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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2823307 1 Registered provider: Pennine Social Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home registered with Ofsted in June 2025 and is privately operated. It provides care for one child who may have learning disabilities and/or 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, and they were spoken with by the inspector.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2026.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 2823307 2

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Summary of findings

The home provides a supportive environment where the child makes steady progress, builds trusting relationships with staff and feels safe. Engagement with education has improved, supported by meaningful activities that promote the child’s confidence, identity and social development.

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Summary of findings

Staff prioritise children’s family relationships, as well as their emotional wellbeing, particularly when children are feeling isolated. Staff demonstrate a clear understanding of risks, responding with consistency and care. Staff manage incidents effectively and are encouraged to reflect afterwards to discuss how reoccurrence might be avoided. However, monitoring and oversight of the home by leaders and managers require improvement. Inconsistent management presence in the home has resulted in shortfalls in the monitoring and oversight of the home. Gaps in training and missing documentation highlight the need to strengthen staff development and ensure that children receive consistently high standards of care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is making steady progress since moving into the home. Although their time in the home has been relatively short, relationships with staff are developing at the child’s pace. The child can identify trusted adults they feel comfortable approaching, and when asked, the child said that they feel safe living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s engagement with education has improved significantly since moving into the home. Before this, there was a notable gap in their education, with limited opportunities for enrichment or meaningful learning experiences. Staff have prioritised the child’s re- engagement with education. Staff work alongside suitably skilled professionals and have taken appropriate action to address concerns so that the child can continue learning safely in line with their current court-imposed legal arrangements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff actively promote and encourage participation in activities that reflect the child’s strengths and interests. These opportunities help the child to build a sense of belonging, develop social connections and strengthen their sense of identity. The commitment shown in supporting attendance at a fishing club is particularly positive and demonstrates a thoughtful approach to meeting the child’s individual needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff recognise that the child can experience periods of isolation due to current legal arrangements, including not attending school and limited opportunities to mix with peers. Despite this, staff work consistently to ensure that the child remains engaged and supported, helping them to maintain positive routines and interactions. The child demonstrates increased confidence in engaging with others and in making positive choices. Inspection report for children’s home: 2823307 3 There is a strong focus on maintaining and promoting family relationships for the child. Staff show a high level of commitment to ensuring regular and meaningful family time, which supports the child’s emotional wellbeing and sense of identity. These efforts contribute to maintaining important connections that will support the child now and in the future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s move to the home was managed thoughtfully and with careful consideration. Despite challenges with previous circumstances, staff prepared thoroughly by developing a detailed understanding of the child’s background and needs, which informed plans for safe and consistent care. Planning for the move helped the child to build familiarity with their new home, supporting a sense of predictability and helping them feel more settled in their new environment.

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

The child has complex needs and a history of behaviours that place them and others at risk. Staff demonstrate a strong understanding of these risks and respond with consistency and perseverance to promote safety. Staff show genuine care and commitment, supporting the child to make positive choices while intervening appropriately to prevent harm when needed.

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

Incidents are managed effectively, with staff always maintaining a calm and patient approach. There is consistent practice, which helps the child to experience predictable responses from adults. Staff attempt to reflect with the child after incidents and consider the child’s emotional responses. The manager reviews incidents carefully to identify learning that can improve future care and support for the child.

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

Medication is administered safely and in line with established procedures. Staff understand the child’s preferences and use positive, encouraging approaches to support them in taking prescribed medication. When the child is reluctant to take their medication, staff draw on their established relationships to help them understand its importance and how it supports their physical and emotional wellbeing.

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

Responses to behaviour are thoughtful and proportionate. Measures in place are linked clearly to the child’s actions and are intended to support understanding and encourage improvement. The child is given opportunities to express their views, which helps to ensure fairness and promotes their sense of involvement in decision-making about their future.

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

There are shortfalls in leaders’ and manager’s oversight of the home. When the manager is absent, there is no management presence to ensure that staff practice remains consistently effective or that the child’s needs are fully met. In particular, incidents that occur during these periods are not reviewed promptly, which limits opportunities to identify patterns, strengthen staff responses at the time and improve the overall quality of care provided to the child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2823307 4 There are notable gaps in staff training, with some individuals not up to date on mandatory training. This is particularly evident in relation to the therapeutic approaches outlined in the statement of purpose, which are not consistently reflected in staff practice. While leaders and managers have taken some steps to address these shortfalls, further action is required to ensure that all staff are equipped with the knowledge and

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

skills necessary to provide safe, effective and high-quality care.

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

Required statutory documents remain missing from the child’s records, despite this issue being previously identified. While the manager has taken steps to request these documents from the relevant professionals, stronger follow-up and escalation would support more timely progress. Although this has not had a direct negative impact on the child’s care, due to regular communication with professionals, the absence of these documents limits the completeness of information for staff.

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

Team meetings are purposeful and generally well attended by staff. They provide opportunities to reflect on practice, including reviewing incidents and identifying areas for development. There is a consistent focus on maintaining clear boundaries and routines to support the child’s safety and progress. Supervision sessions for staff are regular and support reflection on practice and ongoing development. Induction processes are thorough and place clear emphasis on the needs of the child.

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

External professionals speak positively about the manager and staff team. They highlight the team’s effective communication and collaborative approach. They also recognise the strong care taken to support the child’s safety and overall wellbeing. Inspection report for children’s home: 2823307 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 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 regis- tered 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 staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of 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

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h)) 25 September 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2823307 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that they challenge the placing authority when it does not provide the input and services needed to meet a child’s needs during their time at the home. In particular, they should escalate challenge when there are delays receiving the necessary statutory documentation from the child’s placing authority. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph 2.8)

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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: 2823307 7

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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 to 188 Union Street, Oldham OL1 1EN

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Inspector

Deirdre Silkstone, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2823307 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 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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