Children's Home run by The Together Trust in Stockport

Inspection report for children’s home: SC008575 1 SC008575 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 operated by a charitable organisation and provides care for up to 5 children who may have physical disabilities and/or special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide short-term breaks together with long-term placements for up to 5 children. Two of these places may be given to accommodate a child to live at the home continuously and 3 of these places may be given to children on a short break or on a shared care arrangement.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 5 children were accessing the service and inspectors spent time with them.

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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 good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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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: SC008575 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/03/2026 Full Good 28/01/2025 Full Good 29/02/2024 Full Good 14/02/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC008575 3

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Summary of findings

Currently, this home provides families with short-break care for 17 children, with 2 children living at the home continuously. Children who live or stay at this home have complex health needs. They receive highly personalised care that is tailored to meet their individual needs and keep them safe.

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Summary of findings

Children enjoy a range of opportunities that broaden their experiences. They are helped to develop life skills and supported to make choices through a range of communication methods tailored to their needs. Progress and achievements for children are celebrated. Staff and managers are aspirational for children. They work hard to promote inclusion and ensure that children can access opportunities and experiences that enrich their lives.

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Summary of findings

The interim manager recognises the home’s areas for development and has clear plans in place to address identified shortfalls.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have positive experiences when living and staying at the home. They benefit from meaningful and trusting relationships with staff who know them well. Staff ensure that children’s disabilities do not present a barrier to participation in activities and experiences. Children enjoy a variety of activities with staff both inside and outside the home. Staff promote children’s individual interests, as well as introducing them to new activities, helping to broaden their experiences. They work hard to promote inclusion and ensure that children can access experiences that may not otherwise be available to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive highly personalised and nurturing care from staff. Children make progress in a variety of areas, including independent life skills, improved sleep patterns and personal care. Staff regularly monitor and review children’s individual goals, ensuring that staff support children to make progress. Children’s progress and achievements are celebrated with certificates and awards. Professionals and family members speak positively about the quality of care and support provided to children. One continuing care practitioner said, ‘I am very confident and assured that they can meet the needs of any child that we send to them.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s views are regularly sought using their preferred individual communication methods. Staff are attuned to children’s individual communication needs and confidently use Picture Exchange Communication Systems and visual aids. Staff also understand children’s individual facial expressions, behaviours and vocalisations, enabling children to make choices and have their views heard and acted upon.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are treated with dignity and respect by staff. During personal care routines, staff explain to children the care being provided and involve children as much as possible Inspection report for children’s home: SC008575 4 in decisions about their daily care. Staff closely monitor children’s wellbeing and communication cues for signs of distress or discomfort. This approach gives children greater control over their lives and promotes their dignity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have access to a wide range of play equipment. Their bedrooms are thoughtfully designed to meet individual needs, including the use of bespoke beds that reduce the need for staff to move children unnecessarily. Before each stay, staff prepare bedrooms according to children’s preferences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who live at the home benefit from highly personalised bedrooms that reflect their interests, likes and individuality. However, several maintenance issues across the home remain unresolved. Although the manager has taken action to request the necessary repairs, delays in completing this work detract from an otherwise welcoming, nurturing and child-centred environment.

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

Children’s highly complex health needs are understood and met. Staff have an excellent understanding of children’s needs and regularly consult with health professionals to support and guide practice. Comprehensive health plans for children are individualised and contain detailed guidance for staff on how to meet children’s complex health needs safely. Staff receive bespoke training that is specific to each child’s needs. Managers test staff knowledge and competence through assessment processes, ensuring that only suitably trained and competent staff undertake invasive medical procedures.

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

Staff have a good understanding of children’s emotional and communication needs. This enables them to recognise quickly when children are distressed and respond effectively. Some children are non-verbal and have limited motor skills. Staff use a range of creative communication methods, including social stories, ‘now and next’ prompts and eye-gaze techniques, to help children express themselves and understand what is happening around them.

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

Staff are highly attuned to children’s individual cues and respond sensitively when children experience heightened emotions. They work closely with the in-house clinical team and family members to gain a thorough understanding of children’s complex needs and to review support strategies regularly. This helps to ensure that support remains effective and responsive to children’s changing needs.

