Children's Home run by Social Care Services (Clayton) Limited in Bolton

Inspection report for children’s home: 2797717 1 Registered provider: Social Care Services (Clayton) Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a private provider. It offers care for up to 3 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 2 children were living in the home. Neither spoke with the inspectors.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: 23 September 2025

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2797717 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/09/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2797717 3

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Summary of findings

Children are not receiving care that adequately meets their needs, leaving them vulnerable to harm and resulting in limited progress in their overall development and outcomes.

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Summary of findings

Safeguarding practice in the home is inadequate. Children have not been listened to when raising concerns, and their safety has been compromised by poor decision-making by leaders, managers and staff.

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Summary of findings

Leaders and managers do not demonstrate sufficiently reflective practice. This shortfall increases the risk of harm to children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Managers and staff do not ensure that children experience consistent routines and structure. Opportunities for staff to spend meaningful time with children are limited. In addition, children have missed school and health appointments, which restricts their ability to make progress and achieve positive outcomes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Feedback from professionals is varied. Professionals report that communication with managers and staff is good. However, concerns have been raised about the staff’s ability to support and maintain structured routines for the children. Therefore, children have not sustained any progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff are not aware of children’s plans, especially those relating to education. As a result, there is no preparation to develop and support the routines and structure necessary for children’s ongoing progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children’s bedrooms are not consistently maintained to an acceptable standard of hygiene. Additionally, signs of wear and tear were evident in one child’s bedroom. This does not promote a welcoming, homely environment or show that children and their living spaces are valued. This is reflected in the low rating given by a child when asked about their experience of living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Managers and staff do not ensure that children receive the therapeutic care they need to build trust with the adults who care for them. The manager does not model the language needed to build relationships and, as a result, may hinder children from addressing their earlier experiences.

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

Allegations made by children are not appropriately managed or investigated. These concerns have not been reported to the relevant safeguarding partners, resulting in a Inspection report for children’s home: 2797717 4 lack of external scrutiny and oversight from Ofsted and the local authority designated officer. Consequently, children have not received feedback or outcomes on the complaints and allegations they have raised.

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

Leaders and managers do not have clear procedures for responding when children leave the home for unstructured activities or when they do not answer welfare calls. This lack of clarity has led to confusion among children when they are reported missing to the police. Furthermore, on one occasion, information about a child’s potential whereabouts was not appropriately followed up on, resulting in an unnecessary delay in locating the child.

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

Managers and staff do not ensure that effective supervision arrangements are in place for children. On one occasion, a child left the home overnight and was not reported missing until late the following morning. The child expressed via text message that staff did not care because they had not noticed they were missing, showing the lack of safe, secure and trusting relationships between staff and children.

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

Managers and staff do not ensure that clear and consistent boundaries are in place for children. As a result, children receive mixed messages about expectations, limiting their ability to make safe choices.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not provide staff with sufficient opportunities to reflect on their practice and analyse the effectiveness of support strategies. Supervision sessions and team meetings rarely explore children’s views or consider the barriers to overcoming challenges effectively. As a result, opportunities to help children establish positive routines and develop positive relationships with staff have been limited.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders’ and managers’ oversight is ineffective. Staff do not show a sufficient understanding of what constitutes an allegation or of the appropriate procedures to follow when concerns are raised by children. Children are not informed of how their concerns are being addressed and therefore have no assurance that their views or experiences are taken seriously.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has not ensured that all safeguarding notifications have been submitted or that those requiring notification have been shared promptly. This reduces the regulator’s oversight of incidents in the home and does not provide assurance that children are safeguarded effectively from harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Incident management oversight is poorly documented and inconsistently evaluated by managers. As a result, shortfalls in staff practice are not always identified. Furthermore, consequences are recorded in incident reports; however, there is no evidence that these are consistently discussed with children to ensure their understanding and capture their perspectives. The manager advises that the effectiveness of consequences is evaluated; however, this is not documented. Consequently, there is insufficient evidence to Inspection report for children’s home: 2797717 5 demonstrate whether consequences are effective in preventing the recurrence of incidents or reducing the need for their use. Inspection report for children’s home: 2797717 6

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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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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)(ii)(v)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that clear guidance is provided to staff so that they can take a consistent approach when children do not respond at the agreed check-in times.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that staff support children to understand the actions that will be taken and when, including where staff will search for them and at what point they will be reported as missing from home. 30 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 30 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2797717 7 promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

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 work as a team where appropriate;

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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

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; 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)(b)(c)(f)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that the registered manager maintains thorough oversight and evaluation of incident records, including missing-from-home records. Oversight should be reflective, identify any shortfalls in staff practice, and result in appropriate action being taken to support children and staff.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that the registered manager makes every effort to speak with children and staff following any incidents, including those where children’s whereabouts are unknown. This information should inform the manager’s overall evaluation and next steps.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that the registered manager and all staff have a clear understanding of what constitutes an allegation, how to respond when an allegation is made, and the procedures that must be followed to safeguard children and ensure that relevant agencies are informed. Inspection report for children’s home: 2797717 8 *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

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

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that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vii)(ix)(x)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that staff encourage children to engage in routines that support their health and wellbeing. Where strategies are not effective, leaders must review and evaluate the approaches used and support staff to adapt them when necessary. 30 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2797717 9 Ensure that the registered manager and staff understand children’s earlier experiences and that language and interactions are trauma informed.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that staff are provided with the opportunity to reflect during supervision sessions to help them understand more effective ways to build relationships with children.

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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.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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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

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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a description of the measure and its duration;

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

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

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure; 30 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2797717 10 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; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, record and evaluate the consequences provided to children, along with their effectiveness, and ensure that children are given the opportunity to engage in this process and have their voices captured.

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Requirement Due date

If there is a referral of a person working in the home pursuant to section 35 (Regulated activity providers: duty to refer) of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006(1), the registered person must without delay notify—

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation—

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Requirement Due date

the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and 30 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2797717 11 any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter;

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Requirement Due date

must be made or confirmed in writing. (Regulation 40 (3)(a)(b)(c) (4)(c)(e) (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all safeguarding partners, including Ofsted, are promptly informed of any serious incidents or allegations made by children and that the correct processes are followed to address any allegations. This includes providing appropriate support to children and staff throughout the process.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose

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protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably; 30 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2797717 12 make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home; (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(ix)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all rooms and furnishings are consistently maintained to a high standard that meets the needs of the children and provides a welcoming environment that they can call home.

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

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

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help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non- attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(viii)) 30 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2797717 13 In particular, the manager and staff must ensure that, when children are not attending education, there is a clear routine and structure in place at home in which they can participate. This should be shared with relevant education professionals when appropriate.

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: 2797717 14

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Social Care Services (Clayton) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Social Care Services Group, 31 Shaw Road, Stockport SK4 4AG

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Inspectors

Claire Foster, Social Care Inspector Sarah Gilbert, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2797717 15 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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