Children's home run by Together Care Solutions LTD

Inspection report for children’s home: 2833923 1 Registered provider: Together Care Solutions Limited 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 run by a private company. The home provides care for up to five children with learning disabilities. The home also provides short breaks.

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Information about this children’s home

Two children were living in the home at the time of the inspection, and they contributed to the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is led by a registered manager.

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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: not previously inspected

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2833923 2

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improvement to be good

Children live in a well-presented, warm and welcoming home that is maintained to a good standard. The environment is thoughtfully furnished to minimise any potential risks to children and meets the children’s needs. There is ample space to provide opportunities for the children to spend time together socially, as well as to enjoy privacy and quiet time alone when needed.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to take part in shared activities with their peers. This helps them to develop positive relationships and improve their social skills. Staff spend quality time engaging children in a range of enjoyable and purposeful activities, ensuring that they have fun while also developing new skills and interests.

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improvement to be good

Staff work effectively with children’s families to facilitate regular and meaningful family time in line with each child’s care plan. This is a strength of the home. It ensures that children maintain positive connections with their families. Staff demonstrate sensitivity to each child’s background and family circumstances, and families value the consistent support they receive from the manager and staff.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not consistently seek or capture children’s views, wishes and feelings. As a result, the views of the children are, at times, not heard. Some children are nonverbal, and staff have not received training in alternative communication methods or in using various tools to help with communication. This hampers the ability of staff to understand and act on what children are trying to communicate to them.

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improvement to be good

Comprehensive assessments are completed by the manager to ensure that when children are placed together, they are compatible and that their individual needs can be met safely and effectively within the wider group. This careful approach helps to promote positive relationships and stability within the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff have a strong understanding of each child’s individual needs, preferences and personalities. Children benefit from the nurturing and positive relationships they have with staff. This promotes their emotional well-being and sense of security.

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improvement to be good

There are effective systems for the safe administration and recording of medication, and this ensures accuracy and accountability in the management of medication. There have been no medication errors, demonstrating that staff follow established processes consistently and safely. Inspection report for children’s home: 2833923 3 Staff do not yet have the required training to meet the often complex, individual needs of the children. There are gaps in the knowledge and skills of staff, limiting their ability to provide fully effective support. However, the manager was able to provide assurance that relevant training has been identified and is being scheduled to strengthen the capacity of staff to meet children’s needs.

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improvement to be good

Staff have a good understanding of children’s risks and vulnerabilities. Children’s risk assessments are detailed and provide staff with guidance on how to reduce risks to children. However, some plans and assessments still include information from previous homes. This has the potential to cause confusion for staff and affect the effectiveness of current risk management processes.

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improvement to be good

The manager has a solid understanding of the importance of robust safer recruitment for new staff coming to work at the home. As a result, only adults who are deemed safe to work with children are employed to work in the home. This means that children’s welfare and protection remain their top priorities.

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improvement to be good

Incidents of concern are usually managed appropriately, with prompt actions taken to ensure the safety of children. However, on one occasion, a child’s risk assessment was not followed, which could have placed the child at risk. Managers review all incidents to assess the effectiveness of responses from staff. However, learning is not consistently shared with the wider team to inform and improve care practice.

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

The manager is very experienced and has brought stable leadership to the home. However, due to staff shortages and gaps in staff’s training and knowledge the manager has had to work increased hours on duty. As a result, this has impacted on the capacity of the manager to monitor and provide the oversight he would have expected. Internal audit systems are not yet embedded, which limits the manager’s ability to identify shortfalls and implement the required changes.

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

The manager’s capacity to provide regular, formal supervision to staff has been compromised. Not all staff have received supervision in line with the organisation’s specified time frames. Moreover, the quality of supervision records is inconsistent. Records do not consistently show reflective discussions, representing a missed opportunity to support staff development and professional growth. Despite this, staff say that they feel well supported by the management team.

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

Since the home’s registration, staff have not participated in any team meetings. This has limited the opportunities for staff to come together to reflect on what is working well, identify areas for development and discuss children’s progress. The manager recognises the importance of these meetings in supporting staff practice and has plans in place to ensure these are held regularly, going forwards. Inspection report for children’s home: 2833923 4 New staff employed to work in the home receive a thorough induction, which includes being made aware of their individual safeguarding roles and responsibilities, as well as fire safety and medication procedures. This induction provides staff with the foundation to go on and further develop into the role.

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

Feedback from professionals and family members indicates a good level of satisfaction with the quality of care provided to children. Communication between staff, families and partner agencies is highlighted as a key strength, contributing to effective collaboration and positive outcomes for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2833923 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 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

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 staff work as a team where appropriate;

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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

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should provide staff with supervision in line with the home’s policies. The registered person should ensure that monitoring systems are embedded and used in the home to ensure consistent monitoring of care. 5 December 2025

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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— 5 December 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2833923 6 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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that all staff have the required training to meet children’s specific needs. Children’s care plans should contain information that is relevant to the home and not contain details from previous homes.

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings; 5 December 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2833923 7 help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care; is given appropriate advocacy support. (Regulation 7 (1)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that each child is provided with support to communicate their views, wishes and feelings and to participate as fully as possible in all aspects of their care planning and daily care.

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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: 2833923 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Together Care Solutions Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Commerce House, 658b Chatsworth Road, Chesterfield, Derbyshire S40 3JZ

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Inspectors

Zoey Lee, Social Care Inspector Jess Baines, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2833923 9 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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