Children's Home run by The Partnership of Care Today in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC005040 1 SC005040 Registered provider: The Partnership of Care Today

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private company that provides care for up to 4 children who experience social, emotional and mental health difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 3 children were living at the home. The children spoke with the inspector.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2023.

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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

Date of last inspection: 13 October 2025

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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: SC005040 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/10/2025 Full Good 11/03/2025 Full Good 04/03/2024 Full Good 28/03/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC005040 3

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Summary of findings

Children are making good progress from their starting points. They benefit from warm, nurturing relationships with a stable and experienced staff team. Children settle quickly into the home and receive effective support when moving on.

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Summary of findings

Staff promote positive family relationships, helping children spend time with those people who are important to them. Children are engaged in education, enjoy a wide range of activities and develop their independence.

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Summary of findings

Staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities. They respond effectively to risks and incidents. The manager is supportive, approachable and knowledgeable, providing effective oversight. Feedback from professionals and parents is highly positive, reflecting the good quality of care children receive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children experience positive and well-managed moves into and out of the home. Staff provide a warm welcome, helping children to settle quickly. When children move on, staff ensure that plans are well coordinated and individual needs are considered. Leaving gifts and celebrations help children to feel valued, supported and optimistic about their next steps.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff build positive and trusting relationships with children. One child said, ‘Staff are kind and caring.’ They know the children well and respond consistently to their individual needs. Children feel safe and valued and develop a strong sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to spend time with their families and other people who are important to them. Staff make effective arrangements for family time, including providing supervision and transport when needed. This helps children to maintain and strengthen important relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children access a wide range of activities that reflect their individual interests and needs. Staff encourage children to try new experiences and develop their independence skills. For example, children are gaining confidence in cooking, managing their personal care and carrying out household tasks. This helps children to develop valuable life skills and increase their self-confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children are in education and making progress from their starting points. Effective support from staff has enabled 2 children to maintain their school placements and benefit from continuity in their learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home provides a welcoming and generally well-maintained environment for children. Good-quality furnishings, a range of games and toys, and personal photos help to create Inspection report for children’s home: SC005040 4 a homely atmosphere. However, some areas of the home require redecoration, and damaged garden steps present a potential safety risk for children.

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

There have been no allegations or concerns regarding staff practice. Staff demonstrate a clear understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities, including how to recognise and escalate concerns. They are also confident in their understanding of the home’s whistleblowing procedures, helping to promote a strong safeguarding culture.

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

Missing-from-home incidents are rare. On the one occasion when a child went missing from the home, staff responded promptly and appropriately. They carried out searches and worked effectively with the local police to support the child’s safe return.

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

Staff promote positive behaviour effectively. They use individualised reward systems to recognise and celebrate children’s achievements and encourage positive behaviour. For example, children receive certificates that acknowledge positive behaviours, such as showing kindness to others. When consequences are used, these are proportionate and appropriate to children’s behaviour. The manager regularly reviews consequences to ensure they are fair and effective. This helps children to make positive choices.

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

On the occasions when children do not get along, staff respond quickly to de-escalate situations and restore positive relationships. They help children to understand expectations around sharing and treating others with kindness and respect.

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

There has been no use of physical intervention. Staff know children well and work with them to understand how best to provide support when they are upset. However, strategies identified by children are not consistently reflected in risk plans, which has the potential to reduce staff’s understanding of how to respond effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager knows children well and she has a strong understanding of their individual needs and lived experiences. Staff describe the manager as supportive, approachable and knowledgeable. This contributes to a positive culture and a consistent approach to meeting children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children benefit from a stable and experienced staff team. Staff speak positively about children and take pride in their achievements. This helps to create a supportive and nurturing environment where children feel valued and encouraged to succeed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular and effective supervision. In addition, the home’s therapist provides child-focused discussions with staff, which helps them reflect on their practice, review their performance and identify areas for development. This supports staff to provide consistent and informed care to children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC005040 5 Staff receive a wide range of training that is tailored to the needs of the children. Furthermore, monthly team meetings provide opportunities for staff to discuss children’s progress, share learning and strengthen their practice. These meetings are also used to reinforce key areas of training such as safeguarding procedures.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals and parents speak positively about the care provided by staff and the manager. One social worker said, ‘I think [name of child] is receiving excellent care. They [staff] go above and beyond for them.’ This feedback reflects the staff team’s commitment to meeting children’s individual needs and promoting positive outcomes. Inspection report for children’s home: SC005040 6

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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 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.

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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

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

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the decor in the home is well maintained and the garden is free from hazards. 22 October 2026

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Recommendation

 The registered person should understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. In particular, ensure that children’s risk assessments include children’s preferred support strategies. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Inspection report for children’s home: SC005040 7

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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: SC005040 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2nd Floor, Lansdowne House, 85 Buxton Road, Stockport, Cheshire SK2 6LR

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Inspector

Kirsty Truesdale, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC005040 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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