Children's Home run by Trafford Borough Council in Trafford

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC032475 1 SC032475 Registered Provider: Trafford Borough Council

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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 local authority. It provides care for up to 5 children who may experience social or emotional challenges. At the time of this inspection, 4 children were living in the home.

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Information about this children's home

A manager has been appointed since 28 July 2026 but has not yet submitted an application to register.

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This monitoring visit

Following a full inspection, this home was judged to be inadequate on 17 June 2026. This visit took place to review the progress the provider had made following compliance notices being issued under Regulation 12, The protection of children standard, Regulation 13, The leadership and management standard, Regulation 10, The health and wellbeing standard, and Regulation 27, The appointment of manager standard.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders have taken action to appoint an experienced manager from an agency. A clear action plan is now in place to continue to develop safeguarding practice.

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This monitoring visit

When children are discharged from hospital, staff now follow medical advice to ensure the child's well-being. Additional staff are put in place and when required, staff check on the child throughout the night.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have a better understanding of where children are when they are out of the home. When children ask to be picked up after being out with friends, staff now consistently support children to return to the home safely. Safety plans contain clear Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC032475 2 guidance for staff to follow to get children home, regardless of the time of day or night, children need to be picked up.

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This monitoring visit

Staff work creatively key professionals in the child's life, and the number of incidents of missing from home have decreased since the last inspection. When children are missing from home, staff now report to the police appropriately, ensuring the increased risks for each child are clearly communicated. Additional staff are in place when children are missing from home overnight to ensure that they are available for children. Staff now actively look for children and make attempts to contact them.

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This monitoring visit

Staff are better able to understand the needs of children. Leaders now recognise areas that staff practice needs to be improved. Staff supervision sessions reflect both staff and manager's learning from safeguarding incidents. Children's plans have been updated to include all relevant information. All safeguarding incidents are now evaluated by a manager to identity areas of improvement, however, are limited in detail.

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This monitoring visit

Children's mental health needs are better understood by staff. Staff have been proactive in seeking specialist advice and now understand the purpose of the children's prescribed medication. Staff now seek appropriate support from specialist mental health team and share information to each other. However, health care plans do not contain all relevant information.

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This monitoring visit

A case review was held and it was agreed that all compliance notices issued have been met. Other requirements made at the last inspection will be reviewed at the next inspection. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC032475 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/06/2026 Full Inadequate 05/11/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 16/07/2025 Full Inadequate 16/04/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC032475 4

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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 with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The children's views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children's care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ascertain and consider each child's views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child's best interests when making decisions about the child's care and welfare. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to the registered person ensuring that children are spoken to about any changes in children or staff at their home.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was not reviewed and is restated. 16 October 2026

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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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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children's needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. 16 October 2026 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC032475 5 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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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; and

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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

(Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(vi)(vii)(c)(i)

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to the registered person ensuring that the staff have conversations with children about keeping themselves safe when in the community.

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Requirement Due date

This further relates to the registered person ensuring that children's bedrooms are of a consistently good standard of cleanliness and repair and that children have enough storage.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was not reviewed and is restated.

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Recommendation

 The registered manager should keep children's health plans up to date with all relevant information, including from relevant health professionals, to help all members of staff understand and respond to children's mental health needs confidently and consistently. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 35, paragraph 7.18). Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC032475 6 The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children's home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Recommendation

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC032475 7

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Trafford Borough Council

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Town Hall, Talbot Road, Stretford, Manchester M32 0TH

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Inspectors

Kerri Lynch, Social Care Inspector Beth Bird, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC032475 8 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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