Children's Home run by Pennine Social Care Limited in Oldham

Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2818955 1 Registered provider: Pennine Social Care Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

This home is owned by a private company and provides care for one child who may have learning disabilities and experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living at the home.

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Information about this children's home

The home and the manager registered with Ofsted on 6 June 2025. The manager also manages another setting owned by the same provider.

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Information about this children's home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children's home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At these inspections, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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'. Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2818955 2

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Findings from the inspection

We identified serious and/or widespread concerns in relation to the effectiveness of leaders and managers at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Since the last inspection, the provider has appointed a new manager to oversee the day-to-day management of the home. There are plans for the manager to register with Ofsted.

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Findings from the inspection

There are not suitable systems in place for the oversight and monitoring of the home. This means that the manager has not been able to identify shortfalls or areas for development. In addition to this, the manager has failed take suitable action to address shortfalls and requirements raised at the last inspection. However, the provider has now appointed an independent person. This has provided external scrutiny of the home.

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Findings from the inspection

The child’s communication needs are not met. The provider has failed to implement systems to support the child’s communication. Staff use their relationship with the child to encourage them to make choices and decisions about their daily care. However, they do not work in partnership with agencies such as the child’s school to ensure that there is a consistent approach to supporting their communication needs, including the use of any communication aids. This does not support the child in participating fully in their daily life or preparing for adulthood.

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Findings from the inspection

When there are times that children feel upset or distressed, staff support them suitably following strategies detailed within plans. Children receive help and support to manage their behaviour and feelings safely. However, when children have attempted to hurt themselves, the severity of this and any necessary first aid support offered has not been detailed in the incident report.

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Findings from the inspection

Placing authority care plans and review meeting minutes are not available to staff, this limits their ability to implement the actions set out in these plans. In addition to this, staff do not have access to the child’s current education, health and care plan (EHC plan) or personal education plan (PEP), which limits their ability to fully understand the child’s educational needs. Leaders and managers have not professionally challenged this with relevant professionals to ensure that they have access to necessary information.

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Findings from the inspection

There is a stable and consistent team of staff. This means that the child is supported by staff who know them well. However, since the last inspection, staff have not completed training identified to meet the child’s specific needs, including communication methods, pathological demand avoidance and a specific feeding and eating disorder.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff do not receive regular supervision in line with the home’s statement of purpose. When supervision sessions take place, they are not practice related and are not used to support staff development. Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2818955 3 Team meetings are now held frequently and are well attended by the team who understand their value. They are used as an opportunity to share updates for the child and to share information about the day-to-day operations of the home. However, they are a missed opportunity for development and training for staff.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/08/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2818955 4

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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, 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 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 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)(a)(b) (2)(a)(e)(f)(g)(i)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered manager must ensure that there are suitable systems in place to address shortfalls identified in the home. 6 April 2026 Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2818955 5 In addition to this, the registered manager must ensure that they use monitoring and oversight systems to identify shortfalls in incident recording.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated from the last inspection. The children's views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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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—

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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;

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to prepare for any review of the child's relevant plans and to make the child's views, wishes and feelings known for the purposes of that review. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff support and encourage children to communicate using relevant communication aids and resources for their ability.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated from the last inspection. 6 April 2026

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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— 6 April 2026 Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2818955 6 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff receive training specifically to meet children's individual needs.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated from the last inspection. The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated from the last inspection. 6 April 2026

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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. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(i))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff have access to children's Education, Health and Care plans (EHCP) and Personal Education Plans (PEPs)

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated from the last inspection. 6 April 2026

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Requirement Due date

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 6 April 2026 Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2818955 7 that arrangements are in place to—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that they hold relevant plans and information for children, these include the up to date placing authority care plans, meeting minutes and care orders.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated from the last inspection. In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child's placing authority effectively in the child's care, in accordance with the child's relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority's or a relevant person's performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child's needs are met in accordance with the child's relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must raise challenge to the placing authority if the relevant and necessary documents are not provided to the home.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated from the last inspection. 6 April 2026 Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2818955 8

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Pennine Social Care Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Rhodes Bank Chambers, 184-188 Union Street, Oldham OL1 1EN

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Inspector

Katie Tomlinson, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2818955 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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