Children's home run by Time-Out Children’s Homes Limited in Stockport

Inspection report for children’s home: SC357468 1 SC357468 Registered provider: Time-Out Children’s Homes Limited

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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 owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care for one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 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: 25 September 2024

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC357468 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/09/2024 Full Outstanding 13/12/2023 Full Good 07/06/2022 Full Outstanding 24/05/2021 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC357468 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home provides the child with stability and continuity of care. The child has lived in the home for five years and key members of staff have cared for the child throughout this time. A small team of staff works in the home to ensure that the child has staff who are familiar to them. When additional staff are introduced to the child, this is well planned to help the child adjust to these arrangements, to lessen any worries.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is supported to develop trusting and secure relationships with staff at their own pace. The relationships developed help the child to explore their hobbies, interests and engage in activities. This helps the child to widen their experiences and develop their social skills with staff that know them well. The child has recently enjoyed a holiday abroad; this is a significant achievement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is making good progress in their learning. Staff work exceptionally well with professionals to ensure that the child is prepared for their day in order to optimise their engagement in school. Staff communication with school is a strength of this service. In addition, staff support the child in their learning within the home, and this helps the child to develop their reading and writing skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The health needs of the child are important to staff. The child is registered with a local dentist, doctors’ surgery and opticians. The child’s emotional health is supported by the in-house therapist. Staff use advice and support that is shared in meetings. This means that all staff are working towards the same plan and are consistent in their approach.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff regularly listen to the child to gather their wishes and feelings. The child’s views are captured in various ways and are detailed in their records. When an incident takes place in the home that may be upsetting for the child, staff take time to help the child explore their feelings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to spend time with their family and loved ones. The child’s time with their family has developed from taking place in a contact centre to taking place in the community, with close support from staff. This ensures that the child stays connected with their family and maintains their identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s movements inside the home and their exit out of the home are restricted. Staff always lock the front door with a key and there are restrictions to prevent the child leaving the grounds of the property. Communal room doors are also locked when there is an incident in the home. The restrictions have been in place long term to help staff manage risks and behaviours. In addition, there are inadequate arrangements for the child to exit the home safely in case of a fire or emergency. Inspection report for children’s home: SC357468 4

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

The staff are increasing their understanding of the child’s behaviours. A tracker is completed weekly to evaluate the staff observations of the child’s behaviours and presentation, considering impact and any learning. This reduces the likelihood of the child being exposed to unnecessary risk and helps them to feel safe.

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

The frequency of physical interventions in the home has reduced. Records are detailed and provide an understanding of why a child has been held or guided, and the efforts made to prevent this. Discussions with the child and staff help managers to evaluate the interventions, to inform how to best support the child.

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

Few consequences are used in the home. The manager has oversight of these and evaluates their effectiveness. Natural consequences are also used to help the child learn from their experiences. Staff reward the child for positive behaviours, and these far outweigh any negative consequences. The child is rewarded for their positive achievements.

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

There have been no missing-from-home incidents. Staff know the protocols to follow and the action to take if the child was to go missing.

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

The child receives appropriate supervision and support to keep them safe. Staff work with the child independent from their colleagues unless additional support is required. Staff know the child’s risks and vulnerabilities and follow their plans. However, some information in the child’s plans is inaccurate and not up to date.

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

Key-worker sessions take place regularly in the home. Staff work creatively with the child to explore many subjects, including risks and behaviours. Planned work is completed with the child to help them reach their targets, and their progress is evaluated. Some work to help the child understand what to do in case of an emergency, given the lone working arrangements, is still to be completed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is experienced and has systems in place to ensure that she has good oversight of the home. Monitoring and audit systems are used to ensure that all areas of the home and staff training and support are up to date. The senior managers also complete regular audits to identify where improvements can be made.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is a strong advocate for the child. Escalation to the placing authority takes place when additional services are needed for the child. In addition, the manager has recently secured the allocation of a known social worker to the child to ensure that the child has a professional in place who is familiar to them and understands their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision sessions for staff take place regularly and provide an opportunity for staff to reflect on their practice. The managers are keen to develop their staff and have clear Inspection report for children’s home: SC357468 5 pathways to ensure that staff can develop their skills and assume additional responsibilities and roles within the organisation. Feedback from staff was unanimous that they feel well supported by the managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings take place regularly and provide an opportunity for group reflection on practice and the child in their care. Research and learning are embedded into the meetings to support staff to develop their knowledge about new subjects or extend existing learning. The manager also holds meetings with senior staff and the management team to consider and review the quality of care within the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC357468 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

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 7 November 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include accurate details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis. In particular, the registered person should ensure that the child’s plans are reviewed and include up to date and correct information. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standard’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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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 Inspection report for children’s home: SC357468 7 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: SC357468 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Time-Out Children’s Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 2, Ripponden Mill, Mill Fold, Ripponden, Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire HX6 4DH

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Inspector

Joanne Wallis, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC357468 9 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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