Children's Home run by Cornerstone Children’s Homes Limited in Stockport

Inspection report for children’s home: SC394478 1 SC394478 Registered provider: Cornerstone Children’s Homes Limited

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Full inspection 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 company and is registered to provide care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties. At the time of this inspection, three children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered in December 2024.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC394478 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/08/2024 Full Good 29/11/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/01/2023 Full Good 08/03/2022 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC394478 3

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improvement to be good

The inspector spoke with two children during the inspection.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, four children have moved into the home with one child moving in during the inspection. Three children have moved out of the home because of the registered manager feeling that they could no longer meet the children’s needs. These moves have not only had an impact on the children who have had to move out, but also the children who have remained living at the home, with both children saying that they have found the changes difficult. As a result, the team has not delivered the outcomes set out in the home’s statement of purpose.

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improvement to be good

The home is a large property consisting of two joined houses. The home is nicely presented with several different areas for children to enjoy, including a cinema room and a gym. There are photos of children displayed throughout and plenty of books and games. However, children are discouraged from accessing the upstairs area of one of the houses.

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improvement to be good

During the inspection, the upstairs doors were being replaced. There is a plan for further maintenance work to be completed, including in children’s bedrooms. Children like their bedrooms. One child has recently moved into a larger room, which they say helps them to regulate their emotions better when upset or angry.

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improvement to be good

Staff have struggled to support one child to attend school. The manager has ensured that the child has a tutor. They have looked at other ways to prepare the child for a life after education, including a mentorship programme and support to sit functional skills exams. Another child has secured a place at a local college for September and is being supported to explore other options in line with their interests.

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improvement to be good

Children’s health needs are met, and the staff ensure that children are supported and encouraged to attend routine appointments. When children struggle with these, the manager ensures that the appropriate referrals are made. Staff are supported by a clinical psychologist, who attends team meetings and provides advice and guidance around supporting children with their emotional well-being.

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improvement to be good

Children’s interests and talents are encouraged by the staff. One child has recently been able to attend a studio to record his own rap music. Children also enjoy being out on their bikes, go karting and gaming.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to spend time with their families and friends. The manager and staff respond well to quickly changing friendships for one child. This ensures that the risk is managed well and children can spend time with those who they wish to. Inspection report for children’s home: SC394478 4

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, there have been several significant incidents involving different children. Although these incidents were managed well at the time, there are shortfalls in some of the follow up actions taken to ensure that children are safe in the future.

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improvement to be good

There have been three separate incidents of fire-setting involving different children. These fires have been in the community and contained. However, the manager has failed to take appropriate follow up action. The manager and staff have not identified the potential future risk or understood the seriousness of such incidents. As a result, children are not supported to understand the dangers of fire and fire-setting.

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improvement to be good

Children rarely go missing from the home. However, when there has been a need to report children as missing from home to the police, staff have followed robust and clear guidelines. These include searching for the children and ensuring that return home interviews are completed.

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improvement to be good

The use of restraint is rare. When staff have had to restrain children, this has been appropriate and in the best interest of the child to prevent serious injury to themselves and others. However, records are not always clear as to which staff have used which intervention. Additionally, when the manager has been involved in a restraint, the incident has not been reviewed by someone independent, to ensure appropriate oversight.

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improvement to be good

The manager follows safer recruitment principles and ensures that all required information is obtained. Additionally, the manager includes children in the interview process, which ensures that the children have a say about those who come to work in their home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager is currently working towards the relevant qualification, and registered with Ofsted in December 2024.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff say that they feel supported by the manager and receive regular supervision sessions that help to improve their practice. Although these were not always recorded previously, the manager now understands the importance of this and ensures that staff supervision sessions are planned and a record is kept.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager has good relationships with the children living in the home and is readily available to support them and the staff when required. Staff and the manager are trying to educate children on the risks of vaping. However, staff and the manager do not always implement appropriate boundaries for children. For example, they allow children to vape in the garden. Inspection report for children’s home: SC394478 5 The manager uses different methods to ensure that they have oversight of the children’s experiences. However, the most recent quality of care review did not include feedback from children, professionals or parents. Additionally, there was not a plan for development. This is a missed opportunity to make improvements and to understand the impact that the quality of care being provided is having on children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Generally, the staff team has been stable, which ensures consistency for the children. New staff to the home are supported by the manager to complete a robust induction programme.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager has met the requirement and recommendations made at the previous inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: SC394478 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 care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

This relates specifically to the registered manager ensuring that they can meet children’s needs before children move into the home.

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Requirement Due date

This further relates to the registered manager understanding the impact of moves on children, including those who remain living at the home. 6 June 2025

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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

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; and

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)) 6 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC394478 7 This relates specifically to the registered manager and staff being aware of and understanding the risk of children setting fires and helping children to understand the impact of this.

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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; and

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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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(f))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to the registered manager ensuring that they do not allow children to vape in the garden.

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Requirement Due date

This further relates to the registered manager ensuring that the team provides care to children that is consistent with the home’s statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to the registered manager ensuring that they complete quality of care reviews in line with regulation. 6 June 2025

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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

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used; and 6 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC394478 8 within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)— has signed the record to confirm it is accurate. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(iv)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to records of restraint being clear with regards to where staff have held children and the duration.

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Requirement Due date

This additionally refers to the registered manager ensuring that there is independent oversight when they have been involved in a restraint.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children are not discouraged from using or being present in certain areas of their home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)

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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: SC394478 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cornerstone Children’s Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 4th Floor, Centenary House, Centenary Way, Manchester M50 1RF

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Inspector

Kerri Lynch, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC394478 10 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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