Children's Home run by Social Care Services (Clayton) Limited in BoltonOfsted inspection, 22 Jul 2026

Inspection report for children’s home: 2680502 1 Registered provider: Social Care Services (Clayton) Limited

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private organisation. It provides care for 2 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection, 2 children were living in the home. One child has moved out since the last inspection. The inspector spoke to one child about their experience of living in the home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2025.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

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

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

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.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2680502 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/07/2025 Full Good 12/06/2024 Full Good 17/10/2023 Full Good 25/01/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2680502 3

p.2

Summary of findings

Staff know the children well and the manager advocates on behalf of children. The children are happy living at the home and professionals report that they are satisfied with the care that the children receive.

p.3

Summary of findings

One child has moved back to their family; the move was a positive experience.

p.3

Summary of findings

Management oversight is not robust, which has led to a number of shortfalls in the home. One child’s bedroom was not clean and tidy, and repairs were needed.

p.3

improvement to be good

One child said they were happy living in this home and commented how much they like their bedroom. Family members said children were happy and settled in the home. Social workers for both children were pleased with the care that was provided and they felt that the communication from the manager was effective.

p.3

improvement to be good

One child has moved out of the home since the last inspection. This was well planned, with the child returning to live with their family. This plan was well structured and progressed at the child’s pace, which strengthened their confidence and family relationships.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff know the children well and work is carried out on issues that are impacting on their lives. However, not all plans from children’s placing authorities are held on file in the home. This prevents staff from aligning day-to-day care with the placing authority plans and limits the staff’s understanding of the children’s needs.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children are supported to access activities outside of the home and they spend time with staff on day trips. A holiday is planned for both children later this year. Some children have made progress in education. However, daily routines in the home do not provide structure for one child. This limits the time children spend together at key times during the day, for example, at mealtimes. A lack of planning impacts on school attendance for one child, with them often missing part of the school day due to being late.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children have access to a range of health services, and they are supported to attend general health and dental appointments. However, when staff became aware that a child needed to use a prescription toothpaste daily, this was not actioned. Written records of this medication were not accurately kept, and management oversight did not identify this shortfall in practice. This means that the child was not receiving dental treatment that was in their best interests. Inspection report for children’s home: 2680502 4 The home is clean and tidy, with a large garden where the children can play and relax. Overall, the home environment is of a good standard. However, one child’s bedroom was untidy and full of clutter. In addition, a shelf in the child’s bedroom was not securely fixed to the wall and needed repair.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff understand most children’s risks and the immediate action they should take if a child presents under the influence of substances, for example, contact healthcare for advice and observe the child. However, the risks to one child have not been assessed and there is no safety planning in relation to substance misuse. In addition, staff training that was identified several months ago has not been progressed. Therefore, the need for staff have limited guidance to inform their response to this area of a child’s needs.

p.4

improvement to be good

One child was helped to understand fire risks after they used a lighter to ignite some paper in their bedroom. Direct work was completed and a referral was made to the fire service education team. However, room searches have not always been completed to ensure that there are no dangerous items in the bedroom.

p.4

improvement to be good

When children have been missing from home, staff engage in reflective work around safeguarding practices. There is a clear plan in place that staff follow and this minimises the length of time children are missing from home and helps them to feel supported when they return home. The manager communicates well with professionals from children’s placing authorities and contributes to multi-agency meetings that take place after significant events.

p.4

improvement to be good

Children are only held when necessary to protect them and others. One child has been held since the last inspection. While the written record detailed the events leading up to the hold and staff action, the record did not include the duration of the hold. This shortfall was not identified during management oversight. This impacts on fully understanding the child’s experience and the opportunity to identify any learning for staff.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager has good relationships with children. Staff enjoy working in the home and they feel supported by the leadership team. The manager maintains positive working relationships with external professionals. Professionals and family members are positive about the care that the children receive.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Managers use supervision sessions and appraisals to aid the development of staff. Supervisions are reflective and help staff to consider the needs of children, while progressing their own development.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The regulator has not always been notified of significant events, for example, 2 incidents when a child set paper alight. This means that the regulator does not always have up-to- Inspection report for children’s home: 2680502 5 date information about the home and potential risks. In addition, one allegation was not reported to the local authority designated officer (LADO).

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager has completed a review of the quality of care, however, this has not included the views of the children and their parents. This limits the opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of the care provided and inform future plans for the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2680502 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 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

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

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; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(b))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, that room searches are carried out when there is cause to believe that the child may be concealing items that could pose a risk of harm to themselves or others.

p.6

Requirement Due date

Also, ensure that all known risks are included in the risk assessments for each child. 22 September 2026

p.6

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—

p.6

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and 22 September 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2680502 7 promotes their welfare.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

p.7

Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(f)(h))

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must have oversight of all monitoring systems to ensure that serious incidents have been managed effectively, and ensure that all staff have the skills and knowledge to support children’s individual needs.

p.7

Requirement Due date

In addition, ensure appropriate oversight of children’s bedrooms to ensure that they are safe and well maintained.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

p.7

Requirement Due date

there is any [other] incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)((e)) 22 September 2026

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

p.7

Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(c))

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that records are kept of all medications administered to children and that a procedure is in place to monitor the use of the medication. 22 September 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2680502 8 The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months.

p.7

Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

p.8

Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it.

p.8

Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(b) (5))

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must include feedback from children and their parents in the quality of care review 22 September 2026

p.8

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all allegations are reported to the LADO for consideration of the next steps. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 44, paragraph 9.19)

p.8

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: 2680502 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Social Care Services (Clayton) Limited

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 31 Shaw Road, Stockport, Cheshire SK4 4AG

p.9

Inspectors

Jayne Lord, Social Care Inspector Colin Jones, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2680502 10 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.9

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 . 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.10

Inspectors

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

p.10

Inspectors

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

p.10