Children's home run by The Together Trust in Stockport

Inspection report for children’s home: SC025713 1 SC025713 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 run and managed by a charitable organisation. It is registered to provide care for up to three children who may have emotional and/or social difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 16 October 2019

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC025713 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/10/2019 Full Good 19/12/2018 Full Good 27/09/2017 Full Good 24/01/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC025713 3

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outstanding

From individual starting points, all children make significant progress. As a result, children’s outcomes improve considerably.

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outstanding

Staff have extensive knowledge, skills and experience. They develop strong and warm relationships with children. They are resilient and support children to overcome trauma and abuse. One child said: ‘I love it here; it’s not like a care home, staff are like a family to me. The staff here have brought me up.’ These trusting relationships enable children to flourish.

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outstanding

During the COVID-19 pandemic, staff went to exceptional lengths to care for children. Staff moved into the home. They put up a marquee in the garden to ensure that families could come and see their children safely. When schools were closed, staff arranged a school prom to ensure that children were able to celebrate their end of year. Children thrived, despite the COVID-19 restrictions.

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outstanding

From admission to the home, children are supported to attend school and as a result their educational attendance and progress are exceptional. When children struggle with education, staff are creative in supporting children to re-engage.

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outstanding

The members of the staff team are passionate about promoting the rights of the children in their care. The home has an ethos of empowering the children.

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outstanding

The manager ensures that equality and diversity issues are embedded throughout the home’s care and placement planning. Identity needs are understood by staff and children are supported effectively. Children are taught to embrace and accept diversity and learn about the world around them.

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outstanding

Stakeholders are impressed with the standards of care and commitment to improving children’s experience and progress. One social worker said: ‘I think they are brilliant. No job has been too big.’ All professionals were unanimous in their praise for this home.

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outstanding

Safeguarding arrangements are excellent. Staff manage a range of complex safeguarding behaviours effectively. Managers rigorously review safeguarding incidents. This ensures that safeguarding practice is robust.

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outstanding

From the point of admission, risks are well understood. Staff put in place clear strategies to manage risk. While risk reduction for children is not linear from their starting points, risks have significantly reduced. When risks reduce, children gain a Inspection report for children’s home: SC025713 4 higher level of independence. This is a great motivator for children to keep themselves safe.

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outstanding

Behaviour management is excellent and children are not restrained. Theory-based approaches underpin how the staff manage children’s behaviour. Staff understand the impact of early life trauma on children. Staff manage children’s individual behaviours exceptionally well. This enables staff to de-escalate difficult situations and support children effectively to manage their own behaviour.

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outstanding

On the rare occasions when children go missing from home, they experience well- coordinated responses from staff. This is effective in reducing the actual, or risk of, harm to them. Social workers confirm that safeguarding situations, including incidents of going missing, are well managed.

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outstanding

Staff have excellent safeguarding knowledge. They benefit from a comprehensive training programme. Staff understand, and can respond well to, a range of complex issues, including self-harm and child sexual exploitation.

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outstanding

Safeguarding practice shows strong partnership working. This means children benefit from a wraparound approach to keeping them safe. Allegations are managed in line with procedures and show robust safeguarding practice.

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outstanding

The registered manager attends local safeguarding meetings. The home has a locality risk assessment, but this does not include the views of stakeholders. Consultation is necessary to capture all known locality risks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leadership and management arrangements are exceptional. The home is led by a highly motivated management team. Internal and external quality assurance processes drive continual improvement. Managers and staff are aspirational for the children to ensure that they fulfil their individual potential.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager ensures that staff provide consistent standards of outstanding care. Managers promote the professional development of all staff. Staff benefit from high standards of support and monitoring. This enables the team to provide high-calibre, bespoke care for children with a diverse range of complex needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is a happy work environment. Staff are passionate about their roles. They have a shared commitment to ensuring that children benefit from the highest standards of care. One member of staff said: ‘It’s an absolutely amazing place to work. I consider I have the best job in the world.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Strong partnership working with partner agencies, such as placing authorities and health professionals, promotes children’s capacity to develop and thrive. A social worker said: ‘This home has excellent management and staff work hard to ensure Inspection report for children’s home: SC025713 5 that children’s needs are met.’ A safeguarding professional said: ‘The excellent staff team and fantastic leadership has enabled this child to progress towards their goals.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers go to exceptional lengths to listen to the wishes and feelings of children. This empowers children and builds self-confidence. This has led to one child working with the clinical psychologist and helping to deliver self-harm training to the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home environment conveys to children that they are valued. The registered manager said: ‘We provide a home for children, rather than a children’s home.’ The home is maintained to high standards. The interior and exterior provide space for play, privacy and group activities. Children are proud of their home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager works tirelessly to provide the best possible care for children. She actively works on behalf of children’s rights, both at a local and national level. She advocates on behalf of children and challenges decisions which are not in the child’s best interests. Inspection report for children’s home: SC025713 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should include in their review of the suitability of the location and premises of the home any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing these. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)

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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: SC025713 7

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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

Amanda Ellis, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC025713 8 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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