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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263425 1 Registered provider: Social Care Services Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private company. It is registered to provide care for two children who may experience social or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home. The child spoke to the inspector about their experiences of living at the home.

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This monitoring visit

Serious concerns were identified at a monitoring inspection on 29 October 2025. Compliance notices were issued in respect of Regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and Regulation 13, the leadership and management standard, under section 22A of the care standards Act 2000.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to review if leaders and managers have taken sufficient action to meet the steps required within the compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, one child remains living in the home. The child said that they can identify staff they like but that they do not always feel listened to.

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This monitoring visit

Risk management plans have been updated but do not include all known risks for the child or clear strategies for staff to follow. This means that staff do not have the guidance to follow to keep the child safe.

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This monitoring visit

On one occasion, the child barricaded their bedroom door and there were concerns for the child’s emotional well-being. The manager acknowledged that discussions with a health professional should have taken place as stated in the child’s risk assessment. Furthermore, the child’s plans did not include any additional guidance Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263425 2 on what staff are required to do if a further incident occurred, and action was not taken to prevent further incidents occurring.

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This monitoring visit

There have been delays in responding to children when allegations are made against staff. The manager failed to share allegations with local safeguarding professionals until a further allegation was made a few weeks later to the child’s social worker. Action was then taken, including a member of staff being suspended, and further meetings have taken place. Not all incidents have been notified to Ofsted, as required by regulation, which limits the regulator’s oversight of safeguarding practice.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have used physical restraint, when necessary, in order to safeguard the child and others. The manager undertakes debriefs with the child and staff. Leaders undertake debriefs in cases where the manager has been involved.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have received further training on a number of topics, including therapeutic models of care, what is an allegation or complaint and professional curiosity. However, staff have not received training on ligature and online safety. This means staff do not have the necessary skills and knowledge to work consistently and effectively with the child.

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This monitoring visit

Direct work has been undertaken with the child around emotional well-being, the importance of education and knife crime. However, no conversations have taken place around keeping safe online and fire safety.

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This monitoring visit

Room searches are undertaken to ensure that the child is safeguarded appropriately. The manager has updated the homes fire risk assessment.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has ensured that action has been undertaken to address previous health and safety concerns. The child’s personal documents and hazardous items are now locked away.

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This monitoring visit

The manager is now more present in the home during the day. This provides more consistency for the child and staff. Staff are positive about the support they receive.

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This monitoring visit

Team meetings are taking place, and this provides staff with opportunities to reflect on and improve their practice for the benefit of the child.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers do not have effective internal and external monitoring systems in place. This limits opportunities to monitor and evaluate the care provided to the child and opportunities for the leadership to make continuous improvements.

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This monitoring visit

The other requirements regarding areas of concern raised at the last inspection have not been considered during this visit. They remain in place and will be reviewed at the full inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263425 3 At a case review held on 23 December 2025, it was decided that the provider had not taken sufficient action to meet the compliance notices. These have been re- issued. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263425 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/05/2025 Full Good 25/06/2024 Full Good 02/05/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 16/06/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263425 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 with 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

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;

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Requirement Due date

and are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded; 8 February 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263425 6 that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health; and

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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)(ii)(iii)(iv)(b)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that risk assessments include children’s known risks and that staff understand each child’s individual needs and risks. These assessments must include possible ligature risks in all areas of the home and the risks associated with a child barricading their bedroom door.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff understand what action they are expected to take to reduce known risks.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff complete regular work with children to help them to understand how to keep safe.

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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;

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Requirement Due date

and promotes their welfare. 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; 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;

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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 8 February 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263425 7 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

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and 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)(b)(c)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff have the experience, training and skills to meet the needs of each child in their care. This must include skills to respond to risks of ligature, and online safety.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all incidents are reviewed and that action is taken to address any shortfalls in staff practice. This includes sharing information with relevant professionals.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that systems are in place to monitor the care provided to children.

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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; there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 40 (4)(b)(e)) 8 February 2026

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Requirement Due date

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. 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; 8 February 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263425 8 the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it;

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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.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed;

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Requirement Due date

and make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject of a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a workforce plan which should detail the processes and agreed timescales for staff to achieve induction, probation and any core training. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)  The registered person should ensure that all staff are familiar with the home’s internal whistleblowing procedures. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.09)  The registered person should ensure that all staff complete records in a way that is helpful to children and write them in a non-stigmatising way. (‘Guide to Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263425 9

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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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Annabella Foulkes

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Inspector

Michelle Snape, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263425 10 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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