Children's Home run by Legacy Youth Care (LYC) Limited in Newcastle upon Tyne

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2870200 1 Registered provider: Legacy Youth Care (LYC) Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private provider and provides care for up to 2 children who may have social and emotional difficulties. The home and manager registered with Ofsted in March 2026.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 2 children were living in the home. One child spoke with the inspector.

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Inspection date: 18 August 2026

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspectors evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2870200 2

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Findings from the inspection

Ofsted identified serious and widespread concerns at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

The home lacks qualified and suitably experienced leaders. The responsible individual is no longer in their role, and the registered manager and deputy manager were absent at the time of the inspection. The gaps in the management team have led to poor quality care being provided to children and ineffective safeguarding practices.

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Findings from the inspection

There is a high staff turnover, and the home is not sufficiently staffed to care for children safely. Staff shortages and a reliance on agency staff have had a negative effect on children being able to build trusting relationships with staff. The director fills gaps in staffing by working shifts. They also provide on-call advice to staff and general oversight of the home. However, the director does not have the skills, knowledge or experience to provide appropriate advice to an inexperienced and inconsistent staff team.

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Findings from the inspection

Risks relating to children being missing from home are not responded to effectively. Plans to manage risks are inconsistent and not well understood by staff. Staff do not work in line with agreed plans to keep children safe. They do not always keep in contact with children when they are missing from home or contact the police promptly. Furthermore, managers do not have effective oversight of these incidents. They have not identified shortfalls in staff practice and, on occasion, advice provided to staff from managers contradicts the children’s plans. These shortfalls fail to ensure that appropriate steps are taken to prevent children from going missing from home, and that staff adequately safeguard them when they do.

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Findings from the inspection

Team meetings, staff supervision sessions and probation reviews are not completed by leaders and managers. There is currently no suitably qualified person able to provide this support to the staff team and there is no contingency plan in place to cover for the absence of managers. This means that there is a lack of support for staff and ineffective oversight of their practice.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders do not consistently apply disciplinary procedures. Specifically, the director does not take timely action when there are concerns relating to staff’s suitability to work with children.

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Findings from the inspection

Some improvements have been made to the home environment, specifically to children’s bedrooms. However, not all areas of the home are well maintained. Decoration in some parts is minimal, and some areas need cleaning. Furthermore, some items that could pose risks to children are not stored securely.

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Findings from the inspection

When children are involved in risky behaviours in the community, there is little support from staff to support and educate them. Educational interventions that are provided to children are not thorough, and there is a lack of management oversight of risks and how these are being managed. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2870200 3 Leaders and managers do not understand the need to notify Ofsted of significant incidents. Additionally, there is poor communication with children’s social workers, who are not always informed of incidents. This prevents Ofsted and external agencies from being assured that concerns are managed effectively and that children are safe.

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Findings from the inspection

The requirements and recommendations from the last inspection were not specifically considered during this inspection and have therefore been reinstated where appropriate. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2870200 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/06/2026 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2870200 5

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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 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

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for 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; 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(d)(f)(h)) 11 October 2026

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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

that staff— 11 October 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2870200 6 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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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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;

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(b)) 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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that they follow all safeguarding procedures in relation to concerns 11 October 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2870200 7 about staff’s practice, including making referrals to the local authority designated officer. In addition, children’s plans must outline how specific risks are to be managed.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. The registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each permanent appointment of an employee is subject to the satisfactory completion of a period of probation; and

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must operate a disciplinary procedure which, in particular—

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Requirement Due date

provides for the suspension from work of an employee if necessary in the interests of the safety or welfare of children; and

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (1)(b) (2)(a) (4)(a)(b)) 11 October 2026

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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

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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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 11 October 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2870200 8 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. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(e) (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b)) 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; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, staff must help children to understand the consequences of their behaviours and to develop positive responses to challenging situations. 11 October 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and 11 October 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2870200 9 notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (1) (3)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home;

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that there is a full employment history for all staff, together with a satisfactory explanation of any gaps in employment, in writing.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 11 October 2026

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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

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 11 October 2026

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2870200 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Legacy Youth Care (LYC) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Grainger Suite Regent Centre, Gosforth, Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom NE3 3PF

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Inspectors

Shaun Martin, Social Care Inspector Amey Henry, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2870200 11 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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