Concerns have been raised about the safety of children being cared for at a home, with youngsters at risk of self-harm not being protected.

One child hurt themselves so seriously they required hospitalisation, an investigation by Ofsted found.

The home in Darlington, which had been rated as “good” at a previous inspection in 2021, is run by Young Foundations and was looking after five children at the time of the inspection in April.

Ofsted inspectors visited the home to investigate potential breaches of regulations, after being given information which suggested there was a risk of harm to children.

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They found the manager and staff were aware children brought home items for the purpose of self-harm and hid them in their bedrooms.

But guidance around room searches lacked clear instructions and guidance was generic, despite knowledge of the self-harming behaviours of the children living there.

It meant children were able to store up items.

And when children said they had felt suicidal or had recently self-harmed, they were left alone.

A report published by Ofsted said: “Children have then gone on to self-harm. On one recent occasion, this was so serious that the child required hospitalisation.

“One child told the inspector that she felt ‘unhappy’ with staff that she had been left alone. Staff have failed to remove items from children which they have used to self-harm. Children have gone on to self-harm again with the same items. This does not help children feel valued or cared for.”

Inspectors said staff did have a good understanding of children’s individual risks, triggers and warning signs and risk assessments were regularly updated.

An action plan is in place.

A spokesperson for Young Foundations, which is a national company providing residential care and specialist education for children and young people with complex needs including autism, learning disabilities, and mental health issues, said: “The company always has children’s interests at the heart of what we do.

"The children’s home referred to in the report has a strong history of caring for children with complex needs at a very high standard, which is reflected in the regulatory reports from Ofsted over a number of years.

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“The Covid-19 pandemic was particularly challenging for young people with poor mental health as well as the staff in children’s homes who were supporting them. The manager and team are working hard to return to the standards of care previously achieved pre-pandemic. The warmth and quality of relationships between staff and children continues to be strong and a great support to the children.  

“The company is supporting the manager and her team with additional resources and greater guidance to help them to complete this work.”

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