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

Keeping children safe is integral to daily practice. Children receive high levels of supervision and support in line with their assessed needs and vulnerabilities. Children are supported to take risks as part of their independence safely. Staff understand safeguarding procedures and their responsibilities in keeping children safe. Learning from significant incidents is embedded in practice, and leaders make organisational changes when required to strengthen safeguarding arrangements and promote children’s safety. Inspection report for children’s home: SC008575 5 The manager responds appropriately to safeguarding concerns. Thorough investigations are completed, and records provide a clear rationale for decision-making. Effective multi- agency working is embedded, and managers ensure that agreed actions are completed. The manager addresses shortfalls in staff practice proactively and ensures that restorative work takes place with parents when appropriate. This helps to rebuild

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

confidence and supports parents to remain involved in safety planning. However, the manager has not ensured that all serious incidents have been notified to the regulator within the required timescales.

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

Children’s medication is stored safely. Effective action, including additional training, competency assessments and reflective practice, has been taken in response to one identified medication administration error. There have been no further incidents since. However, medication and equipment recording systems require strengthening to prevent any potential errors.

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

Incidents involving physical intervention are rare. On one occasion, staff guided a child to protect another child’s privacy and dignity. Although staff spoke with the child afterwards, this discussion was not completed by an independent person. This limits the opportunity for the child to raise any concerns or complaints about the intervention. In addition, one staff member did not receive timely support following the incident. As a result, leaders cannot be fully assured that this physical intervention was reviewed and followed up in line with good practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, there have been changes to the management of the home. The previous manager resigned from her post in July 2026 and an interim manager is in post. The manager is highly motivated, child-centred and aspirational for the children. Staff describe her as supportive, visible and readily available to provide advice and guidance.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children are cared for by a caring and committed staff team. Staff describe enjoying their roles and value the opportunity when caring for children. Staff describe receiving strong support from colleagues and managers and say that they feel valued in their role. Staff instability has been a challenge, with staff working additional shifts where possible to maintain continuity of care. Leaders and managers are working hard to recruit new permanent staff. As an interim measure, they have used familiar casual staff to cover vacancies and maintain consistency for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from regular one-to-one supervision. This provides opportunities to reflect on their care of children and discuss their practice. Staff’s individual performance is reviewed and their learning and development is discussed. The manager addresses any identified shortfalls in practice. Additional support and training are provided where required to enhance staff knowledge and skills.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Practice is further supported by group discussions and regular team meetings. Staff are provided with opportunities to reflect on practice following any incidents and discuss what is working well and any areas of further development. Staff discuss their care of Inspection report for children’s home: SC008575 6 children together and share any updates about the children’s care and support needs. This approach enhances consistency in the care and support provided to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff and managers have strong and effective working relationships with other professionals and parents. They share information appropriately with parents, social workers and schools to promote continuity of care and meet children’s holistic needs. However, the manager needs to ensure that staff have the most current information from placing authorities to support their care of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An independent person visits the home to review and assess the quality of care provided to children. The previous manager has not ensured that reports from these visits are always shared timely with the regulator, and one visit was not completed within required timescales. The new manager recognises this shortfall and is committed to addressing this. Inspection report for children’s home: SC008575 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 care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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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

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(b)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff are provided with the most current information held from the placing authority when caring for the children. 20 September 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that effective systems are in place for keeping children’s records, as well as medication and equipment management. 20 September 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (‘the behaviour management policy’) which sets out— 20 September 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC008575 8 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

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; 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; 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) (3)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff and children are provided with opportunities to discuss the measures used with an independent person following any incidents of children being held by staff.

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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

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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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

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or 20 September 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC008575 9 there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that serious incidents are notified to the regulator without delay.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children are provided with a nurturing environment that meets children’s basic day-to-day needs and physical necessities. This includes ensuring that any maintenance repairs required are completed without delay. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7)  The registered person should ensure that visits to the home carried out by an independent person take place each month and that they make a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. The independent person should provide a copy of the visit reports to HMCI without delay. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5)

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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: SC008575 10

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspectors

Leanne Carr, Social Care Inspector Chervone Collins, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC008575 11 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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