Children's home run by Care Today (Childrens Services) Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2711294 1 Registered provider: Care Today (Children’s 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 offers care for up to 2 children who have experienced childhood instability, resulting in trauma and associated complex behaviours. At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home and was spoken with.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager holds a level 5 leadership and management qualification in health and social care and was registered by Ofsted in December 2025.

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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

Date of last inspection: 30 October 2024

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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: 2711294 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/10/2024 Full Good 05/09/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2711294 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Relationships between the child and staff are positive. Staff place the child at the centre of all decisions made in the home and understand the child’s lived experiences. This creates an environment where the child feels safe, secure and able to talk to staff about any worries they may have.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s health needs are consistently monitored and supported. Staff talk with the child about any barriers to accessing health services. They work closely with health professionals to obtain advice and support for the child. For example, the child has been given leaflets and information around a specific health need. This helps them to make informed decisions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child enjoys spending time socialising in the community with friends. Additionally, friends and family are welcomed into the home, and staff arrange fun activities such as movie nights and barbecues. This helps the child to maintain important relationships and strengthens their ability and confidence to interact with others.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are committed to supporting and encouraging the child to be as independent as possible. For example, the child has a daily independence planner and is working through an independence booklet. These focus on supporting the child to develop skills in cooking and household tasks. This has helped the child to become more confident in key areas and helps to prepare them for adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is currently not in education, training or employment. Staff have supported the child to apply for apprenticeships and to create a CV. However, there has been a lack of collaborative working with education professionals to review the child’s plans. This has resulted in delays in the child receiving additional support. Furthermore, there are missed opportunities to promote learning in the home and talk with the child about any barriers to learning, training or employment.

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

On the rare occasion when the child’s whereabouts are not known, staff respond effectively. They follow agreed plans, look for the child and work closely with local police. Following the child’s return, staff have reflective discussions with them, which help them understand why the child went missing. There has been a reduction in missing-from- home incidents, and the child is now returning home at agreed times.

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

The manager and staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities and speak confidently about these. On one occasion, the child raised a concern about staff practice. The manager works closely with other professionals, such as the local authority designated officer, and ensures concerns are thoroughly investigated. In addition, good- Inspection report for children’s home: 2711294 4 quality restorative work is undertaken with the child by staff. This promotes the child’s safety and welfare.

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

Staff demonstrate a good understanding of the child’s individual risks and speak confidently about these. There are detailed risk assessments in place which provide clear guidance for staff and support strategies are child led. Staff offer regular praise to the child and celebrate their achievements. This promotes positive relationships between the child and staff.

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

When there are concerns about the child’s interactions with peers in the community, staff talk with the child about these. They explore the child’s feelings and emotions and provide opportunities to speak about acceptable behaviour and possible consequences. As a result, interactions with peers in the community have improved for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has recently joined the home from another setting in the organisation. He is committed to providing good-quality care for children and is child focused. The staff speak positively about him. One staff member said, ‘I love my job. The manager is great, he is very supportive.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Regular effective supervision takes place with staff. This supports them to reflect on their practice and identify any areas for development. Additionally, team meetings give staff the opportunity to discuss the child’s needs and current plans. The manager also uses this time to educate staff on key areas of practice, such as safeguarding and whistleblowing procedures. This strengthens staff’s understanding and confidence.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager works effectively with the child’s social worker, who is positive about communication with the staff and feels the manager is responsive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has effective monitoring systems in place to review the quality of care the child receives. This means that he has a good understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive training to help them in their roles. However, not all staff have had training to understand adverse childhood experiences and online safety. This could impact on their ability to support the child in these areas. Inspection report for children’s home: 2711294 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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Requirement Due date

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(ix)(x)) 19 February 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2711294 6 In particular, the registered person should ensure that children have access to education and learning.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs, and should understand the key role they play in the training and development of staff in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)

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Information about this inspection

The inspector has 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: 2711294 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Care Today (Children’s Services) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2nd Floor Lansdowne House, 85 Buxton Road, Stockport, Cheshire SK2 6LR

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Inspector

Kirsty Truesdale, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2711294 8 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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