Children's Home run by Sphere Care Solutions in Salford

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2830751 1 Registered provider: Sphere Care Solutions

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a private provider. It offers care for one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

A child was not living at the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2025.

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Inspection date: 4 August 2026

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 4 August 2026

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspectors evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2830751 2

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Findings from the inspection

We identified the following serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Since the last inspection, the child has moved out of the home in an unplanned way. The provider served notice after several safeguarding concerns escalated and it became evident that staff were unable to keep the child safe in the home, online and in the community. Records relating to the child’s move were not accurate or up to date.

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Findings from the inspection

Shortfalls in safeguarding practice and the leadership and management of the home have compromised the child’s overall progress and have negatively impacted their mental health and emotional wellbeing. This contributed to the child becoming socially isolated and overly reliant on social media, where they have been exposed to unsafe and harmful material.

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Findings from the inspection

Room searches have been ineffective when concerns have arisen in relation to risk- taking behaviour, such as alcohol misuse and ingestion of batteries and ceramic items. This has required the child to receive medical treatment.

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Findings from the inspection

Furthermore, staff do not take effective action, and managers have not escalated concerns swiftly in relation to routine checks of the child’s mobile phone. Consequently, the child has continued to have unsafe communication over a sustained period with adults who have exploited them online.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff do not take effective action during times of crisis and when the child requires coordinated support to help them calm. De-escalation strategies have been inconsistent, and staff have sometimes relied on the police to help manage behaviour. This does not convey a positive message to the child that staff have the confidence and skills to support them.

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Findings from the inspection

Managers do not take timely action to reduce risks for the child. On one occasion when a child made an allegation about a member of staff, delays in the manager taking action led to the child being left under the supervision of the member of staff they had raised the complaint about.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers have not ensured that staff provide a positive or nurturing environment. On one occasion, staff offered the child food that had been cooked the previous day, which the child ate alone in their bedroom. Furthermore, the child has not benefited from a consistent, structured daily routine and has not engaged in activities to promote their identity or encourage a positive sense of wellbeing.

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Findings from the inspection

Supervision records are descriptive and do not provide staff with the opportunity to reflect on serious incidents and discuss their wellbeing. This is a missed opportunity to support staff’s emotional resilience during periods of crisis in the home. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2830751 3 Information in handover documents is not always accurate or legible, and crucial information regarding the child’s risks and behaviours has not always been shared. During the inspection, the inspector brought information recorded in a handover document to the manager’s attention, of which they were unaware. As a result, Ofsted had not been notified of a serious incident.

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Findings from the inspection

When complaints have been raised by neighbours, managers have not actively sought to mediate in a meaningful and sensitive way to help others in the community understand the child’s vulnerability.

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Findings from the inspection

Inspectors spoke to staff who were present in the home during the inspection. Staff were assisting with cleaning the home and repairing damage that had occurred during the child’s time at the home.

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Findings from the inspection

Following this inspection, a case review was held, during which it was agreed that there are serious and widespread concerns in respect of safeguarding practice and the leadership and management of the home. As a result, an urgent notice was issued suspending the provider’s registration. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2830751 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/04/2026 Full Requires improvement to be good 14/10/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2830751 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 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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

Leaders, managers and staff must ensure that concerns about children’s safety and welfare are responded to quickly to protect children from further harm when they have raised complaints and or allegations about members of staff.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that room searches are carried out when there are suspicions that a child has consumed alcohol or ingested harmful objects.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that mobile phone checks are robust to help identify risks. 30 September 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

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 30 September 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2830751 6 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(f))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person should oversee the welfare of the children in their care by implementing robust quality assurance and monitoring systems and maintain effective oversight of the home to improve the quality of care provided.

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Requirement Due date

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

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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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. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(vi)(vii)(ix)) 30 September 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2830751 7 The registered manager must ensure that staff consistently promote positive engagement with children to foster mutual trust and respect and to help children develop the skills to recognise relationships that are damaging and exploitative to prevent further risk of harm.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, staff should have the opportunity to reflect on serious incidents to help support and promote their wellbeing and emotional resilience. 30 September 2026

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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 any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)(e)) 30 September 2026

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date; and

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Requirement Due date

retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37 (2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that details of the child’s discharge include the address the child has moved to. 30 September 2026

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Recommendation

 The registered person should lead and manage the home in a way that delivers the ethos, outcomes and approach set out in the home’s statement of purpose. In particular, daily records should include how staff are using the PACE model of care effectively as a means of communicating with the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.4) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2830751 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sphere Care Solutions

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 152a Deansgate, Bolton BL1 1BB

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Olugbenga Odebunmi

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Inspectors

Michelle Greenhalgh, Social Care Inspector Kerri Lynch, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2830751 9 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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