Children's Home run by The Together Trust in Stockport

Inspection report for children's home: SC025745 1 SC025745 Registered provider: The Together Trust Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

This home is managed by a charitable organisation. It provides an overnight short-break service for up to 5 children who may have special educational needs and/or physical disabilities.

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Information about this children's home

At the time of the inspection, 21 children were accessing the service, and 4 children were staying at the service overnight. Inspectors spent time with all 4 children during the inspection.

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Information about this children's home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2022. She is suitably qualified and experienced.

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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: 28 October 2025

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC025745 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/10/2025 Full Good 28/01/2025 Full Good 30/01/2024 Full Good 09/02/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC025745 3

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Summary of findings

The home provides families with short-break care for 21 children. Children enjoy positive experiences during their stays and access a range of opportunities that enhance their life experiences. Staff know the children well and provide nurturing, individualised care.

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Summary of findings

Staff know how to keep children safe. Staff use creative methods to support and promote children's emotional wellbeing. Staff confidently use communication tools to help children make choices and develop their communication skills. Staff and managers are child centred and committed to providing a good-quality service to children and their families. However, there are shortfalls identified in management oversight that require improvement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive a high level of individualised support and personalised care. They enjoy positive experiences during their stays away from the family home. Children look forward to coming to the home and have opportunities to build friendships, try new experiences and learn new life skills. Staff make good use of resources in the home and in the community. This provides opportunities for children that may not have been possible without the short-break service. This helps to develop children's emotional health and wellbeing and enhances their life experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive a well-planned introduction into the home. Before staying overnight, children and their family are provided with opportunities to visit the home and be introduced to the adults who will care for them. Staff then carefully plan and support a gradual increase in the time children spend at the home until they are ready to have an overnight stay. Parents are regularly involved in reviewing and contributing to their child's short-stay plan, supporting continuity of care. The manager also considers children's interests to ensure that children who stay overnight at the same time have similar likes and interests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know the children well and have a good understanding of each child's individual needs. They understand each child's communication needs and preferred methods of communication. Staff use tools such as the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), social stories and visual aids to support children in expressing their feelings, preferences and choices. Children are encouraged to select their meals and activities, ensuring that their views remain central to daily routines. Staff are child centred and caring and offer nurturing support. Staff speak about children with genuine care and enthusiasm.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children's health needs are known and understood by staff. Children are encouraged to follow a healthy diet and are introduced to foods they may have not tried before. Staff store and administer medication safely. Staff respond in a timely manner when children Inspection report for children's home: SC025745 4 have accidents, providing first aid or seeking medical attention when required. However, management oversight following one incident, involving a child falling from a bed and bumping their head, was not sufficiently robust. Although the child did not sustain an injury, managers did not explore whether or not there were any shortfalls in staff practice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are provided with a warm and welcoming environment. The home is spacious and has a range of toys and play equipment for children to use during their stay. Children are able to choose their preferred bedroom for their stay, and staff prepare rooms with children's belongings and preferences before they arrive where appropriate. Refurbishment works remain ongoing to improve the aesthetics of the home. However, one significant hazard that was blocking a fire exit, posing a risk to children's safety, was identified. Immediate action was taken during the visit to remove this.

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

Children receive a high level of supervision and support that is in line with their assessed needs and vulnerabilities. Keeping children safe is a priority for staff and is embedded in daily practice. Staff understand children's risks and vulnerabilities well. Comprehensive risk assessments support practice and provide detailed guidance on the actions staff should take to keep children safe. Staff regularly review these plans with family members and external professionals to ensure that they identify and respond promptly to emerging risks. Parents and professionals confirm that children are safe during their stays.

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

Staff take a proactive approach to keeping children safe online. They talk to children about online safety and supervise their use of devices. The home has internet restrictions in place to monitor online activity and limit access to inappropriate content. For one child whose internet use is not directly supervised, staff have implemented additional measures to monitor online activity and promote their safety.

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

Inclusion is a key strength of the home. Children take part in a wide range of activities, and staff support them to take appropriate risks. Activities take place both in the home and the community and help children develop essential life skills. Staff begin with small tasks and build on children's progress, such as helping to prepare snacks and attending to personal hygiene. Clear picture cards displayed throughout the home provide step-by- step guidance. This helps children develop independence and become less reliant on adult support. Staff recognise and celebrate children's progress and achievements .

