Children's Home run by Strive to Care Limited in Tameside

Inspection report for children’s home: 2874499 1 Registered provider: Strive to Care Ltd

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care for up to 3 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home and manager registered with Ofsted in April 2026. This is the first inspection since registration.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

During this inspection period, 2 children moved into the home. The inspector spoke with both children during the inspection.

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 good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2874499 2

p.1

Summary of findings

The staff team is led by an ambitious and knowledgeable manager. The manager and deputy have high expectations of the staff team and lead by example. They are committed to achieving positive outcomes for children.

p.2

Summary of findings

Children’s missing from home responses do not consistently reflect the protocols staff should follow when children are missing from home. However, practice was reviewed and the response to children’s missing from home episodes has significantly improved. Staff make every effort to locate children and work with partner agencies to l ensure their safe return.

p.2

Summary of findings

Children are happy living at the home. Staff have built positive, supportive relationships with them and provide consistent supportive care.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are cared for by a stable, committed and experienced staff team who know them well. Staff provide a supportive and consistent environment that enables and encourages children to make positive progress. Children spoken to during the inspection said that they are happy living at the home and value the support they receive from staff. They said that staff have helped them with their mental health, education and family relationships. One child commented, ‘This is the best placement I have ever had; staff actually care.’

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children's moves into the home are carefully planned and effectively managed. The manager considers each child's individual needs alongside the skills and experience of the staff team before a child moves in. The manager liaises closely with the child's wider network, shares relevant information about the home and meets with children before they move in. Staff also arrange visits and activities to enable children to spend time with staff and become familiar with the home environment. This helps children to build positive relationships and reduces anxiety about moving into the home.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff place a strong emphasis on promoting children's education. They work proactively with social workers, virtual school heads and other professionals to ensure that education and healthcare plans are transferred promptly to support applications for suitable education provisions in the local area. When children are not attending formal education, staff provide alternative educational opportunities within the home and continue to advocate for appropriate education placements. As a result, children have developed greater confidence in their abilities, recognised their strengths and interests, identified future career aspirations and are being supported to apply for relevant college courses and training opportunities. Inspection report for children’s home: 2874499 3 Staff help the children to develop life-skills appropriate to their age. There are clear plans in place to support each child as they prepare for independent living. The children

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

are encouraged to develop skills such as budgeting, cooking, household chores and building positive community relations.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Positive peer relationships are encouraged with shared activities. When children fall out, staff react quickly, exploring the issues with both children sensitively. This has enabled the children to resolve any issues and maintain a positive relationship.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote children’s views and wishes. They support children to engage in weekly meetings, complete monthly questionnaires and ‘you said we did’ boards. Children are consulted on their risk assessments so they can understand the worries staff have and understand the strategies of support in place. This helps children to express their views in their own words and enables them to contribute to decisions about their care.

p.3

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

Children have a strong sense of safety and security in the home. They identify staff as trusted adults and speak to them about any worries or concerns.

p.3

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

Staff complete regular consultations with the home's clinical psychologist alongside therapeutic training to devise strategies of support for children and to help staff adjust their practice to support children effectively. This ensures that the homes' therapeutic model of care is embedded into practice.

p.3

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

The manager ensures that staff receive training that is tailored to the specific needs of the children in their care. As a result, staff understand the children’s individual risks and the strategies required to support them effectively. However, children’s risk assessments do not consistently reflect their current risks and vulnerabilities. This limits staff’s ability to respond consistently to identified risks.

p.3

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

Responses to children who go missing from home have not always been consistent with the home's procedures and expected protocols. On one occasion, staff did not report a child as missing and did not take active steps to locate them. As a result, there was a delay in the child being found and returned safely. The manager identified these shortfalls and addressed them through reflective discussion in a team meeting. Consequently, practice has improved and staff now respond more effectively to missing- from-home incidents.

