Children's Home run by Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council in Tameside

Inspection report for children’s home: 1263768 1 Registered provider: Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This local authority home provides care for up to 3 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Three children were living at the home at the time of this inspection. One child spoke with the inspectors about their experience of living in the home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2022.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 19 November 2024

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1263768 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/11/2024 Full Good 16/01/2024 Full Good 13/09/2022 Full Good 12/10/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1263768 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff enable children to build trusting and supportive relationships with them. These strong, consistent relationships help children feel safe, valued and emotionally secure. As a result, children become more engaged and invested in their own care. This contributes to their overall stability, progress and wellbeing. For one child in particular, this is significant progress.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making progress in their education. Staff maintain strong relationships with schools and education providers, ensuring that children receive consistent support and encouragement. As a result, children are becoming engaged in learning, have improved their attendance and are proud of their achievements. One school staff member cited a ‘genuine partnership’ with the team that has helped the child to make good progress. However, when children do not have a full-time education plan, daily routines lack structure.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making good progress in their ability to understand and manage their emotions. Staff use strengths-based approaches that help children recognise their feelings, develop healthy coping strategies and build emotional resilience. This supportive and creative practice enables children to feel more confident in expressing themselves and contributes to their overall wellbeing and positive development.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to spend time with family and other people who are important to them. Staff work hard to make this consistent, enjoyable and meaningful for children. Family members speak positively about the way children are cared for. One family member commented, ‘It puts me at ease, as I don’t worry about [name of child] now they are so settled at [name of home].’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to progress their independence skills. However, this work sometimes lacks variety. Staff do not always show persistence in encouraging some children to meaningfully engage.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff maintain appropriate, positive contact with children after they leave the home, offering encouragement and checking in on their wellbeing. These continued relationships show the lasting impact of the care provided and reflect the staff’s commitment to children beyond their time in the home.

p.3

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

Staff keep children safe. They understand children’s risks and triggers and have effective strategies to keep them safe. Staff use a trauma-informed approach in their day-to-day practice. This benefits children in managing their emotions. Inspection report for children’s home: 1263768 4 Incidents of children going missing from home have decreased. There are missing-from- home protocols in place. Staff are clear about the actions that they need to take, and work well with other professionals.

p.3

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

Children are encouraged to share their wishes and feelings. When allegations or concerns are raised, action by staff and managers is timely and appropriate. Children are listened to and kept up to date. Staff understand that these processes need to be followed without delay.

p.4

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

Staff have meaningful and purposeful conversations with children to help them keep safe and to educate them on risks. This equips children to make informed decisions and be aware of their own safety.

p.4

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

The relationships between children can be difficult at times. Staff are aware of this and are working with children to resolve the issues. The registered manager also has good oversight of this.

p.4

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

Therapeutic advice from a psychologist ensures that the children’s individual and often complex needs are fully understood and met. The psychologist works closely with the staff team to provide guidance, reflective practice and tailored strategies. This supports children’s emotional and behavioural development. Therapeutic approaches are fully embedded in daily practice, resulting in consistent, informed care that promotes stability, resilience and positive progress for each child.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager knows the children well. She has excellent oversight and is ambitious to provide high-quality care. The management team understand children’s progress and how to support staff to develop their skills. Managers have a clear vision for how this will be achieved. The manager and deputy have built a cohesive and empathetic team.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Child-focused supervision sessions and team meetings take place regularly and provide staff with the opportunity to reflect on their practice and on the children’s progress.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have access to a range of training and development opportunities. Bespoke training has been commissioned by the manager to support staff with understanding children’s emotional needs. Staff value the training and feel it helps them strengthen their approach and understanding of the care they provide to children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that they love working in the home and view it as a home from home. They work well as a team and provide consistent, loving and nurturing care. Feedback from staff is wholly positive. One staff member said, ‘She [the registered manager] fights the hardest battles for our young people and helps everyone see their own worth.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 1263768 5 Research is used to good effect in team meetings, supervision sessions and discussions with children. Staff cover a range of subjects related to the children’s specific needs to ensure a holistic approach to supporting children. Inspection report for children’s home: 1263768 6

p.4

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the ethos of the home supports each child to maintain daily structured routines. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 29, paragraph 5.18)  The registered person should ensure that staff help each child to live independently. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.27)

p.6

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: 1263768 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Tameside One, Market Place, Ashton-under-Lyne OL6 6BH

p.7

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Deborah Smolka-O’Brien

p.7

Inspectors

Hannah Longdon, Social Care Inspector Colin Jones, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1263768 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.7

Inspectors

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspectors

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8