Children's Home run by Full Circle Care Limited in Tameside

Inspection report for children’s home: SC396104 1 SC396104 Registered provider: Full Circle Care Ltd

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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 owned and managed by a private company. The home provides care for up to six children of the same gender who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, six children were living at the home. Two children spoke with the inspectors and one child shared their views via email.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2025.

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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

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: SC396104 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/10/2024 Full Good 22/01/2024 Full Good 13/09/2022 Full Good 10/08/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC396104 3

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improvement to be good

While children are making positive progress in most areas of their lives, this is not consistently supported by effective management oversight of staff practices. Important details about children’s experiences are not always captured and managers do not always ensure that shortfalls in staff practice are addressed effectively. This limits leaders and managers’ ability to fully understand and evaluate the quality of care being provided.

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improvement to be good

Three children have recently moved into the home and three have moved out. These moves are child-focused, with staff working hard to promote positive endings, especially when moves are unplanned.

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improvement to be good

Staff actively support children’s education, and all children are currently engaged in school or college. This represents significant progress for some children, given their previous disrupted learning experiences. Staff maintain positive relationships with education providers and show persistence in supporting children to attend and engage effectively.

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improvement to be good

Children’s independence is well supported and actively encouraged in the home. Staff help children develop age-appropriate skills that prepare them for adulthood, such as managing daily routines and taking responsibility for personal tasks. While progress varies depending on each child’s starting point, staff remain committed to promoting independence in ways that build children’s confidence.

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improvement to be good

Children say that they are happy living at the home, with some children having lived there for over two years. Staff build positive, trusting relationships with children and work hard to encourage healthy interactions between children. One child said that they ‘love’ living in the home and that they ‘feel comfortable confiding in any of the staff’. Most children get along well, and staff provide consistent support to help children manage any conflicts or challenges in their relationships.

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improvement to be good

Children are actively supported to maintain relationships with those who are important to them. Staff ensure that arrangements are in place for regular visits and phone calls and work closely with families and other professionals to promote positive connections.

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improvement to be good

Children are confident that staff listen to their views and act on these. Staff are strong advocates for children and have challenged professionals when there have been delays in care planning, or children’s views have not been considered effectively.

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improvement to be good

Staff know children well and understand their individual risks. However, staff do not implement risk management strategies consistently. While there is no evidence that children Inspection report for children’s home: SC396104 4 have come to harm, this inconsistency can affect staff’s ability to provide stable and predictable care.

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improvement to be good

Staff are skilled in de-escalation techniques, and physical intervention is rarely used, with only one recorded incident. The incident is well documented. However, the child and staff involved were not spoken to about the intervention. This limits opportunities for reflection and reduces the overall effectiveness of behaviour management oversight.

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improvement to be good

Significant incidents are generally responded to appropriately. However, in one instance, when a child was suspected of substance misuse, the staff response was limited. A senior staff member did not identify the shortfalls in practice.

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improvement to be good

On one occasion, when a child sustained a head injury, staff did not seek timely medical attention or follow the home’s health and safety procedures. The senior staff member’s evaluation of the incident was insufficient. Although the child did not experience lasting harm, the lack of appropriate action placed them at potential risk.

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improvement to be good

The quality of records and direct work with children varies. Some documents provide clear, detailed accounts of children’s experiences and progress. However, others lack sufficient detail and have limited reflection of the impact of this work on children’s outcomes.

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improvement to be good

The manager and staff are unclear about the status of one child’s deprivation of liberty order, with some staff believing that the order has expired. During the inspection, the registered manager was unable to locate documentation confirming this. Staff have worked with the child’s social worker and have a clear agreement regarding the child’s independent time, which is being consistently followed. However, clearer oversight and communication are needed to ensure that all staff are fully informed and confident in managing any restrictions in place to support the child’s safety.

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improvement to be good

When children are missing from the home, staff respond promptly and follow correct procedures. Staff work closely with relevant agencies and take immediate steps to locate and safeguard the children. Staff have worked hard to identify triggers for these incidents and support children to address these. As a result, incidents of children being reported as missing have reduced.

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

The manager has recently registered with Ofsted, having previously worked as one of two deputy managers of the home. A second long-standing deputy has also recently left, resulting in a significant change in the management team.

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

The registered manager is enthusiastic, child-focused and has a clear vision for developing the home. He has identified areas for improvement and has begun to make progress. However, some areas of practice, including oversight of staff recording, risk assessments and staff consistency, require further strengthening to ensure that improvements are fully embedded. Inspection report for children’s home: SC396104 5 One child moved into the home the day before the inspection. Although the move was generally well planned and child-centred, the registered manager did not include details of a significant incident involving the child in the initial risk assessment. This information was clearly detailed within the referral documents. The manager had implemented safeguards including a team of waking night staff to manage any potential risk. However, by failing to include this information, the effectiveness of these safeguarding arrangements was

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

There are gaps in how the staff receive supervision. When supervision does take place, some records show limited reflection on practice, reducing opportunities for staff to review their practice and receive guidance on how to develop in their role. When shortfalls in staff practice are identified, clear action plans are put in place to support improvement. However, the impact of these actions is not consistently reviewed or measured.

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

The registered manager has identified the need for closer monitoring and more consistent action to ensure that all incidents are addressed promptly and thoroughly. However, this approach is not yet fully embedded in practice in the home.

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

Team meetings are held regularly and are well attended. These meetings provide staff with opportunities to share information about children, reflect on daily practice and discuss changes in the home. Staff speak positively about the manager’s support. Staff say they feel supported and valued, and acknowledge that despite changes in leadership, team morale has remained positive. Inspection report for children’s home: SC396104 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 standard.’ 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—

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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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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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; 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 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that when children experience head injuries, appropriate medical advice is sought and followed consistently. 20 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— 20 November 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC396104 7 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

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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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)(a)(e)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that there are effective monitoring procedures in place to oversee staff practice and address shortfalls in a timely and consistent manner.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c) 20 November 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC396104 8 The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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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 children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home;

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all relevant documents, including any changes or expiration of deprivation of liberty orders, are received by the home in a timely manner.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered manager must ensure that when children move into the home care planning documents include all known information and areas of risk. 20 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 signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all children’s records are up to date and are reflective of children’s current plans and progress. 20 November 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC396104 9 The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all staff receive regular supervision that provides opportunity for reflection and supports professional development. 20 November 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: SC396104 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Full Circle Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 4 Lyme Vale Court, Parklands Business Park, Lyme Drive, Stoke-on-trent, Staffordshire ST4 6NW

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Inspectors

Carrie Mayes, Social Care Inspector Leanne Carr, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC396104 11 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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