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

Children's emotional and communication needs are well known by staff. This allows staff to quickly identify when children are unhappy and take effective action. Creative methods, including social stories, 'Now and Next' boards and timelines are used with children to encourage positive behaviour and support their emotional wellbeing. Staff work alongside the in-house positive behaviour support team to review strategies and ensure that these remain effective. During periods of increased emotion for children, Inspection report for children's home: SC025745 5 staff use de-escalation strategies and distraction methods to support them. Consequences are not used at this home.

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

Leaders and managers respond proactively to concerns raised by external professionals. Since the last inspection, one complaint has been received following an increase in behavioural incidents for one child. Leaders and managers investigated the concerns thoroughly and provided a detailed response. No further concerns have been raised.

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

Staff have kept children safe by using physical intervention on a number of occasions. However, records do not consistently demonstrate the efforts staff made to avoid holding children and can be difficult to follow. In addition, staff and children have not always received timely support following incidents, and management oversight is inconsistent. As a result, leaders cannot be fully assured that physical interventions are always necessary, proportionate and carried out in line with good practice.

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

The manager is experienced and has a good understanding of the individual needs of the children. An experienced deputy manager supports her. Managers are child focused and committed to providing quality care to children. However, the monitoring and review systems in place are not sufficiently effective in identifying and addressing all shortfalls. Management oversight has failed to identify and address all shortfalls identified during this inspection. Staff benefit from one-to-one supervision that provides them with opportunities to reflect on their care of the children.

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

Staff receive annual appraisals of their practice that include the views of families and children. Staff development is discussed, with actions identified to support learning. However, when it is identified that staff require additional support, the frequency of supervisions is not increased.

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

There is a range of training that staff complete, including a robust induction programme. However, the manager has not ensured that all staff have completed training on effective communication with children who are nonverbal. In addition, 2 staff members have not completed their required qualifications in the required regulatory timescales. This does not ensure that all staff have the appropriate knowledge and skills to meet the needs of the children.

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

Team meetings take place regularly and are well attended by staff. These meetings provide opportunities for staff to reflect on the children's care and support needs, identifying what is working well, and discuss areas for further development. Staff discuss upcoming development days, activity ideas and plans for the children. Records of these meetings are detailed and provide a clear summary of discussions and reflections between staff.

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

There is a stable staff team in place that provides stability, predictability and consistency for children. Staff are child centred and have high aspirations for the children they care for. Staff work collaboratively together and promote a dedicated team ethos. Staff say Inspection report for children's home: SC025745 6 that they are supported and valued by leaders and managers. When there are gaps in the rota, managers use core staff or familiar agency staff to maintain consistency and stability for children.

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

There is effective multi-agency working in place. Information is shared appropriately with family members and professionals. Professionals and family members say that communication with staff is excellent, and they are kept well informed about children's time at the home. Family members are well involved in creating and reviewing their child's short-stay plan, supporting continuity of care. Together, they work collaboratively to provide consistency and stability and meet children's holistic needs. Inspection report for children's home: SC025745 7

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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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child's relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child.

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm.

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person.

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child's welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

that the home's day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff do not physically hold children in unsafe spaces, including the stairs.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all fire escape routes are clear of any hazards. 22 August 2026

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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

promotes their welfare. 22 August 2026 Inspection report for children's home: SC025745 8 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered 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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(f)(g)(i)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that effective management review and monitoring systems are implemented to identify and address any shortfalls in staff practice.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff have received training on communicating with children who are nonverbal so they have the required knowledge and understanding to meet the needs of the children.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that where it is identified that staff require additional support, actions are taken to increase the frequency of supervision and oversight of practice.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children's home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home. 22 August 2026 Inspection report for children's home: SC025745 9 The registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (3)(a)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children's safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children's home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained— 22 August 2026 Inspection report for children's home: SC025745 10 the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may defer the relevant date if the individual—

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Requirement Due date

does not work, or has not worked, in a care role in a home for a prolonged period; or

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Requirement Due date

works, or has worked, in a care role in a home on a part-time basis. (Regulation 32 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b) (3)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b) (6)(a)(b))

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that when any form of physical intervention is used that the children involved are offered the opportunity to have a debrief by persons not directly involved in the intervention. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,' page 49, paragraph 9.59)

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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: SC025745 11

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Children's home details

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

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Children's home details

Registered manager: Caroline Whittaker-Axon

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Inspectors

Leanne Carr, Social Care Inspector Simon Jones, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC025745 12 regulates 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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