Children's Home run by Together Trust Centre in Manchester

Inspection report for children’s home: 2817249 1 Registered provider: Together Trust Centre

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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 and managed by a private provider. It provides care for up to 5 children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 3 children were living at the home, and they all spoke with the inspectors.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in November 2025. The manager has applied to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

This was the home’s first inspection since registration.

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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: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2817249 2

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Summary of findings

The home is a newly registered children’s home. The manager and staff team have begun to build a positive foundation for the children in their care.

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Summary of findings

Staff have taken care to create an inviting and comfortable home, incorporating children’s views and preferences into how the home is decorated and presented. Children are encouraged to learn, engage in activities and have positive experiences to help them feel safe and settled.

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Summary of findings

Some areas of practice are still developing. However, the manager is aware of these and has a plan in place to address them. Greater consistency in the home’s approach is required to ensure that all children feel respected and valued by every member of the staff team.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know the children well, including their likes and dislikes and their histories. They talk about them with care and respect. The staff team recognise children’s progress, taking into account their starting points. Children’s achievements are acknowledged and celebrated, helping to build children’s confidence and sense of accomplishment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to spend meaningful time with their families and provide families with regular updates on children’s care and progress. One social worker commented that positive work with families and support for family time have been key and will contribute positively to the child’s care plan.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff actively promote children’s education. Two children have remained at their existing schools since moving into the home and are making good progress. One child is not in formal education, however, the manager is working closely with relevant professionals and is appropriately challenging delay. In the meantime, staff provide informal learning opportunities in the home and support the child to access online education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children’s health needs are met effectively. Children are promptly registered with universal health services when they move into the home and are supported to attend appointments. Staff supported one child to continue attending a dental practice where they previously lived, to avoid delay in treatment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s interests are well considered and staff work hard to engage children in activities in and out of the home in line with their interests. The children are offered a wide range of activities, such as boxing and football, and all the children are supported to attend church, in line with their wishes. Inspection report for children’s home: 2817249 3 The home environment is personalised, with children’s ideas reflected throughout, including fun photos of staff and children. Staff work hard to ensure that the home feels warm and homely. Children’s bedrooms are decorated to their tastes and are well furnished.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff actively gather children’s views and act on their requests. However, on 2 occasions, a child made a complaint which was not appropriately followed up by the manager. This meant that the child was not given access to independent support.

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

Staff keep children safe by having a good understanding of each child’s individual strengths and vulnerabilities. Effective multi-agency working, regular communication and information-sharing ensure that care planning is responsive to children’s individual needs. Safeguarding practice is effective. When incidents occur, staff manage them well and act appropriately to ensure that children’s safety is paramount.

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

Staff talk to children about risks and their care, supporting them to understand and process decisions that are made about them. This approach helps children to better manage and accept changes to their plans. Staff use direct-work sessions to discuss relevant topics with children and gather their views. For one child, this has prevented missing-from-home episodes.

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

Staff use a nurturing approach, incentives and rewards to promote positive behaviour and clearly explain expectations to children. Incidents are rare and when they do occur, staff respond appropriately. Incidents are well recorded and shared with relevant professionals.

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

There have been two incidents of children being held by staff, as a last resort, after exhausting all de-escalation strategies outlined in the child’s plan. Staff draw on the expertise of the positive behaviour team to strengthen their understanding of children’s needs and ensure that behaviour support plans are effective and reviewed following incidents.

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

Staff talk to children following incidents when they have been held. However, these discussions are not always undertaken by someone independent of the incident. This limits children’s opportunities to freely share their views or make a complaint if they wish to do so.

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

The manager has ensured that there is a suitable staff team in place. Staff share the managers aspirations for the home, demonstrate enthusiasm for their roles and show a strong understanding of children’s individual needs and how best to support them. Inspection report for children’s home: 2817249 4

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff team understand the importance of effective communication. They share their knowledge of the children to help inform plans and address areas of concern. Multi-agency working is effective. Professionals describe good communication with the manager and say that they are kept well informed about children’s care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers are child focused, with a clear vision for the care they want to provide. They are realistic about the areas for development. The manager has high aspirations for children, with a strong focus on providing positive experiences and high levels of support and achieving stability for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children have formed positive relationships with certain members of staff and naturally relate to some staff more than others. The staff acknowledge this and recognise that further work is needed to strengthen consistency across the team. All staff spoke positively about the children, demonstrating care in their practice and the outcomes they want to achieve for the children at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff describe positive support from the manager and state that they feel well supported by both the manager and their team. They reported that when they have needed to seek support during incidents this has been available and helpful. When staff have raised concerns, these issues have been addressed, and additional support has been provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from regular supervision sessions, which provide opportunities to reflect on practice and promote their learning and development. All new staff complete a thorough induction programme that provides them with the skills and knowledge required to understand their roles and responsibilities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are provided with a broad range of training opportunities. These are regularly reviewed and consider the children’s individual needs and behaviours. Inspection report for children’s home: 2817249 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 registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the procedure must provide that no person who is the subject of a complaint takes any part in its consideration or investigation, except at the informal resolution stage if the registered person considers it appropriate.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that no child is subject to any reprisal for making a complaint or representation.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must supply to HMCI, at HMCI’s request, a statement containing a summary of any complaints made during the preceding twelve months and the action that was taken in response to each complaint. (Regulation 39 (1) (2) (3) (4) (5))

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Requirement Due date

This refers specifically to making sure that a record is kept of the outcome of any complaint and any recommendations made as a result.

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Requirement Due date

Also, to the registered person ensuring that the home’s complaints policy is followed when a child makes a complaint.

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Requirement Due date

And, to the registered person ensuring that appropriate action is taken when a complaint is made and that any outcomes are recorded. 21 May 2026

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

mutual respect and trust; 21 May 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2817249 6 an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff respond to children appropriately, with positive communication that supports children to feel respected and valued.

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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: 2817249 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Together Trust Centre

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Together Trust Centre, Schools Hill, Cheadle, Cheshire SK8 1JE

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Inspectors

Rebecca Robson, Social Care Inspector Leanne Carr, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2817249 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.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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