Children's Home run by Social AdVentures Limited in Salford

Inspection report for children’s home: 2785828 1 Registered provider: Social Adventures Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for up to three children who may have experienced social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, two children were living at the home. One child had previously moved out.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2024.

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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: 16 December 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: 2785828 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/12/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2785828 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out and another has moved into the home. The child spoken with during the inspection said they feel safe and trust staff. They were looking forward to going on a trip with a member of staff they have a close relationship with. Children benefit from a stable and consistent staff team and are able to identify trusted adults who support them. While not all children immediately connect with every member of staff, they are supported to build trust and feel secure.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are listened to and encouraged to take part in activities that reflect their interests. Staff use what children say to plan experiences that are meaningful and enjoyable. A staff member supported one child to build their own greenhouse. This staff member recognised and encouraged their interest. Another child is preparing to travel abroad to see family, with staff providing practical and emotional support and working closely with those who are important to the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are well supported to make progress and prepare for their future. For example, staff work closely with children to explore both educational and vocational pathways, ensuring that individual needs and preferences are taken into account. Where college may not be the right option, alternative routes such as apprenticeships are considered, helping children make informed choices about their next steps.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children are out of education, managers make sure there are learning opportunities and take advice from other professionals. Activities such as outdoor learning and one-to-one teaching help children to build confidence and promote clear routine. Staff support children emotionally, making sure they can share their views and feel part of decisions that affect them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are involved in creating their behaviour support plans, helping staff understand their triggers and the approaches that work best when they are upset. Staff follow these plans calmly and consistently, which helps children feel supported. This has a positive impact on behaviour, and incidents are rare.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported with praise books, where staff regularly write positive and encouraging messages, such as ‘Thank you for being a superstar today’ or ‘We are very proud of you.’ In addition, children have memory books that document their experiences and significant moments. These memory books help children reflect on their personal journey, making meaningful connections with their past and supporting their emotional development when they look back on these experiences.

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

Children are generally kept safe, and incidents of them going missing from the home are infrequent. Children have individual plans that set out clear actions for staff to Inspection report for children’s home: 2785828 4 follow. On one occasion, staff remained in contact with known people but did not search a location identified in the child’s plan. When the child was found, they were vulnerable and under the influence of substances. Although staff provided close supervision on return, they did not seek medical advice. This response did not fully consider the risks to the child’s health and safety.

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

Staff safeguard children when there are concerns about their welfare. This includes staff carrying out thorough room searches where necessary. Children are informed why a room search is going to take place and understand why this is happening. Most searches are managed well, but one incident caused a child to become upset due to how it was handled. Staff supported the child at the time and used the experience to reflect and improve their practice.

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

Behaviour management is good. Staff help children to understand their behaviour through using clear and fair consequences to promote positive behaviours. Staff explain these decisions and guide children to think about their actions. Responses such as supervised spending, loss of privileges or paying for damage are used to encourage children to take responsibility for their actions. Staff stay calm and consistent, helping children learn from situations, even when they do not agree. This approach supports positive behaviour and keeps the number of incidents low.

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

When children have made an allegation against staff, these concerns are taken seriously, and children are supported. Investigations are carried out in line with safeguarding procedures, with advice sought from the local authority designated officer to ensure the right actions are taken. Children are told what has happened. As a result, children feel safe, listened to and reassured that their concerns are being addressed.

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

Children know how to make a complaint and feel confident in doing so. When they raise concerns, these are taken seriously and addressed without delay. Managers listen and respond, including using restorative sessions to help repair relationships. As a result, children feel heard and supported, and issues are resolved in ways that help improve trust and strengthen relationships with staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers provide consistent leadership that helps staff feel confident in their roles. The manager is skilled and experienced and is supported by an experienced responsible individual and deputy manager. Staff enjoy working at the home and have built strong, trusting relationships with children. This creates a stable and nurturing environment where children feel safe and valued.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff either hold or are working towards relevant qualifications. Each person has a tailored training plan that reflects their role and development needs. This helps staff build the skills they need to support children effectively. Leaders respond to feedback and make changes that improve practice. This is a strength of the home and contributes to the delivery of high-quality care. Inspection report for children’s home: 2785828 5 Managers and staff regularly review children’s experiences and respond to their needs. For example, when a child struggled with eating, staff worked together to help them try new foods. This thoughtful and responsive approach improves children’s well-being and helps them feel understood.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has clear oversight of incidents and has a plan in place for future development. Lessons learned are shared with staff, helping good practice to grow and improving the care children receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff attend training that reflects the needs of children, such as autism awareness. However, formal appraisals have not yet taken place. This limits the ability to fully review staff development and update training plans.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision sessions allow staff to reflect on their well-being, discuss behaviour and safeguarding and identify training needs. Staff complete a self-reflection tool to support this process. These sessions help staff improve their practice and identify further support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings offer staff a valuable chance to reflect on and learn from recent events. These sessions help the team think about what is working well and where things could be improved, especially when reviewing incidents. They also include opportunities to refresh important skills, such as safeguarding, so staff stay confident and well equipped to support children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals have highlighted the team’s strong sense of commitment and teamwork, often noting how staff go above and beyond to provide consistent care, even in challenging situations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Records do not always reflect language that is caring and, at times, contain wording that could be considered stigmatising. Leaders and managers have recognised these shortfalls and have plans in place to address them through staff training, guidance, and closer oversight of recording practices to ensure they align with the home’s values and support children’s dignity. Inspection report for children’s home: 2785828 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 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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child's welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home's child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the home's day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm;

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home's child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that where there are concerns regarding a child’s safety when they are 27 October 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2785828 7 missing from home, immediate action is taken to locate the child and medical advice is sought where there are concerns for their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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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)(a)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff have an annual appraisal completed by a person with appropriate experience 27 October 2025

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. They should avoid using potentially stigmatising language and use child-focused language consistently in records. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations,’ Page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 2785828 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Social Adventures Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 1 St Philips Place, Salford, Greater Manchester M3 6FA

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Melanie McGuinness

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Inspector

Nicola Forrester, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2785828 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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