Children's Home run by The Partnership of Care Today in Rochdale

Inspection report for children’s home: SC049189 1 SC049189 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 3 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties or have learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 2 children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is overseen by an interim manager who has applied to register with Ofsted.

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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: SC049189 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/06/2024 Full Good 12/09/2023 Full Good 06/09/2022 Full Good 25/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC049189 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from individualised care that supports their progress in health, education and emotional wellbeing. Children feel heard, safe and happy in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Both children are in education. The home’s focus on education has led to improved attendance and engagement for children who previously struggled and experienced lengthy periods of absence from learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s moves into and out of the home are managed effectively, with detailed planning and clear communication with placing authorities and families. Several children have moved on from the home. In most cases, the moves were positive steps forward, with children either progressing to semi-independent living or returning to their families. One child stayed only a short period because the information provided at admission did not fully reflect their needs. The manager advocated on the child’s behalf, explaining that a different setting with more suitable support would better meet their needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s experiences on a day-to-day basis are positive, with opportunities to participate in activities, develop interests and build confidence. Children choose their activities, which may include dining at their favourite restaurants and dessert venues or simply going for a drive. One child said they enjoy going for a drive because it is calming for them and enables them to focus. The children have spoken with professionals and family members about the positive experiences they have had since moving into the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The quality of relationships among professionals, carers and children is strong. Staff collaborate to meet children’s needs and support their development of social skills, friendships and a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Feedback from children, families and professionals is overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the nurturing and supportive environment provided. Children are encouraged to express their views and are helped to develop independence and resilience.

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

Staff identify risks for each child and act to reduce them. Staff promptly respond to safeguarding concerns and work with other professionals to reduce risks. Following any incidents, risk assessments are updated consistently.

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

When children go missing, staff take action to ensure that they are located as quickly as possible. However, staff do not always explore concerns with enough curiosity during debriefs with children on their return home, which limits learning and reduces opportunities to help children understand risks. Some children’s missing-from-home Inspection report for children’s home: SC049189 4 plans were not up to date; however, managers identified this issue and have addressed it with staff.

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

Children’s relationships with staff help them feel safe and supported. Staff set clear boundaries and explain consequences so that children can learn from their actions. Due to staff’s ability to de-escalate situations effectively, physical restraint has not been used at the home.

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

Managers understand their safeguarding responsibilities and have acted appropriately in response to allegations. Staff receive safeguarding and behaviour management training, which is then discussed during supervision sessions to help them understand their role in keeping children safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The new manager has brought stability and renewed focus to the home, building a new staff team and prioritising training and a culture of openness. Staff report feeling well supported and valued, and there is a clear commitment to continuous improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff clearly understand the progress each child is making. When specific needs are identified, such as support with education, the manager takes prompt and effective action. This includes challenging other professionals when needed and strongly advocating to ensure that children receive the right support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring and review systems are used to drive development, and leaders are proactive in challenging other agencies when responses are not effective.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision and appraisals. The quality of supervision varies. While a change in management and staff has seen improvements, records of supervision sessions do not reflect communication or a flow of reflective discussion. Actions are often statement-based and lack measurable timescales.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has worked to ensure that staff are up to date with mandatory training, and there is clear succession planning to maintain stable staffing levels. One staff member’s behaviour management training is out of date.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has experienced challenges, but the new manager understands the home’s strengths and areas for improvement. The manager has renewed the focus on keeping children’s views at the centre of all decisions about how the home operates and how staff are supported. This approach has influenced updated workforce development plans and led to meaningful improvements in the care provided to children. These changes include a full review of children’s documentation, enhanced staff support and development, and targeted workshops that focus on the quality of recording, key work with children, and how staff can best support each child’s individual plan to promote progress. Inspection report for children’s home: SC049189 5 The quality of care reports have been submitted to Ofsted, and although they provide a lot of detail, they lack specific actions and measurable timescales for where the focus should be placed on improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Inspection report for children’s home: SC049189 6

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that staff training records are maintained and that all staff are up to date with mandatory training. 10 April 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Specifically, the registered person should ensure that risk assessments are clear and directive and provide a consistent response to risk-taking behaviours. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should ensure that key-work sessions are structured and focused on helping children learn from risks and develop strategies for keeping themselves safe. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.9)  The registered person should ensure that supervision records are consistently dated and include reflective discussions, clear actions, and measurable timescales for completion. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality

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Recommendations

standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)  The registered person should ensure that the quality of care reviews are more evaluative and that the reports include clear, measurable actions for improvement with Inspection report for children’s home: SC049189 7 timescales for completion and review. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.4)

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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: SC049189 8

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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

Paul McKay-Smith, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC049189 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 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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