Children's Home run by Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council in Tameside

Inspection report for children’s home: 1263766 1 Registered provider: Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council

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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 local authority home provides care for up to four children who may experience social and/or emotional and learning difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Four children were living at the home at the time of this inspection. The inspectors spoke to two of the children about their experiences of living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered since December 2024. The authority has recently appointed a new responsible individual, and we are currently checking that this person has the relevant capacity, experience and skills to carry out the role.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1263766 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/07/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 30/04/2024 Full Inadequate 22/08/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 30/05/2023 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 1263766 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children say that they are happy living in this home. Since the last inspection, no child has moved into or out of the home. This has helped children to feel settled and enabled staff to develop strong relationships with them. As a result of being settled, children are making progress in all areas of their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health and emotional needs are prioritised. Children are spoken to and listened to in this area. Children are cared for by staff, who care about them and know how to keep them safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have clear aspirations for their futures. They are supported to do well and engage in education through staff using creative methods to support their learning. Staff understand the value of education for children’s futures and children have been helped to make progress. When one child ceased to attend an educational provision, they were supported to gain employment and develop interests. They have since enrolled at college and are helped to engage in their education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy spending time together and are provided with lots of opportunities to go on activities and days out specific to their own likes and interests. Children are supported to have friends and family visit them at home to ensure that important relationships are maintained.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are not always afforded the same opportunities as their peers in relation to holidays and sleepovers. Senior managers do not have an individualised approach to such requests and responses limit children’s experiences.

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

Children say that they are safe in the home and that there have been lots of positive changes since the last inspection.

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

The manager and staff ensure that children’s risks and vulnerabilities are known and managed appropriately by staff, who know the children well. Risk management plans are updated regularly so that staff understand how to work with the children. When incidents do occur, staff use their positive relationships to identify trigger points and reduce children becoming distressed. Staff have good knowledge of the de-escalation techniques that work with children, and, as a result, the home is a much calmer and pleasant environment for children.

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

Staff understand the procedures to follow when children are missing from home. The manager and staff have introduced a grab bag, which staff can use when they go searching for children. Staff are genuinely concerned about children when they do not Inspection report for children’s home: 1263766 4 return, and they try to understand the reasons behind the missing episodes. As a result of these caring relationships, missing episodes have significantly reduced.

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

Children are educated about the dangers of online risks, and staff help them to manage themselves safely through well-thought-out discussions. Sometimes, these conversations are delicate and can take place due to the positive relationships built between staff and children. When one incident occurred, the manager challenged the decision of other professionals to ensure that the child was well supported and a positive outcome was achieved.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is suitably skilled and experienced. She is supported by a deputy manager, and they have high expectations for children and know them well. Managers and staff create a warm and loving home environment for children and are committed to ensuring that they receive positive experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager provides staff with support and challenge when required. Staff recognise that there have been improvements in the home since the last inspection and feel supported and listened to. Professionals are positive about the care provided and communication from the team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are supported with supervision sessions that are regular and reflective. Team meetings are held regularly and are used as an opportunity to discuss children’s progress and areas where more support is needed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Internal and external monitoring systems have improved since the last inspection. Leaders and managers have clear oversight of children’s progress and are committed to continually improving practice in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 1263766 5

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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 children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

keep the children’s guide and the home’s complaints procedure under review and seek children’s comments before revising either document;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that an explanation is given to each child as soon as reasonably practicable after the child’s arrival about—

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Requirement Due date

how to make a complaint or representations in relation to the home or the care the child receives and how any such complaint or representations will be dealt with; and

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Requirement Due date

what advocacy support or services are available to the child, how the child may access that support or those services and any entitlement the child may have to independent advocacy provision; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the views of each relevant person are taken into account, so far as reasonably practicable, before making a 3 September 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 1263766 6 decision about the care or welfare of a child. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(iii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that decisions made about children’s wishes and feelings, and especially decisions regarding holidays and friends sleeping over, are individual for each child and not made as part of a blanket policy.

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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: 1263766 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Tameside One, Market Place, Ashton-under-Lyne OL6 6BH

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Inspectors

Colin Jones, Social Care Inspector Danielle Allen, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1263766 8 regulates and inspects 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 looked-after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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