p.3

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

Following missing episodes, staff undertake direct work with children to help them understand the risks associated with going missing and to promote safer decision- making. The manager and staff also work collaboratively with children's networks and partner agencies to implement safety plans aimed at reducing risks and improving children's safety and wellbeing.

p.3

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

Incidents of self-harm and low mood for children are managed effectively. Staff recognise when concerns need to be escalated and seek additional support from relevant Inspection report for children’s home: 2874499 4 professionals when required. They carefully monitor children's emotional well-being, provide reassurance and emotional support and administer first aid where appropriate. Staff reflect on incidents and engage children in sensitive discussions about their feelings, helping them to identify alternative coping strategies and build emotional resilience.

p.3

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

Staff complete regular, meaningful direct work with children to help them understand healthy relationships, consent, age-appropriate boundaries and privacy and mutual respect. As a result, children are learning about respectful relationships, healthy boundaries and how to keep themselves safe.

p.4

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

Children have access to specialist professional support, such as youth justice services and mental health support. Staff encourage and facilitate children’s engagement with specialist professionals. This means they have access to the adults best able to help them with their specific issues.

p.4

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

Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding and whistleblowing procedures and protocols are reviewed in team meetings. This ensures that all staff respond to safeguarding concerns effectively.

p.4

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

Consequences are used rarely in the home. When in place, they are fair and proportionate to the behaviours displayed and provide children with the opportunity to take accountability for their actions.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is child-centred and committed to achieving positive outcomes for children through the development of trusting and meaningful relationships. The manager and deputy manager lead by example and have high expectations of the staff team. Staff consistently reported that leaders are approachable, supportive and accessible. They described feeling valued in their roles and spoke positively about working at the home. One staff member said, ‘The manager inspires and motivates me to provide the best level of care for children.’

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager maintains effective oversight of the home. Records, reports and plans demonstrate consistent management scrutiny and monitoring. The manager uses daily and monthly monitoring systems, alongside the findings from independent visitor reports, to evaluate practice and identify areas for development. This helps to ensure that children receive good-quality care and that the home operates in accordance with its regulatory requirements.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers follow safer recruitment procedures, ensuring that appropriate checks are completed before staff begin working with children. Induction programmes for new staff are comprehensive and well structured, enabling them to understand their roles, responsibilities and the home's expectations. New staff are supported by experienced colleagues throughout their induction, helping them to develop their knowledge, skills and confidence in caring for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2874499 5 Staff receive regular supervision from the manager and deputy manager. These sessions are supportive and reflective, with a clear focus on children's progress, relationship- based practice and professional development. The manager and deputy manager use supervision to reinforce policies, procedures and relevant regulations, helping staff to strengthen their practice and improve outcomes for children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings take place monthly and are well attended. When staff are unable to attend, they are required to read and sign the detailed minutes to ensure that they remain informed of any changes in practice. Meetings provide opportunities to discuss children's progress and current challenges, reflect on practice and review risk assessments and care plans. The manager also uses these meetings to reinforce safeguarding responsibilities, review safety protocols and ensure that staff understand whistleblowing procedures and their role in protecting children.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff have established positive and effective relationships with children's families and professional networks. Family members and professionals reported that staff communicate well and keep them informed of both the progress children make and any challenges they experience. These collaborative relationships support consistent care planning and help to promote positive outcomes for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2874499 6

p.5

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, 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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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;

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

p.6

Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(vi))

p.6

Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that risk assessments provide an accurate and up-to-date reflection of children’s current risks and vulnerabilities. Staff must understand what they need to do to keep children safe.

p.6

Requirement Due date

Additionally, leaders and managers must ensure that staff are fully aware of their safeguarding roles and responsibilities. This includes reporting children missing from home when their whereabouts are unknown and checking all known and last known locations when children are missing from home. 7 October 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2874499 7

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: 2874499 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Richmond House, 50 Tontine Street, Blackburn BB1 7ED

p.8

Inspector

Renée Sims, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2874499 9 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.8

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.9

Inspector

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

p.9

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted Inspection report for children’s home: 2874499 10

p.9