Children's home run by Time-Out Children’s Homes Limited in Stockport

Inspection report for children’s home: SC356864 1 SC356864 Registered provider: Time-Out Children’s Homes Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private provider and offers care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, two children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 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: 30 January 2024

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC356864 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/01/2024 Full Outstanding 20/02/2023 Full Outstanding 25/01/2022 Full Good 18/12/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC356864 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Both children spoke to the inspector about their experiences of living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making good progress in all areas of their lives. Staff form positive relationships with children by being calm, honest, and open in their approach.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, three children have been welcomed into the home, and two children have moved out. When a child required a more specialised home, staff supported them to move on positively. Children are helped to move into and on from the home in a planned way.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is tidy, with enough space for the children to relax and socialise. The children’s bedrooms are personalised. However, a lock on one external door limits children’s access to the garden.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children with their education. The staff have high aspirations for the children to achieve their academic potential, and children’s attendance has increased. This helps to boost children’s confidence and enables them to develop their social skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are prioritised. They are registered with local services and receive additional support from external agencies when required. Children’s emotional well-being needs are understood. The home’s therapist also provides support and guidance to staff, enabling them to reflect on and understand the children’s current and emerging needs. However, the investigation into a medication error lacked professional curiosity, and follow-up actions were not fully explored. Records for controlled medications are not always clear.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff regularly provide children with positive activities to develop their interests. One child attends Army Cadets, and the other child enjoys trampolining and being active.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to keep in touch with people who are important to them. Staff have developed positive relationships with children’s family members, who are welcomed into the home. One parent said, ‘They have done an amazing job.’

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

Staff have a good understanding of the children’s needs and the steps to follow to keep them safe. Staff invest quality time in building positive relationships with children. As a result, children trust staff and can talk to them about important things in their lives.

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

Children rarely go missing from home. However, staff understand the risks associated with children going missing and know how to respond if incidents occur. Inspection report for children’s home: SC356864 4 Staff receive training in a therapeutic model, which they apply in their day-to-day practice. One child has required numerous physical interventions to keep them safe. Incidents are well recorded, and children and staff receive debriefs. Staff have worked hard to reflect on what is being communicated by the child. There is management oversight to evaluate practice in the home.

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

Children’s safe care plans are detailed and regularly updated. Any risks are responded to appropriately. When a child has smoked illegal substances in the home, the team has taken appropriate action, liaised with other professionals, and focused on developing trust with the child. However, plans do not clearly identify the actions for staff to take should further incidents occur.

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

Children engage in key-work sessions with staff. These sessions help children understand their emotions and behaviours and provide them with strategies for managing difficult feelings. However, key work in relation to online safety has not been carried out, which is a missed opportunity given the child is required to hand their mobile phone in each day for staff to check. This limits the children’s knowledge and understanding of risks.

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

Safer recruitment practices are in place. All necessary checks are carried out to ensure that only safe adults are employed to work at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is suitably skilled and experienced. She manages another home nearby that is owned by the provider. The manager is child centred and has high aspirations for children and staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a stable staff team that meets the children’s needs. Staff are child focused, nurturing and committed. They say that they feel well supported by the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Regular team meetings are held, which are also attended by the home’s therapist. This ensures that staff’s responses are trauma informed and child focused. However, the minutes are not specific to this home and include information about children living in the provider’s other home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular reflective supervision, inductions and appraisals. Staff are continually learning and developing their practice. Managers check their staff’s safeguarding knowledge and competence.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A comprehensive training programme is in place. Staff value the training and feel it gives them confidence in their role. This ensures that they have the necessary skills to understand and respond to children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager knows the children well and understands their needs. The manager regularly monitors the quality of care provided to the children. She has systems in place to track progress and themes, which includes a care report to review children’s experiences. This enables the manager to understand the home’s strengths and areas Inspection report for children’s home: SC356864 5 for development. However, staff’s opinions are not considered in the report. This decreases opportunities to ensure that feedback is used to develop practice in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC356864 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 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

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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(b) (2)(a)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that investigations are professionally curious and follow-up actions are fully explored. In addition, team meeting minutes must be specific to the home. 1 May 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of the information from independent and internal monitoring systems to ensure continuous improvement. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)  The registered person should ensure that children are helped to manage their own safety inside and outside of the home. Staff should help children understand how to feel supported and protected when online and using electronic devices. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.9)  The registered person should ensure that they review and assess the risk of the presence and function of locks on external doors. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10) Inspection report for children’s home: SC356864 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children’s plans clearly identify all actions for staff to take should there be further incidents of a child smoking illegal substances in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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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: SC356864 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Time-Out Children’s Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 2, Ripponden Mill, Mill Fold, Ripponden, Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire HX6 4DH

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Dominic Macauley

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Inspector

Michelle Snape, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC356864 9 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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