Children's home run by The Together Trust in Stockport

Inspection report for children’s home: SC025740 1 SC025740 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 operated by a charity. It offers care for up to six children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, three children were living in the home. All the children were seen and spoken to by the inspector.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2019.

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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: 17 September 2024

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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: SC025740 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/09/2024 Full Good 05/03/2024 Full Good 22/03/2023 Full Good 08/03/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC025740 3

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improvement to be good

Children have mixed experiences of living in the home. Since the last inspection, two children have moved on from the home in unplanned ways. Both children returned to live with family members. The provider gave notice to end one child’s placement as they were unable to meet the child’s complex needs.

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improvement to be good

Three children have lived in the home for several years and are making progress. The manager and staff are working closely with one child, professionals and family members to ensure that they experience a positive move on from the home.

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improvement to be good

Children’s time with family and friends is promoted. For one child, this includes family members visiting the home every week. Family members say that staff communicate with them regularly and they are kept up to date with important information. However, challenges in communication with family members for one child meant that the child moved on from the home.

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improvement to be good

Managers and staff understand the importance of education for children. All children living in the home attend education regularly. One child has been supported to start a college course. One professional said that the manager and staff were very supportive when identifying an appropriate school for a child.

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improvement to be good

Staff have a good understanding of children’s health needs. Staff work alongside specialist health professionals to ensure that children’s needs are met. This includes making arrangements for a dentist to visit one child at home. Staff are using resources to support another child to understand their specific vulnerabilities because of a health condition. Arrangements for managing medication are safe and promote independence.

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improvement to be good

Staff demonstrate a good understanding of children’s interests and engage them in positive activities that they enjoy. Children regularly attend activities such as dance classes, girl guides and cadets.

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improvement to be good

The home is in need of refurbishment to refresh some areas. Wallpaper is peeling in some areas of the living and dining room. Repairs are needed to the door frame in one child’s bedroom. Surfaces in the garden are lifting and present a hazard. These issues have been identified by the provider but have not been resolved.

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improvement to be good

Safeguarding practices require improvement. On one occasion, an allegation of harm made by a child was not responded to in line with safeguarding procedures. The allegation was not reviewed by the manager in a timely way. The manager did not Inspection report for children’s home: SC025740 4 evaluate this allegation in order to identify any learning effectively. This practice leaves children at risk of harm.

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improvement to be good

Individualised risk assessments are in place and children are encouraged to contribute to these plans. However, one child’s plan does not include adequate information about how staff should respond to risks about self-harm. This does not ensure the child’s safety and welfare.

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improvement to be good

Record-keeping in the home requires improvement. The organisation uses an online recording system. However, incidents are not recorded in a consistent way. This impacts on the manager’s ability to monitor and review safeguarding concerns.

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improvement to be good

Children say that staff talk to them about staying safe when spending time in the community and when using the internet. Staff are knowledgeable about the risks that children may face. Children can identify adults they would speak to if they had any worries.

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improvement to be good

Children rarely go missing from home. On occasions when one child was missing, staff followed the protocol in place. They searched for the child and informed the necessary professionals. Managers ensure that independent return home interviews take place.

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improvement to be good

Positive behaviour is promoted. Children are rarely held to keep them safe. When children have needed to be held to keep them safe, they are given the opportunity to reflect on the incident, where appropriate.

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

The manager is suitably qualified and experienced. She has high aspirations for children living in the home and knows the children well. However, there are shortfalls in the manager’s overall monitoring and oversight.

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

The evaluation of incidents by leaders and managers is not robust. When incidents do occur, they are not reviewed in a timely way. This is a missed opportunity to develop practice in the home and to improve the quality of care provided to children.

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

Notifications of serious incidents are not consistently submitted to Ofsted. This reduces the level of external oversight that should be in place in order to ensure that children are safe and well cared for.

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

Children are supported by a stable staff team. Managers ensure that staff have regular supervision and debriefs following any incidents. Team meetings take place regularly and are well attended. They are used as an opportunity to share important information about children and reflect on staff practice.

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

The emotional impact of caring for children is understood by managers. A commissioned psychologist supports managers and staff to understand children’s needs and develop Inspection report for children’s home: SC025740 5 their practice. When one child moved on from the home, managers and staff were provided with time to reflect on their experiences and consider any lessons learned. Inspection report for children’s home: SC025740 6

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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 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 that staff—

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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

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 effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (2)(a)(i)(vi)(e))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that systems are in place for allegations to be investigated appropriately, and they must ensure that all risk assessments contain clear steps for staff to follow should an incident arise. 26 September 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 promotes their welfare.

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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 the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child 26 September 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC025740 7 and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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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)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that they have oversight of all work being completed and must ensure that incidents are recorded consistently and evaluated in a timely way to establish patterns and trends and identify areas of learning in order to make continuous improvements.

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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; 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. (Regulation 6 (1) (2)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the home is well maintained to a high standard and any damage or maintenance issues are rectified in a timely manner. 7 November 2025

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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 26 September 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC025740 8 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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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children’s records are kept up to date and that recording is accurate, including dates and times. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4).

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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: SC025740 9

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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

Anna Belshaw, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC025740 10 regulates 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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