Children's Home run by Proactive Care (Manchester) Limited in Wigan

Inspection report for children’s home: 2795393 1 Registered provider: Proactive Care (Manchester) Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and operated by a private provider. It provides care for up to 2 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2025. The manager also manages another setting.

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Information about this children’s home

There were no children living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2795393 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/07/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 20/01/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2795393 3

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Summary of findings

The children in this home make exceptional progress. Children’s wishes and feelings are considered in all decisions. Moves out of the home for children are planned.

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Summary of findings

Children are safeguarded effectively and benefit greatly from highly nurturing relationships with staff. Children are supported to stay safe.

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Summary of findings

The manager is highly aspirational for children and staff, leading to significantly improved outcomes for the children.

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outstanding

Children receive highly personalised and effective care in this home, which allows the children to feel safe and secure. Children make exceptional progress from their individual starting points. Living in the home has allowed brothers and sisters to remain together so that familial bonds are maintained and strengthened. One independent reviewing officer said, ‘They [staff] provided love, care and stability needed for 2 very vulnerable and amazing young people.’

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outstanding

Children feel pride and ownership of the home. The home is a safe and welcoming environment. Children can personalise their bedrooms, and their artwork is displayed proudly throughout the home. When children arrive with few belongings, managers ensure that children are provided with all the necessities they need. This prevents children from feeling different to their peers. One child wrote that what they like about the home is ‘having my own personal space and privacy’.

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outstanding

Children’s attendance at school has hugely increased. Staff support children to attend school, travelling considerable distances with them, which has allowed them to maintain their school. Staff support children in both their academic achievements and social aspects of education. Staff act swiftly to challenge any incidents of bullying in school. One child felt confident to start a new college course and has built a positive friendship group for the first time.

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outstanding

Children’s self-esteem has significantly improved. Staff take an active role in promoting healthy lifestyles for children. The children arrived at the home with little understanding of a healthy lifestyle. The provider has commissioned a bespoke fitness programme to support children to develop a healthier lifestyle. Staff have also attended these sessions alongside children, which has also contributed to building relationships. Referrals to services are made when necessary. The manager is proactive when access to services is delayed and seeks out alternative support for the children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2795393 4 Children feel accepted for who they are. Staff take time to get to know children. Identity is central to the care children experience and is championed. Children have been supported to understand healthy relationships. Staff have supported one child to explore their sexual identity and navigate their first relationships safely.

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outstanding

Children’s voices are regularly sought through a range of creative methods, including regular conversations and activities with staff. Children’s views are clear in all records. Children understand decisions made about their lives. Their views are consistently responded to with empathy, professional curiosity and creativity to help children explore their wishes and feelings. Children know how to make a complaint and understand the outcomes of their complaints.

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outstanding

Children’s life experiences are broadened through a wide range of activities based on their own interests. Community engagement is encouraged, including charitable events. For example, staff organised volunteering for the children to pick and deliver Christmas presents for others. One child also secured a volunteer position in a charity shop. The children have enjoyed 2 holidays with staff, including a trip abroad as a goodbye holiday before moving out of the home.

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outstanding

Children’s moves out of the home are very well planned. Two children have recently moved into foster care. This was managed by staff with compassion. The manager and staff advocated strongly for the children, ensuring that their feelings were kept central to moving-out plans. Plans are also in place for the children to continue to see staff.

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outstanding

The manager and staff are highly skilled at mitigating and managing risks to children. Staff have an exceptional understanding of the children’s individual risks. Following any incidents, appropriate safeguarding steps are taken, with clear communication to all professionals. The manager has extensive knowledge of the local area and has built trusting relationships with the local community to understand any emerging risks to children. Strategies to manage risk are proportionate and updated regularly. This ensures that staff have clear direction and guidance.

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outstanding

The children experience very strong and nurturing relationships with staff. This directly contributes to an overall sense of wellbeing, safety and trust for the children. Staff are highly skilled at de-escalation. Staff respond to children in line with their training, which contributes to a lack of incidents in the home. Therapeutic models of care are embedded throughout staff practice. Research-led practice is continuous in all interactions with children. For example, using ‘language that cares’ promotes positive self-esteem for the children. The provider employs a therapist who gives staff advice and guidance in the best ways to care for children.

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outstanding

Staff have regular conversations with children about important issues, such as how to stay safe and healthy relationships. Children are provided with the skills to build Inspection report for children’s home: 2795393 5 positive relationships with peers, family and professionals. Staff practice has significantly improved how children feel about themselves and enables them to recognise potentially harmful relationships.

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outstanding

There is a robust response to any risks, including concerns of exploitation. Staff have an excellent understanding of the underlying reasons for children’s vulnerability to exploitation. Through the use of strong and nurturing relationships, staff have reduced this risk for one child in their care effectively. When incidents occur, staff work closely with professionals, putting in place effective and proportionate safeguards.

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outstanding

Staff have an excellent understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities. The manager ensures that staff regularly refresh their knowledge of how to manage incidents and situations, even when this is not a prevalent risk at the time. This avoids complacency in practice and ensures that staff can respond effectively when issues arise. An understanding of safeguarding is embedded in all staff discussions. New staff have been recruited safely. However, processes in place for children to raise concerns about staff who are related to each other need to be more clearly documented by the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is an ambitious leader, who has created a highly aspirational culture in the home. The manager is also responsible for another home in the organisation. Her practice is child centred, research led and focused on improving the lives of the children she cares for. The manager and staff build highly effective relationships with children, families and key professionals. A deputy headteacher said, ‘[Name of child’s] progress has been phenomenal. The staff here are exceptional.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is supported by an experienced responsible individual who is committed to securing the best outcomes for children. Staff show consistent dedication to the children in their care. The staff team is stable, and there has been no use of agency staff in the inspection period. This provides consistency for children, contributing to the quality and depth of relationships the children have formed with staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager leads by example. Staff consistently state that they feel supported by the manager and senior leaders. The quality of staff supervision sessions is high, and supervision provides a reflective space for staff. The manager is also supported effectively by leaders in the organisation. Staff have access to the therapist. This helps to increase staff resilience and limits the frequency of staff sickness.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has developed clear monitoring processes to fully understand staff performance and the impact on the care of children. The manager welcomes feedback and responds in a timely way. Progress of children remains at the centre of all monitoring, and progress records are updated monthly. The standard of recording Inspection report for children’s home: 2795393 6 is exceptionally high, with child-centred language indicative of the high regard staff hold the children in.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Training for staff is extensive and relative to the needs of the children. Induction for new staff is detailed. The manager strongly encourages staff progression, ensuring that staff have the appropriate qualifications and experience to progress. The manager resolves challenges with staff effectively, while always considering the impact of staff changes on children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2795393 7

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that there are clear and documented arrangements when staff who are related to each other work shifts together. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.20)

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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: 2795393 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Proactive Care (Manchester) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suite D, 6th Floor, 1 Wellington Road, Stockport SK4 1AF

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Ashley O’Leary-Jones

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Inspectors

Eve Ostridge, Social Care Inspector Beth Bird, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2795393 9 and inspects to 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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