Children's Home run by Infinity Care Home Ltd in Tameside

Inspection report for children’s home: 2642401 1 Registered provider: Infinity Care Home Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The children’s home is run by a private provider.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to care for up to 4 children who may have emotional and/or social difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home was registered with Ofsted in November 2021 and the manager registered in May 2024.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 4 children were living in the home. All children spoke to the inspector.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2642401 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/08/2025 Full Good 18/03/2025 Full Good 16/01/2024 Full Good 19/07/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2642401 3

p.2

Summary of findings

Warm, trusting relationships underpin the daily care children receive.. Children’s views shape routines, activities and contact arrangements, and staff encourage age- appropriate independence. This helps children build confidence and develop positive patterns of behaviour at a pace which suits their needs.

p.3

Summary of findings

Children are well supported. Staff work closely with professionals to ensure risk management is embedded and children benefit from consistent responses when they need help and support.

p.3

Summary of findings

The managers oversight of the home is exceptional. Inclusivity, advocacy and participation are key strengths, and reflective practice is firmly embedded.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has been re-furbished since the last inspection. Children were observed to be comfortable in their home surroundings, relaxing, making food and enjoying positive relationships with staff. Photos of the children and their achievements are proudly displayed in the home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children were preparing for their prom, which was organised by leaders, managers and staff. Children had new outfits and were actively taking part in the planning and preparation for the event. One child was eager to show the inspector their new clothes and accessories.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children’s identity and encourage them to embrace who they are without judgement. Children participate in decision making about factors impacting their lives. The manager and the staff team are strong advocates for ensuring children have fair access to services. Support has included additional community services for children who do not speak English as a first language and arranging representation for immigration advice and support.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff maintain strong links with children’s family and the important people in their life, facilitating family time, travel and supervision to ensure that children remain connected to those who matter to them, maintaining their sense of belonging and promoting their family identity. One family member said that the home set up a messaging and communication group so that information regarding family time plans is arranged in advance.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager proactively works alongside education providers to ensure that children new to the home have a suitable education plan in place. Children are actively encouraged to attend education meetings and have a say in their individual plans. One Inspection report for children’s home: 2642401 4 child received their exam results during the inspection, which was celebrated by the staff team and the child’s peers.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff spend time with children having discussions on a range of topics that have significance in their lives such as safety in the community, promoting independence, personal hygiene, healthy eating, online safety. These discussions help children learn positive behaviours and routines, which will prepare them for adulthood. One child was being supported by staff to plan travel so that they could travel independently to meet a friend.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Admissions into the home are centred around children’s needs. Recent moves for two children out of the home have been less structured, but managers have identified learning to improve future transition planning. One child’s social worker said, the manager provided the child with a supportive script to enable the child to move to their new home with success.

p.4

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

Staff confidently use strategies in risk management plans to respond to serious incidents and provide children with necessary support. When children have been missing from the home, staff follow agreed procedures and help children understand risks through meaningful conversations and de briefs.

p.4

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

When children have been involved in community disputes with peers, the staff team act quickly to ensure their safety. Following such incidents, the manager follows up concerns with the police and other relevant professionals on the child’s behalf to ensure that the child is safe when socialising in the community.

p.4

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

The manager works effectively with those services who support children experiencing poor mental health and those involved with youth justice by actively providing a voice and representing their views. Safety planning and risk mapping takes place when there are contextual safeguarding concerns. This helps to identify clear ‘push pull’ factors when considering children’s vulnerability.

p.4

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

Staff provide consistent support that helps children to recognise and understand dynamics of group living enabling them to manage their behaviour safely. This supports children to develop a clear understanding of expectations and reinforces their experience of being cared for by adults who prioritise their welfare.

p.4

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

Allegations are appropriately acted on, which ensures that concerns are referred to the appropriate agencies quickly and children are safeguarded. The manager takes a thoughtful, child focused approach to investigations to ensure the voice of the child is captured and to provide timely resolutions. Inspection report for children’s home: 2642401 5

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leadership and management arrangements are a clear strength. The manager is incredibly child ‑ centred, present in the home and knows the children exceptionally well. The manager advocates unreservedly for children and ensure all practice remains focused on safety, progress and promoting positive emotional wellbeing.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has implemented a range of plans in children’s spoken language to help them have a full understanding of the systems, processes and decisions that are being made in relation to their care. This not only encourages active participation but also means children are included in decision making regarding factors impacting their lives.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager advocates assertively for children, escalating concerns and providing effective challenge to prevent drift and to maintain focus on positive outcomes for children. Her proactive and consistent approach with partner agencies ensures that children receive needs led support, with children at the heart of all decision making.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Management oversight of staff practice is firmly embedded. Robust monitoring systems ensure that leaders and managers maintain clear and comprehensive oversight of all aspects of the service. The manager demonstrates a clear commitment to driving ongoing improvements to the quality of the home and the impact this has on children’s outcomes.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Reflective practice is a thread throughout all aspects of care and support provided to children. Staff are provided with quality time to reflect on their practice and learn from incidents in team meetings, de briefs and supervision sessions. The manager actively encourages staff participation. This boosts team morale and encourages a positive team work ethic. Consequently, the children are provided with care from a stable staff team.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Supervision records are of a consistently high quality; they are clear, focused and demonstrate purposeful professional reflection. They clearly identify individual professional development goals which promotes a healthy work life balance. Inspection report for children’s home: 2642401 6

p.5

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children should be given information about how to report abuse or any concerns about possible abuse. They should be able to access in private, relevant websites or help lines such as Childline to seek advice and help. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 44, paragraph 9.16)  The registered person should be skilled in monitoring the quality of care provided in the home through ongoing critical evaluation. They are responsible for proactively implementing lessons learned and sustaining good practice. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

p.6

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: 2642401 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Infinity Care Home Ltd

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 16 The Downs, Cheadle SK8 1JL

p.7

Inspector

Michelle Greenhalgh, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2642401 8 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.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8