Children's Home run by Oldham Children’s Social Care in Oldham

Inspection report for children’s home: 2833552 1 Registered provider: Oldham Children’s Social Care

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a local authority. It provides care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, two children were living at the home and one child had moved in and out of the home. Both children spoke to the inspector.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home and the manager registered with Ofsted in May 2025.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 11 November 2025

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2833552 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/11/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/07/2025 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2833552 3

p.2

Summary of findings

Children have positive relationships with their permanent staff team. However, due to a lack of permanent staff, children have not always received consistent care from adults supporting them. This has led to escalating incidents and police needing to visit the home.

p.3

Summary of findings

Staff understand the needs, risks and vulnerabilities to children and encourage positive relationships and incentives in the home. Children’s achievements are rewarded and celebrated.

p.3

Summary of findings

Staff support and advocate for children to attend school and alternative provisions to promote their learning. Children take part in activities and hobbies they enjoy.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children have trusted relationships with the permanent staff team. The staff know the children well, listen to them and invest time in them. However, children struggle with the high level of agency staff being used to support them. This impacts on stability for the children.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children attend school or other alternative provision. When children are excluded, have no school place or attend school on a part-time basis, staff support alternative educational activities. One child has an interest in music and is supported to attend sessions at a recording studio. There is effective communication with schools and virtual school heads.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff encourage children with routines and boundaries. However, this is not always consistent from the agency staffing team, which impacts on routines for the children.

p.3

improvement to be good

When one child moved out, their welfare and wellbeing were not prioritised to promote a positive ending. This was process-driven, rather than being based on support from people that knew the child well.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children are supported to take part in activities, hobbies and interests they like such as art and crafts, baking and going to activity centres with staff. Their achievements are celebrated and appropriately rewarded.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children are in good health. Staff encourage and support children to attend health appointments, and they talk to children about the importance of good health. Children have access to local health services, including dentists, when they need them. Inspection report for children’s home: 2833552 4 The home is welcoming and well furnished. The children’s bedrooms are personalised to their taste. There are lots of games and arts and crafts available that the children enjoy using. However, some areas of the home have not been maintained or repaired in a timely manner.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff understand the needs, risks and vulnerabilities to children. Staff understand the risks that using the internet may pose for children. They support children in learning how to keep themselves safe. Risk assessments are up to date to address any known vulnerabilities for each child. However, these do not all include actions staff should take to manage the risks, based on children’s individual circumstances. This has led to some inconsistent practice and care of children.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff encourage and promote positive behaviour with rewards and incentives. Appropriate consequences are given to children following incidents, with timeframes and discussions with children so that they understand why this has taken place.

p.4

improvement to be good

When children go missing from home, there is a clear plan for staff to follow. However, there have been occasions when this has not been followed by agency staff and they have not been clear on what action to take. This has been addressed by the manager. Children have not been charged with offences and incidents have reduced since one child has moved out of the home. In addition, there have been no incidents of restraint being used in the home. However, police have been called on several occasions to de- escalate behaviour with the children.

p.4

improvement to be good

Safe recruitment of staff is followed to safeguard children. Children can identify trusted adults they can talk to about any concerns. However, one child reported not having feedback on issues they had previously raised. This was promptly actioned by the manager.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home is managed by a permanent, registered manager and an assistant manager. However, staff absence and vacancies have meant agency staff and staff from other homes in the local authority have been supporting children on a regular basis. Not all staff have had the skills or relationships with children to build relationships with them effectively. The management team is aware of these difficulties and plans are in place for recruiting suitable permanent members of staff.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager monitors the quality of care provided. However, oversight of incidents does not always include clear actions for the staffing team that need to be applied to safeguard children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2833552 5 Managers and permanent staff receive regular supervision sessions and have monthly team meetings that are focused on children’s needs, reflections and training. Supervision sessions are recorded effectively. However, this is less consistent for agency staff. Additional support would strengthen support for children and develop the staff team working together.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Managers and staff work proactively and positively with other agencies and professionals. However, one parent raised that they do not receive regular updates about their child. This would promote further effective working relationships with families.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff said that they feel supported by the management team. The emotional impact of the work on staff is recognised and managed well by managers. They acknowledge that staffing sufficiency has impacted the children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2833552 6

p.5

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

p.6

Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to —

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to —

p.6

Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that any damage to the home is repaired promptly.

p.6

Requirement Due date

This is a repeat requirement and has been reinstated. 6 July 2026

p.6

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—

p.6

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 6 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2833552 7 ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

p.6

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)(c)(h))

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that agency or occasional staff have the required skills, training and experience to meet the children’s needs.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff are given clear guidance of how to provide consistent care to children.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

p.7

Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b))

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children’s experiences are considered and kept at the centre of the planning when children move out. 6 July 2026

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff have the skills required to support children so that police are not used to manage children’s behaviours. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 47, paragraph 9.40)  The registered person should ensure that whenever possible families of children are kept informed of the progress that children are making. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 38, paragraph 8.60)

p.7

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: 2833552 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Oldham Children’s Social Care

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Metropolitan House, Hobson Street, Oldham OL1 1HD

p.8

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Nicholas Whitbread

p.8

Inspector

Joy Viles, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2833552 9 Inspection report for children’s home: SC035049 10

p.8

Inspector

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.9

Inspector

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.9

Inspector

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

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9