Children's Home run by Trafford Borough Council in Trafford

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC032475 1 SC032475 Registered provider: Trafford Borough Council

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a local authority. It provides care for up to five children who may experience social or emotional challenges.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, three children were living in the home. The inspector spoke with two of the children.

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Information about this children’s home

There is currently no registered manager in the home. A senior member of staff is supporting the home in the absence of a registered manager.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted judged this home to be inadequate at the full inspection on 16 July 2025. Two compliance notices were issued under Regulation 12 (the protection of children standard) and Regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard). This was due to serious concerns relating to the safety and protection of children and the widespread failings in the leadership and management arrangements of the home.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this monitoring visit was to review the progress and actions taken by the provider to meet the two compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, missing from home incidents have decreased. When children go missing overnight, staff consistently attempt to contact them and search known and local areas throughout the night. A staff member remains awake in the home each night to ensure that staff can respond quickly to keep children safe.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have updated the missing from home plans for all children to ensure that staff know how to respond if any child goes missing. These have been updated each time a child has gone missing to keep information up to date. However, when a child Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC032475 2 was threatened while out in the local area, the missing plan was not updated to reflect this new risk.

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This monitoring visit

While the interim manager now comments on each incident record, this is descriptive rather than evaluative. However, there is some evaluation of these incidents in the manager’s monitoring records.

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This monitoring visit

Staff are now having more regular conversations with children about risks and how to keep themselves safe. Staff are beginning to plan in these sessions to ensure that they are speaking to children about topics that matter most for each child. However, this is not yet embedded into practice. Further training has been arranged for staff to continue to improve this area of practice. Regular management auditing of these sessions is helping to drive further improvements.

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This monitoring visit

Staff’s understanding of safeguarding processes and the role of key professionals has improved. Staff are confident that they know who to speak to if they have any concerns about the care of children. When safeguarding concerns have arisen, staff have responded appropriately to keep everyone safe. Managers have also kept the regulator informed when required.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have benefitted from regular supervisions since the last inspection and most staff have now had their annual appraisal. Senior managers are taking appropriate action to fill staff and manager vacancies.

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This monitoring visit

Following this monitoring visit, a case review was held on 10 September 2025 where it was agreed that the compliance notices have been met. Other requirements made at the last inspection were not considered as part of this visit and have therefore been restated. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC032475 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/07/2025 Full Inadequate 16/04/2024 Full Good 31/10/2023 Full Good 06/12/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC032475 4

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply with 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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(ii)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff complete regular, proactive work with children to help them better understand risk and how to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that any concerns raised by children are fully investigated and shared with other professionals. 1 November 2025

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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

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; 1 November 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC032475 5 understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; and

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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)(d)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the home is suitably staffed with a permanent and stable workforce.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that they have oversight of all work being completed, and that work is evaluated and areas of learning identified in order to make continuous improvements.

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Requirement Due date

A qualified and experienced manager must be appointed and registered at the earliest opportunity.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(c)(e))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that all allegations and serious incidents are fully documented and reported to the regulator. 1 November 2025

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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— 1 November 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC032475 6 ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult;

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iv)(vi)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that proactive work is completed to support children to develop independent living skills. Additionally, children must have the opportunity to explore their cultural heritage and use their native language.

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children are supported to make measurable progress towards achieving their education potential and are helped to do so.

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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

that staff help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support through the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (2)(a)(viii).

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that educational timetables are put into place when children are not in school. These should provide children and staff with an understanding of the academic areas that children need to be supported with. 1 November 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date; and 1 November 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC032475 7 are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children’s files are complete and all documents are available. Children’s files must provide children with a full and clear understanding of their experiences living in this home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the quality of care review incorporates feedback from children, families, and professionals. The quality of care review must be evaluative in nature, and should identify learning from the past six months. This should then be carried forward to create an action plan with clear, measurable goals. 1 November 2025

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC032475 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Trafford Borough Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Town Hall, Talbot Road, Stretford, Manchester M32 0TH

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Inspector

Aislinn Cooper, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC032475 9 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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