Children's Home run by Social Care Services (Clayton) Limited in Wigan

Inspection report for children's home: 2737713 1 Registered provider: Social Care Services 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 operated by a private company. It provides care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, three children were living at the home. They spoke to the inspector about their experiences of living there.

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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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2737713 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/01/2025 Full Good 16/01/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2737713 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two of the children living at the home are settled and have a strong sense of belonging. One child has recently moved in, and staff are working hard to help them settle and feel safe and secure. Staff provide nurturing and consistent care, and children are making progress in all areas of their lives. One child has moved out since the last inspection. Staff supported them to have a well-planned and positive experience of leaving the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Relationships between staff and children are positive. Staff talk about the children with warmth, enthusiasm and pride. Children’s wishes and views are sought regularly, and staff respond promptly to any issues or requests. Children feel comfortable talking to staff and they enjoy spending time with them both inside and outside of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children with their education. They are ambitious for children to do well, and find creative ways to encourage their learning. The manager is actively advocating to find appropriate education provision to meet the children’s needs. All the children are actively engaging in learning and making progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s needs are understood and promoted. Staff encourage children to attend health appointments as required. They provide children with healthy food and teach them how to cook nutritious meals. Staff promote sexual health education and help children to understand the health benefits of not vaping.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to spend time with people who are important to them. Staff have developed positive relationships with children’s family members and communicate with them regularly. This has helped children to maintain key relationships with parents, siblings and friends and enhanced their sense of identity and stability.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a spacious and modern home. The home is well maintained, welcoming and homely. Children’s bedrooms are well furnished and personalised according to their individual tastes. Staff and children creatively decorate the home to celebrate annual events, such as Halloween and Christmas.

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

Children’s risks and vulnerabilities are known and understood. Their risk and behaviour management plans are personalised and provide clear information to staff about what to do if risks arise. Staff and children are starting to benefit from the company’s recent appointment of a therapist. She visits the home and provides bespoke advice to help staff understand the children’s behaviour and what strategies to use to help keep them safe. Inspection report for children's home: 2737713 4 Staff routinely encourage positive behaviour, and children are involved in choosing their rewards, which they respond well to. Regular discussions take place with children about topics that are relevant to them and their age and stage of development. An older child is being helped to develop their skills for independent living, such as budgeting and cooking.

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

Staff consistently instil appropriate routines, rules and boundaries, providing a stable environment. They help children to understand and manage their feelings and behaviours safely. However, consequences are not always clearly explained to children or clearly documented. This limits the child’s understanding of what a consequence is for and when it ends.

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

The frequency of incidents involving children going missing from home has decreased. However, on one occasion, staff did not follow the protocol when a child went missing, which meant that staff missed opportunities to find the child quickly. The manager did not notify Ofsted about the incident as required by regulation. This reduces the regulator’s oversight of practice in the home.

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

Safer recruitment practices are in place to ensure that only adults who are safe to work with children are employed at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is committed, child centred and caring. He is fully involved in the children’s lives and is a strong advocate for them. The manager is supported by an experienced assistant manager and senior worker.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff enjoy working at the home. They work well together as a team to provide consistent and loving care. Staff feel valued and supported by their manager. They described him as supportive and understanding.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager works proactively and effectively with other agencies and professionals. A social worker said that communication from the home is ‘excellent’ and their experience of working with the home as ‘fantastic’. A professional from another agency said, ‘I can’t sing their praises enough, they go above and beyond’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

New staff complete a comprehensive induction programme, and all staff continue to complete training regularly. However, the training is not always consistent or tailored to the needs of the children living at the home. Not all staff have completed training in areas specific to the children in their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is organised and has systems in place to monitor the quality of care provided to the children and progress made. However, oversight of some documents lacks rigour and analysis, which means that some actions are not completed and opportunities to improve practice are missed. The most recent reports, following a review of the quality of care, do not include children’s feedback or a clear plan of action about how to improve the quality of care provided to the children. Inspection report for children's home: 2737713 5

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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 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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff follow each child's protocol when they go missing. 23 January 2026

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

communicate to each child expectations about the child's behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child's age and understanding. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(v)) 23 January 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2737713 6 The registered person much ensure that any consequences given are clearly communicated to the child and clearly recorded.

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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 staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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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 and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; 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)(c)(f)(g)(i)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff receive training to meet the needs of the children living in the home. In addition, the registered person must ensure that practice is thoroughly reviewed and changes are made to make improvements in the quality of care provided. 23 January 2026

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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. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)) 23 January 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2737713 7 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)) 23 January 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that their oversight is meticulous, analytical and child centred when reviewing practice from incidents and direct work sessions and that any actions are completed. ('Guide to the Children's Home Regulations, including the quality standards.') Paragraph 10.24 page 55

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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: 2737713 8

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Social Care Services Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Social Care Services Group, 31 Shaw Road, Stockport SK4 4AG

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Inspector

Zillah Brooks, Regulatory Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2737713 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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