Children's Home run by Oldham Council in Oldham

Inspection report for children’s home: SC035492 1 SC035492 Registered provider: Oldham Council

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This local authority short-break children’s home offers care for up to 4 children, who may have social and emotional difficulties. The home’s primary objective is to deliver short breaks for children on the edge of care to prevent family breakdowns occurring.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

There were 4 children present during the time of the inspection. Inspectors spoke to 2 of them.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2023.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Inspectors were aware during this inspection that serious child protection allegations were being investigated by the appropriate authorities. While Ofsted does not have the power to investigate allegations of this kind, actions taken by the setting in response to the allegations were considered alongside other evidence available at the time of the inspection to inform inspectors’ judgements.

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: 4 November 2025

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC035492 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/11/2025 Full Good 01/10/2024 Full Good 14/02/2024 Full Good 15/11/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC035492 3

p.2

Summary of findings

This short-break service offers effective support to children, who are at risk of entering care. Children enjoy a safe space, where they can relax and take part in a range of activities with other children.

p.3

Summary of findings

Children are provided with individual care that is tailored to meet their specific needs and improve their outcomes. Staff and managers build trusting relationships with children and families.

p.3

Summary of findings

Staff work in partnership with other professionals to safeguard children. Children are included in decisions about their care and staff advocate for their views to be heard.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff offer effective support to children and their families. They provide children and families with nurture and stability during periods of significant difficulty and challenge. This helps children to remain living with their parents or carers and promotes stability in their wider care arrangements.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children like the staff and build positive and trusting relationships. They enjoy their time in the home. Staff support children to have positive experiences, build self- esteem and help children feel safe and comfortable. There are a range of activities for children to enjoy, such as trampolining, pool, bowling, colouring, cinema, trips to local parks and fairs.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Families value the support, a parent said, ‘I have nothing but good things to say about them, they have made a difference and 100% helped.’ When children are staying for an extended period, staff support them to spend time with family members and maintain important relationships.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff take account of children’s preferences and individual needs, when planning their visits. When the plan is to stay at the home overnight, staff arrange introductory visits to help children become familiar with the home and routines at their own pace. Children are supported to engage with the service.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s wishes and feelings are central to their care. They are consulted about everyday experiences, including meals and activities and are involved in important discussions about their care arrangements. Advocacy for children is a strength. Staff and the manager influenced decision-making when a child disagreed with their local authority care plan. Children are supported to express their views. Inspection report for children’s home: SC035492 4 Staff offer planned support that helps sustain relationships and promote education, employment and stability in children’s lives. Staff encourage children to consider future employment options and support with tools to do this, such as developing their curriculum vitae.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is warm, clean and provides a large space in and outside the home. Children have been consulted about changes they would like to make to the home. However, it requires redecoration and repair to ensure the environment remains comfortable and welcoming for children.

p.4

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

Staff are highly committed and show emotional warmth towards the children. They are nurturing with clear expectations around routines and boundaries to help children feel safe. Staff have a strong understanding of each child’s individual needs and vulnerabilities, enabling them to respond effectively and promote positive outcomes. This helps to reduce risks while supporting children’s progress.

p.4

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

When children are missing from home staff act swiftly by reporting to police. Staff go to extensive efforts to search and locate children to protect them. Multi-agency working is effective with regular review of risks to inform wider decision-making and strengthen support for children. A team manager said, ‘Staff were really vigilant, they went above and beyond to keep the child safe.’ Staff understand their responsibilities around contextual safeguarding.

p.4

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

Staff have regular, purposeful conversations with children about how to stay safe. They discuss concerns around wellbeing and help children to reflect on the reasons for caregiving decisions. Children can discuss alcohol, drugs and sexual health with trusted staff members to help them make safer choices.

p.4

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

On one occasion, children had not received the appropriate level of supervision in the home. This has led to allegations of staff poor practice. When allegations are made about staff, the manager ensures that they take necessary action to safeguard children. Allegations are fully investigated and local authority safeguarding partners are notified. However, the regulator is not always informed in a timely manner.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is suitably qualified, experienced and demonstrates high levels of nurture. The manager is supported by a strong deputy and a senior management team, who are highly invested in the children’s care.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been changes in staff since the last inspection. Current staff members are relatively new to their roles. Newer staff and agency staff have benefited from an individual induction to the home in addition to the council induction. Staff feel Inspection report for children’s home: SC035492 5 supported and have regular supervision. Staff feel there is an open culture, where they can reflect on the children and a safe space to discuss their own welfare.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There remain some staff vacancies, which has resulted in use of agency staff. Managers have improved consistency of care by employing staff, who are experienced and known to the children. The children have been involved in staff interviews, where they have developed questions and provided feedback on the applicants. This puts children living in the home at the centre of decision-making.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers thoughtfully consider children’s individual needs and risks to ensure they benefit from the care provided by the service. Individual needs of children are balanced. Leaders and managers review the quality and effectiveness of the care provided. They complete thorough reviews after children stop using the service, which allows for learning and reflection.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have safer recruitment processes in place. However, on one occasion checks were not completed fully in line with statutory guidance. Inspection report for children’s home: SC035492 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, 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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there.

p.6

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 40 (4)(c)) 16 September 2026

p.6

Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

p.6

Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the home environment is well maintained and damage is repaired in a timely manner. 7 October 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC035492 7

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Staff should provide appropriate levels of supervision for children in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person should be 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)

p.7

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: SC035492 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Children’s Social Care, Spindles Shopping Centre Level 8, George Street, Oldham OL1 1LF

p.8

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Nicholas Whitbread

p.8

Inspectors

Sadie Green, Social Care Inspector Eve Ostridge, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC035492 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.8

Inspectors

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 .

p.9

Inspectors

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

Inspectors

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

p.9

Inspectors

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

p.9