Children's Home run by The Together Trust in Stockport

Inspection report children’s home: SC025712 1 SC025712 Registered provider: The Together Trust Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a charitable organisation. The home is registered to care for up to two children who may have emotional and/or social and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home employs a qualified and experienced registered manager. The manager is also registered to manage another of the organisation’s homes.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID 19 (coronavirus), at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

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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

Date of last inspection: 29 October 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC025712 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/10/2019 Full Good 11/09/2018 Full Good 08/11/2017 Full Good 21/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC025712 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress in relation to their individual starting points. Children develop good relationships with staff with whom they build and sustain positive attachments. A family member reported, ‘[Child’s name]’s been fine. He gets on well with most staff. I am happy with the care provided.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A child was recently admitted to the home. They have settled in well and have been made to feel welcome. Staff provide children with stability and consistency in their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote family time for the children. As a result, children spend time with the people who are most important to them. An independent reviewing officer said, ‘They have advocated for [child’s name] at review meetings in respect of developing his independence and have been supportive with family time and progressing this.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are met. Staff support children to attend their routine health appointments. They advise children about key health issues and encourage them to live and lead a healthy lifestyle.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Medical consent is in place. Staff are familiar with the types of health decisions and responsibilities that are delegated to them. Children have access to specialist help and support to promote their emotional well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are supportive of children’s education. They ensure that children attend school on a regular basis and encourage their learning and progress in education. A social worker said, ‘They have supported [child’s name]’s engagement with other agencies, such as education and training, and been patient and persevered in respect of supporting [child’s name] to access health treatment.’

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

Children’s safety is at the centre of staff’s practice. Children are kept safe and feel safe. Staff receive training in child protection. They know how to protect children from abuse and all other forms of significant harm. Children are safer because of the actions staff take to protect and support them.

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

Staff provide children with a homely, caring, supportive and nurturing environment. The accommodation provided for children is nicely decorated, safe, cosy and comfortable.

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

Risks associated with the children are well known and understood by staff. The use of clear risk management plans and safe working practice promotes the safety and well-being of children. Inspection report children’s home: SC025712 4 There are no current issues with children going missing from the home. Children are closely supervised and monitored by staff, in line with their individual plans. Staff look for children if they are absent or go missing. They follow the home’s procedures for reporting children missing to secure their safe return.

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

A social worker said, ‘Based on my experience, my view is the home [is] providing good-quality care for [child’s name]. There is good communication between staff, mother and the local authority, which benefits [child’s name].’

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

Staff support the children’s positive behaviour. Positive behaviour is praised, recognised and reinforced. Consequences are used to address poor behaviour. These measures are fair, balanced and proportionate.

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

Staff help children to reflect on their feelings and behaviour. The use of restraint is rare. When restraint is used, it is always as a last resort. Restraint is only ever used to protect children from harm.

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

Significant events are reported to the placing authorities to promote the safety of the children at the home. However, there have been identified occasions when Ofsted has not been informed of significant incidents concerning the children. As a result, a requirement is made in respect of this matter.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are well supported, managed and led. The home is managed by a long-serving, experienced and well-qualified registered manager. A deputy manager is also employed to deputise in the registered manager’s absence.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home’s management and leadership demonstrate effective leadership of the day-to-day operations of the home. Staff receive regular practice-related supervision. This supports self-reflection on performance and the ways in which the needs of children are met at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The managers and staff meet the aims and objectives set out in the home’s statement of purpose. A stable staff team is employed to meet the specific needs of the children at the home. Staff are well trained, skilled and qualified.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff develop strong and effective partnerships with children’s social workers, schools and other professional agencies. This ensures that children benefit from the best possible help and all-round support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is visited each month by an independent person. The purpose of the visit is to review the standard and quality of children’s care. The reports, however, do not consistently report on how well children are safeguarded and whether their well- being is promoted. Additionally, the reports lack evaluative content and do not Inspection report children’s home: SC025712 5 consider the views of stakeholders about the quality of care provided by the home. A requirement is made to address this issue.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has addressed and met the requirements and recommendations from the last inspection. Inspection report children’s home: SC025712 6

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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 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 an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 6 August 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (‘the independent person’s report’) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must 6 August 2021 Inspection report children’s home: SC025712 7 consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (1) (4)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to improvement in the quality of scrutiny by the independent person, improvement in the quality of written reports and clarity about the sources of information considered in making safeguarding statements about the home.

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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 children’s home: SC025712 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Together Trust Centre, Schools Hill, Cheadle SK8 1JE

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Inspector

Anthony Kyem, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC025712 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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