Children's home run by Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council

Inspection report for children’s home: SC034012 1 SC034012 Registered provider: Tameside Metropolitan 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 owned and operated by a local authority and can provide care for one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, no child was living at the home. The child who has recently moved on from the home spoke to the inspector over the telephone about their experiences of living there.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is on extended leave from the home. An interim manager has been managing the home. She has applied to register with Ofsted.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC034012 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/10/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 26/06/2024 Full Inadequate 30/08/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 17/05/2023 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: SC034012 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child who has recently moved on from the home said they felt happy during their time there. Staff spoke with genuine warmth and pride about the child, and records consistently indicate that the child felt that this was their home. This nurturing approach has contributed to the child’s sense of belonging and self-worth.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff responded promptly and effectively to the child’s health needs. There is clear evidence of appropriate escalation to specialist services, including child and adolescent mental health services, when required. This ensured that the child received timely and targeted support to maintain their emotional and psychological well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s enrolment in education is an area where the staff excelled. The child had not been attending school for several years before living at this home. Staff supported engagement with learning and helped them overcome previous barriers. This reflects the home’s commitment to promoting educational progress and aspiration.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff demonstrated dedication to the child’s health needs. During a hospital admission, staff remained with the child throughout, offering care and continuity. Staff’s actions mirrored the care and concern of a parent, highlighting their commitment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child successfully enrolled in and completed a cadet programme with St John Ambulance. This accomplishment reflects their growing confidence and the support they received to pursue meaningful opportunities linked to their future aspirations to be a paramedic.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Key conversations with the child are well documented and demonstrate clear progress over time. These sessions have supported the child’s emotional and personal development and helped them to reflect on their experiences. The staff are working to ensure that the child receives these memories after their recent move.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s memories have been thoughtfully collected and presented. This includes photos, keepsakes and written reflections that celebrate achievements and daily life inside and outside the home. These contribute meaningfully to the child’s life story and reinforce their identity.

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

The child reported feeling safe during their time at the home. This reflects the secure and consistent care provided by staff. Risk plans were regularly reviewed and updated to reflect emerging concerns. This ensured that staff remained alert and responsive to the child’s changing needs. Inspection report for children’s home: SC034012 4 Staff understand their roles relating to safeguarding children, and this was highlighted because they were vigilant in recognising the online risks posed to the child, which resulted in the child meeting an adult outside the home. Their persistence and coordinated action led to a child abduction warning being issued against this individual, which safeguarded the child effectively.

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

Staff members have a thorough understanding of the protocols for managing missing- from-home incidents. Documentation is clear and thorough, demonstrating proactive responses and effective communication with relevant agencies.

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

Room searches are carried out appropriately and recorded in line with expectations. Logs indicate that searches take place regularly when required. This helped to maintain a safe and secure environment for the child.

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

There have been no incidents requiring physical intervention, whereas this was a concern for the child before they moved into this home. This is a positive indicator of the strength of relationships between staff and the child and reflects the staff’s success in promoting de-escalation and emotional regulation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A skilled and dedicated interim manager is managing the home. She leads by example and sets high standards for the team. Her visible presence and hands-on approach have helped staff understand their roles further. Despite managing the home for several months, there were delays in her submitting a full application to register with Ofsted; this has now been submitted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The interim manager has good oversight of all areas of practice in the home. Records are child centred and demonstrate clear progress, particularly in relation to the child’s journey. Files are well maintained and reflect the quality of care provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision, which is timely and purposeful. Supervision records are clear and target-based and allow for effective monitoring of staff development and performance. This contributes to a reflective and motivated workforce.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are held regularly and are well structured. They provide a valuable forum for staff to share updates, reflect on practice and contribute to the development of the home. This supports consistency and cohesion across the team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Training is well managed. Staff have access to a range of learning opportunities that are relevant to their roles. There is emerging evidence of research-informed practice beginning to shape the care provided. However, further work is needed to demonstrate how this is being embedded and making a measurable difference.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home’s statement of purpose has not been updated or submitted to Ofsted as required by regulation. In addition, the recruitment processes managed by the centralised service are not sufficiently robust. Application forms given to the recruiting Inspection report for children’s home: SC034012 5 manager are not consistently checked for the candidates’ full employment histories, potentially compromising safer recruitment standards. Inspection report for children’s home: SC034012 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 registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the full employment histories of candidates invited for interviews are known. This specifically relates to ensuring that the manager receives all necessary information from the recruitment team in the local authority. 10 December 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— 10 December 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC034012 7 keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the statement of purpose is updated and sent to the regulator in a timely manner.

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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: SC034012 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Tameside One, Market Place, Ashton-under-Lyne OL6 6BH

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Responsible individual:

Registered manager: Kayleigh-Marie Taylor

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Inspector

Colin Jones, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC034012 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 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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