Children's Home run by The Together Trust in Stockport

Inspection report for children’s home: SC025739 1 SC025739 Registered provider: The Together Trust

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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 run and managed by a charitable organisation. It is registered to provide care for up to four children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since September 2009.

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Information about this children’s home

Three children were living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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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: good

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Good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC025739 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/07/2024 Full Good 21/11/2023 Full Good 21/03/2023 Full Good 15/03/2022 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC025739 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who move into the home do so in a planned way. They can visit and meet staff before they move in. The home is welcoming and has a large garden with a basketball net and football posts. Children’s bedrooms are personalised, and there are photos of the children displayed in the living room. However, there are parts of the home that need repainting.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children say they like living at the home. They can talk to staff about their needs, and they know that staff will speak up on their behalf. Children’s views are listened to, and they feel settled.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s time with family is prioritised, which helps to sustain their sense of identity. Children’s families speak positively about staff communication. Staff support family members to understand children’s care plans.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s school attendance has improved while living in the home and they are now attending full-time education. Children’s educational needs are understood by staff, who also encourage them to develop their creative skills. Children are supported at key points in their education, including their moves to secondary school and college. Children are rewarded for their achievements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s interests are promoted. They have opportunities to enjoy a range of activities, such as golf, Scouts, hiking and holidays abroad.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are prioritised by staff, who make sure they attend all appointments. Children enjoy a nutritious and healthy diet, and they benefit from planning and cooking meals with staff. Children are supported to work towards their independence and there are incentives linked to the completion of key skills, such as cooking and budgeting.

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

Children are safeguarded. Risk assessments and behaviour support plans are regularly reviewed. When incidents occur, staff and managers take swift and appropriate action in line with children’s plans. Information is shared with multi-agency professionals to ensure that risk management strategies are collaborative.

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

Staff work cohesively to provide consistent care to children. Staff communicate regularly with other professionals to ensure that children receive support that meets their needs.

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

Children have personalised care plans that are strength based and capture children’s views. Plans help to identify the focus of children’s direct work, which includes key topics such as safe relationships, substance misuse and exploitation. Children’s progress is Inspection report for children’s home: SC025739 4 evaluated at team meetings and staff receive updated information at daily handover meetings.

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

Physical intervention is used as a last resort, and children are rarely held. A behaviour support consultant is working with the team to strengthen the use of de-escalation techniques. Staff are positive about this work and the creative strategies being adopted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is currently overseen by an interim manager, who was the deputy manager. They are supported by the responsible individual.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team is stable and benefits from high levels of experience. Staff joining the home have a thorough induction. All staff complete training specific to the needs of children. The manager ensures that staff rotas take account of gender and experience.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have regular supervision which is reflective. The manager completes annual appraisals with all staff to consider areas for learning and development. These would be enhanced with the views of external professionals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager uses a range of systems to oversee practice. This helps to develop practice. Staff are supported with regard to reflective learning and the manager is passionate about using research-driven approaches to build children’s resilience. This helps to drive strength-based approaches in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has strong relationships with partner agencies. Professionals spoke positively about the manager. A headteacher said that staff communication has been strong and that the manager’s allocation of one child’s key worker had been instrumental in their reunification home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC025739 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 6 (2)(c)(i)(ii)) 31 August 2025

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff appraisals take into account, where reasonable and practical, the views of other professionals who have worked with the staff member over the year. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)

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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 Inspection report for children’s home: SC025739 6 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: SC025739 7

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Jon Dutton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC025739 8 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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Inspector

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