Children's Home run by Trident Care Group Ltd in Halton

Inspection report for children’s home: 2874317 1 Registered provider: Trident Care Group Ltd Full inspection 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 provider. It offers care for one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and the manager registered with Ofsted in April 2026.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home. The child spoke with the inspector.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2874317 2

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Summary of findings

Staff have begun to build positive relationships with the child and provide calm, consistent care. The child is settling in well and feels happy and safe, and feedback from family members is positive.

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Summary of findings

Leaders took decisive action following an investigation, which led to the registered manager no longer working at the home. This has led to interim leadership arrangements with core systems not embedded and significant gaps in regulatory compliance.

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improvement to be good

Despite the significant shortfalls in the leadership and management arrangements at the home, the child is settling in the home.

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improvement to be good

The child has started to establish relationships with staff. These relationships are beginning to be characterised by trust, predictability and warm interactions that are helping the child to feel safe.

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improvement to be good

Staff work effectively with other professionals to meet the child’s needs, ensuring that information is shared promptly. Staff respond to the child calmly and consistently, which supports the child’s emotional stability and day-to-day routines.

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improvement to be good

The child is generally consistent in their participation in education. Staff are creative in promoting readiness to learn through adapting routines and structured encouragement. Online learning is supplemented by a range of additional learning opportunities throughout the day, which helps the child to maintain educational momentum and develop core skills. The child’s engagement with online learning is a positive feature of their daily routine. However, the child does not always engage in education, which limits the overall effectiveness of the routine.

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improvement to be good

The child has attended a college open day, which has helped to shape their emerging plans in their chosen field and broadened their aspirations. These experiences demonstrate early signs of progress.

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improvement to be good

The child has started to take part in regular activities that support their interests, identity and sense of belonging. Staff encourage participation in community-based sessions. For example, the child has attended a boxing class. This helps the child build confidence in new environments and develop their social skills.

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improvement to be good

Family feedback is very positive, and family time is well managed. Staff plan sessions carefully, maintain clear communication with family members and ensure that the child Inspection report for children’s home: 2874317 3 feels supported before and after contact. This contributes to strengthened relationships and a stable sense of identity.

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improvement to be good

Records are child-centred and written in a way that speaks directly to the child. The tone reinforces positive identity, belonging and pride in achievements. Records are clear, accessible and reflect the child’s voice, which helps them understand their journey and progress.

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improvement to be good

The child is subject to a deprivation of liberty order and, therefore, requires close supervision to keep them safe. An incident occurred when the child was able to purchase a prohibited item as staff did not support the child in line with the order. This incident was not notified to the regulator, which limits external oversight and scrutiny. Following the incident, the responsible individual took appropriate action to review practice, and all staff participated in a learning exercise to strengthen their understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities.

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improvement to be good

Staff advocate effectively for the child and have supported them in raising a complaint about their placing local authority. Staff have also supported the child to write to the judge involved in their legal order hearing. This advocacy reflects positive practice and demonstrates that staff are empowering the child to express their views.

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improvement to be good

The child’s behaviour support plan is clear and is used effectively to inform staff practice. There are risk assessments in place that include the child’s risks and vulnerabilities. Risk assessments are reviewed by the registered manager. However, the child’s risk assessment was not updated to include a recent incident. This means that staff do not have relevant up-to-date information to inform their safeguarding practices.

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improvement to be good

Since the home was registered several staff have left. This has led to inconsistencies in staff’s safeguarding practices. There have been instances of waking night staff falling asleep on shift, which represents unsafe practice.

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improvement to be good

The director has been present in the home without undergoing the necessary Disclosure and Barring Service checks in line with safer recruitment practice. This does not provide sufficient assurance that the director has been subject to the appropriate level of scrutiny.

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improvement to be good

Staff training has gaps and is not aligned with the child’s known risks. For example, staff have not received training in child criminal exploitation, despite this being an identified risk. Although this has not resulted in harm to the child, it limits staff’s ability to recognise and respond effectively to emerging concerns. This shortfall reduces the home’s readiness to protect the child and meet their individual needs.

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improvement to be good

The staff team is not diverse. Leaders are exploring ways to strengthen this, including plans to involve individuals with lived experience of risks similar to those faced by the Inspection report for children’s home: 2874317 4 child. This demonstrates a thoughtful and child-focused response to meeting the child’s needs and building trust with them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Since the home was registered, the registered manager has been dismissed. However, he has not submitted an application to Ofsted to cancel his registration. There is no current manager in post. The responsible individual is currently overseeing the home. Therefore, she is fulfilling 2 roles. This impacts on her capacity to fulfil both roles effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Plans to appoint an interim manager and responsible individual are at an early stage. Therefore, this does not demonstrate that there are stable and effective management arrangements in place to oversee the care that staff provide for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager did not have effective monitoring and review systems in place. Children’s plans and records do not demonstrate that the registered manager is reviewing and monitoring the care that staff provide for children. The responsible individual recognises the shortfalls in poor management practices.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Team meeting records demonstrate that basic systems and processes were still being established several weeks after the home became operational, indicating a lack of structure.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager did not ensure that the child’s plans included information from children’s social workers, which includes documentation about missing episodes, to inform the registered manager and staff about children’s needs. Managers had a copy of the child’s pathway plan. However, managers did not ensure that staff had the full information about the child when they came to live in the home. This included not completing an inventory, which meant the child had access to a large amount of money, which is a concern given the issues relating to exploitation. The responsible individual took action to address this shortfall.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager failed to inform the regulator when the child moved into the home, and it became operational. These omissions show weak managerial oversight and a lack of readiness to meet regulatory expectations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff are not being supervised in line with the provider’s policy and there are missing records, which does not provide sufficient evidence of staff being supported in their work.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The workforce development plan does not include details of the current personnel or the training relevant to the specific needs and risks of the child. As a result, staff do not have access to clear guidance, and leaders cannot demonstrate that the staff team is equipped to meet the child’s needs. Inspection report for children’s home: 2874317 5 The gaps in leadership and management, oversight and regulatory compliance demonstrate that leaders have not established the systems required to ensure safe and consistent practice. The home is not operating with the level of structure and accountability needed to fully support the child’s progress and protection. Inspection report for children’s home: 2874317 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff understand the provisions in legal orders so that children can be kept safe from harm. 2 November 2026

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that— 2 November 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2874317 7 helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that there are sufficient staff with the right mix of skills and abilities to look after children in a safe manner.

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the 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

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

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that all relevant plans and documents that pertain to a child are requested and on file. 2 November 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2874317 8

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Recommendation

 As set out in regulations 31-33, the registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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Recommendation

 The registered person should have a system in place so that all serious events are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. The system should cover the action that should be followed if the event arises at the weekend or on a public holiday. Notification must include details of the action taken by the home’s staff in response to the event. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13) Inspection report for children’s home: 2874317 9

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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: 2874317 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Trident Care Group Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Corke Accountancy Services, 2 Upton Road, Birkenhead CH41 0DF

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Inspector

Colin Jones, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2874317 11 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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