership and a committed staff team that provides effective support and advocacy. Managers maintain good oversight of the home, although records are not always child centred.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children develop positive and meaningful relationships with staff due to the consistency of the staff team. This enables children to build trust with adults who know them well. Some children have lived in the home for a significant period, further strengthening these relationships. Staff demonstrate a good understanding of each child's individual needs and provide consistent care and support tailored to those needs. As a result, children feel valued, respected, and secure within the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported by staff to engage in a variety of activities both inside and outside the home. Some of these have included holidays abroad, trips to the caravan and days out. Staff also support children with their individual interests such as attending sports and leisure activities. Events are organised within the home including cultural themes, dining events and celebrating special occasions. This helps children to explore new interests and experience new environments, while expanding their knowledge of the world.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children's progress in education is mixed. While some children attend regularly and make good progress, others face challenges with engagement. Staff provide encouragement, advocate for children, attend meetings, and explore alternative education options to ensure children can begin to access formal education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move into the home, staff and managers ensure that individualised plans are in place to support a smooth transition. This includes visits to the child, opportunities to meet staff, and visits to the home before moving in. These arrangements help to reduce anxieties and support children to settle. Staff also create memory boxes containing photographs and keepsakes from significant events and experiences, providing children with lasting memories of their time in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to spend time with their families where appropriate. Staff build positive relationships with family members and maintain regular communication. One family member said they receive consistent updates from staff and have seen positive progress in their child since moving into the home. This helps children maintain important family relationships. Inspection report for children’s home: SC442886 4

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

Some children have experienced incidents which have placed them at risk of significant harm. Staff respond promptly to these incidents and use a range of de-escalation strategies to reduce risk. Where necessary, they seek support from partner agencies, including the police. Clear risk assessments are in place and are regularly updated to reflect emerging concerns and guide staff practice. Increased staffing levels and additional safety measures have also been implemented to support the effective management of these risks and help keep children safe.

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

When children present under the influence of substances, staff respond promptly and seek appropriate medical advice. Staff work with children to help them understand the risks associated with substance misuse and encourage safer decision-making. They also engage specialist services to provide additional support, helping children to reduce risk and improve their overall well-being.

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

When children go missing from home, staff follow children's plans. This includes searching local areas, contacting relevant individuals and professionals and reporting children missing. When children return home, staff provide emotional and practical support to children and remain professionally curious about their whereabouts. Information is shared with partner agencies, and plans are reviewed and updated to inform future responses and help reduce the risk of repeat incidents.

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

When children become distressed staff use strategies tailored to children's individual needs. Where these are ineffective, staff use restraints to reduce harm to the child. When restraints are used, these are proportionate and recorded appropriately. This helps to ensure that leaders and managers can monitor their use ensuring that restraints are used as a last resort.

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

Staff and managers recognise that incidents can impact on other children living in the home. Following incidents, staff provide children with opportunities to discuss any worries or concerns. Some children have expressed frustration and anxiety, and staff have responded with reassurance and support. While these incidents can be unsettling, staff are taking proactive steps to manage risks and minimise their impact on children living in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children benefit from a stable staff team who are skilled and experienced in supporting children’s individual needs. Staff speak positively about working in the home and this is demonstrated a strong commitment providing children with good quality care. Staff speak with genuine warmth about children they care for which has enabled strong and meaningful relationships with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager advocates on behalf of children ranging from their educational needs, through to promoting their safety and wellbeing. Examples include escalating concerns around children's levels of risk and challenging decision making. This helps to ensure Inspection report for children’s home: SC442886 5 children's needs are prioritised. This is corroborated by professionals who have shared that the manager maintains effective communication by sharing information around concerns and providing updates.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager actively supports staff with their learning and development and encourages them to broaden their skills and professional aspirations. This has enabled staff to progress within the organisation and achieve promotions. This commitment to staff development is also evident in team meetings and staff development days, which focus on learning, reflection, and the continuous improvement of practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Oversight of the home includes a meticulous system of auditing tools which focus on children's individual needs. These monitoring systems provide the manager with a clear overview of the home’s strengths and areas for development, enabling continuous improvement. There is a strong focus on safeguarding, with audit processes helping the manager to identify patterns and trends in children’s behaviours, evaluate emerging risks, and implement appropriate strategies to promote their safety and well-being.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager leads the home with a clear vision for both children and staff. Staff speak positively about working in the home, with one staff member commenting, ‘’it’s the best team we have ever had’. The manager is reflective and proactive in identifying areas for development and driving improvements to enhance children’s experiences. They are confident in making difficult decisions when necessary and take a creative approach to managing children’s risks and meeting their individual needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children's records are detailed, however some entries include language that could be perceived as blaming and does not always promote a child-centred approach. In addition, records do not consistently capture the child's voice, limiting opportunities for children's views, wishes, and experiences to be fully reflected in their records. Inspection report for children’s home: SC442886 6

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Recommendations

 Staff should be familiar with the home's policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: SC442886 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Stockton Borough Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Dunedin House, Columbia Drive, Thornaby, Stockton- on-Tees TS17 6BJ

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Inspector

Kerry Chater, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC442886 8 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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