Children's Home run by Rochdale Borough Council in Rochdale

Inspection report for children’s home: SC034922 1 SC034922 Registered provider: Rochdale Borough Council 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 local authority. It provides care for up to four children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home. Three children have moved out of the home since the last inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2021.

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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

Date of last inspection: 22 January 2025

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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: SC034922 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/03/2024 Full Good 21/03/2023 Full Good 19/10/2021 Full Good 28/08/2019 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC034922 3

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improvement to be good

The experiences of the children living in this home have been varied. Some children have made positive progress and have moved on to live independently in the community. However, other children have not always maintained their progress, and some have even regressed at times. Children have continued to take part in serious and risky behaviours that are harmful to their health and well-being. Although the staff understand the risks, the support and care they have offered the children has not led to their increased safety.

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improvement to be good

Only one child has lived at the home in recent months. The manager, along with senior leaders, has acknowledged that they cannot fully meet the child’s needs, and they have been actively involved in identifying a more suitable setting for them. The manager, along with the staff, has demonstrated a great deal of sensitivity and understanding, and they are focused on minimising any unnecessary distress that a further move may cause the child.

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improvement to be good

The home environment continues to improve, with children’s bedrooms and communal areas being recently redecorated. The overall maintenance and decor are good, and the home feels welcoming and is a pleasant place to be, with plenty of space for children to engage in activities or spend time relaxing in their own space.

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improvement to be good

Managers and staff work effectively with partner agencies to promote children’s physical and mental health. Regular case management meetings are held with external professionals and the local authority’s clinical team. Specialist help is made available to children according to their needs. This help is made available as soon as it is needed. However, for the child currently living at the home, this help has not yet had a meaningful impact on improving their day-to-day experiences.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage children to get up at a reasonable time, eat at regular mealtimes and participate in constructive activities, such as swimming, pamper nights and visits to places of interest. The results have been mixed, with some children often declining to take part. Despite this, the staff remain persistent in their efforts to provide children with new and varied experiences that they can enjoy.

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improvement to be good

Some children have struggled with their education attendance. Staff understand these struggles and work closely with education providers and the virtual school to tackle any barriers to learning. While progress is mixed, staff continue to advocate for children to ensure that they receive the right support to progress in their learning.

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improvement to be good

Children’s rights are respected and promoted. Since the last inspection, the manager has established improved links with an independent advocate who now offers drop-ins at the home. This helps to ensure that children have someone separate from the staff team to talk to and have a say in what is important to them. Inspection report for children’s home: SC034922 4

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improvement to be good

There has been a very unsettled period at the home, with one child exhibiting high-risk behaviours. The increased risks have been recognised by the management team, and further training and development opportunities have been implemented to assist the staff in caring for children with complex needs. Additionally, practitioners are working together to gain a full overview of the child’s situation and offer a coordinated approach to support. However, despite these efforts, risks have continued to increase, and there have been further incidents of the child going missing and engaging in behaviours that could place them, or others, at risk of harm.

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improvement to be good

The child goes missing on a regular basis. There are clear plans in place that help to guide staff practice when this occurs. This includes searching for the child and maintaining close liaison with the local police to locate the child as quickly as possible. Overall, staff understand the risks. However, on a very small number of occasions, staff have not been vigilant enough, meaning that the child was able to evade safeguarding processes and leave the home or activities undetected. On these occasions, practice has fallen below expected standards and resulted in increased risks to the child. Positively, the manager has taken action to address this and has revised ways of working to reduce the risk of reoccurrence.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments are reviewed and regularly updated. Overall, these plans identify the level of support and action required by staff to mitigate all risks. However, the inspector identified an absence of a coherent risk assessment in relation to child sexual exploitation. The manager took immediate action during the inspection to rectify this. He is taking action to share this assessment with the staff team so that they are fully informed and guided in relation to this area of risk.

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improvement to be good

Not all staff have consistently followed the agreed method of behaviour management, as set out in the statement of purpose. On a small number of occasions, albeit significant, staff have responded in a punitive way to children’s behaviour. Consequences are not restorative and are focused on the removal of things that are important to children. These responses have limited opportunities for staff to support children in learning how to manage their feelings effectively, and they do not help prevent further escalation.

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improvement to be good

Allegations and complaints from others are taken seriously and investigated, with appropriate action taken by the manager. Recruitment of new staff is also robust, with appropriate checks and references being sought before new starters join the team.

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improvement to be good

Significant events are notified to the relevant parties in a timely manner, and responses to these are clearly recorded in children’s records. Inspection report for children’s home: SC034922 5

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

The home benefits from having an experienced registered manager. He is knowledgeable and demonstrates a commitment to children in his care. A deputy manager supports him, and they work well as a team. Both acknowledge the shortfalls identified at this inspection. They are reflective practitioners and know their strengths and areas for development well.

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

When needed, the manager raises placement concerns appropriately with senior leaders in the placing authority. He, along with the team, supports children when they move on to alternative settings. The manager is aware of the importance of promoting continuity for children but also acknowledges when a placement is no longer effective in meeting complex needs. When placements have ended, they have done so in a planned way. The manager has engaged in learning and reflected on practice at the home to identify potential areas for improvement in the future. This demonstrates an ongoing commitment to improving the service and meeting the complex and challenging needs of children.

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

External professionals said the manager and staff team communicate effectively with them and share weekly updates of the child’s progress. Collaborative practice is something the manager and staff do well, which was echoed in the comments received by several external professionals who the inspector spoke with during the inspection.

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

There are sufficient staff to meet children’s needs. The staff members spoken to demonstrated a strong commitment to their roles, but they also expressed feelings of fatigue and burnout during this challenging period. There has been some sickness in the team, but gaps in the rota have been covered by staff from the local authority’s other homes and casual staff. This has helped to reduce the levels of disruption for the child.

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

All staff receive regular supervision, which enables them to discuss and reflect on their practice. Staff spoken with as part of this inspection reported that the support they have received from the manager is welcomed, and they speak highly of his approach.

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

An independent person carries out monthly external monitoring of the home. When shortfalls are identified, the manager implements action plans swiftly.

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

Internal monitoring is less robust. Record-keeping is not systematic enough and prevents effective oversight. Examples include an out-of-date training matrix, meaning that it was difficult to track what staff have attended. Additionally, information to inform data collection, such as the number of police call-outs to the home, is disjointed. This makes it difficult to ascertain the information needed quickly. In response, the manager has tasked the deputy to review some of the systems to help facilitate improvements. Inspection report for children’s home: SC034922 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 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;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h)) 6 October 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;

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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; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare, and 6 October 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC034922 7 that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protected each child from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that staff identify and respond effectively to reduce all potential risks for children and that children’s risk assessments are updated to offer clear guidance and strategies for guiding staff practice.

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; and protect and promote each child’s welfare. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that children receive consistent care that helps them to build trusting relationships with all staff and that children’s behaviour is managed consistently in line with the home’s chosen model of practice. 6 October 2025

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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: SC034922 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Rochdale Borough Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Number One Riverside, Smith Street, Rochdale OL16 1XU

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Inspector

Ceri Evans, His Majesty’s Inspector, Social Care Inspection report for children’s home: SC034922 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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