Children's home run by The Partnership of Care Today in Stockport

Inspection report for children’s home: SC008608 1 SC008608 Registered provider: The Partnership of Care Today

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a partnership. It provides care for up to two children with social and emotional difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and manager registered with Ofsted in July 2001.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, no children were living in the home.

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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: 15 October 2024

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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: SC008608 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/10/2024 Full Good 28/11/2023 Full Good 28/02/2023 Full Good 08/03/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC008608 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of this inspection, no children were living at the home. Since the last inspection, one child has moved into and out of the home and has returned to their regular provision.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This home provides short-term care for children. Children move in at short notice due to experiencing difficulties in their lives, or while a permanent home can be found for them. While their progress is often limited due to the short timescale of their stays in the home, small achievable goals are set and attained.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

While living at the home, staff ensured that the child was made to feel welcome and safe. The child was supported by staff in the home, who were familiar to them and these staff provided consistency and stability, which ensured that the child’s experience was positive. This stability ensured that the child returned positively to their permanent home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff worked hard to meet the child’s health needs well and ensured the safe administration of prescribed medication.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff supported the child to develop their independence skills by encouraging them to help with daily tasks, such as cooking and keeping their bedrooms clean and tidy. These tasks help the child to build independence skills and prepare them for adult life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff supported the child to spend time and remain in contact with their family. This encouraged the child to stay connected with people who are important to them and supported their identity and sense of belonging.

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

Staff ensure clear boundaries and provide a good structure to ensure that the child felt safe in the home. Staff understood the child’s needs well. There were no safeguarding incidents when the child lived at the home, which represented progress for the child.

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

There have been no episodes of the child going missing since the last inspection. There are missing-from-home protocols in place and staff understand what action they would need to take if the child went missing from the home.

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

There have been no incidents of restraint since the last inspection. This is because staff know the child well and are able to de-escalate situations when required. Staff promote and reinforce positive behaviour by using praise and rewards. Inspection report for children’s home: SC008608 4 Discussions with the child were individualised to the needs of the child. Topics covered show that areas of risk were discussed. This shows that the child was being helped to learn what it means to keep themselves safe.

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

The home environment is physically safe, with measures in place to ensure that the home is free from hazards. Regular fire drills ensured that the child knew what to do in the event of an emergency.

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

Staff are vetted and assessed as suitable before any appointment is confirmed. These procedures promote the safety of children by preventing unsuitable adults from working with them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home continues to be managed by a suitably qualified and experienced registered manager. He is a strong advocate for children and ensures that they are supported to make progress in their life.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have good access to training and development opportunities. These ensure that they have the knowledge and skills they need for their work with the child. Staff are qualified or are working towards gaining the relevant diploma in residential childcare.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff supervision sessions are regular and of good quality. These help staff to generate ideas and to reflect on their practice. However, there are no records of the manager receiving regular supervision. This leaves the manager without a regular opportunity to have his practice reviewed and appraised.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has effective monitoring systems in place to review the quality of care. This monitoring assists leaders and managers to identify areas for development in order for the home to improve the care that children receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Partnership working with educational settings, parents and placing social workers is effective. This ensures that appropriate support is in place to assist the child’s progress and to maximise their potential. Inspection report for children’s home: SC008608 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 registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that the manager receives appropriate one-to-one supervision. 6 October 2025

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Information about this inspection

The inspector has 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: SC008608 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Partnership of Care Today

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2nd Floor, Lansdowne House, 85 Buxton Road, Stockport, Cheshire SK2 6LR

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Inspector

Dave Carrigan, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC008608 7 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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