0161 460 8266

Kaleidoscope Assessment Services has been operating residential services for children and young people for over ten years, and Chester Road is a private residential family centre which was opened by Kaleidoscope Assessment Services (Kaleidoscope from henceforth) in 2014.

The main purpose of the centre is to provide families with accommodation together with other services and facilities, in an environment where children can be safeguarded, whilst their parents’ capacity to respond to and meet children’s needs and safeguard their welfare are developed and assessed. Each parent’s capabilities and capacities are monitored and assessed throughout their placement, and form the basis of the comprehensive evidence-based assessments which are completed throughout the placement.

Chester Road is in a residential area of Stretford, Manchester. The property is situated within walking distance of many services inclusive of shops, schools, doctors, and children’s centres. Chester Road is situated close to the town centre which hosts services such as a college, university, Metro station, bus station, children’s hospital and a large shopping centre.

Chester Road is a semi-detached house which is tastefully decorated.

Chester Road is able to provide accommodation to three families, with a family in this context consisting of one or two parents, and one or two children aged up to 5 years old. The house is set up so that each family has access to their own bedroom, living room, bathroom and kitchen to enable and encourage independence. Residents are welcome to bring small items of personal possessions such as pictures and ornaments to personalise their rooms. Unfortunately due to the size of the rooms, residents will be unable to bring large items of furniture. We are also unable to accommodate pets.

We are able to provide residential parenting assessments for families, parents aged 14 years and upwards, of any gender, families with learning disabilities, families with a history of abuse, neglect, drug or alcohol addiction/behaviour, families with who have experienced domestic violence, and / or where there are protection concerns as a result of a history of mental health. For families with a physical impairment, we are able to offer a placement if the person is able to climb stairs unaided.

There is a meeting room/staff room for staff to take their breaks and keep their belongings in safely and also for any private meetings that need to take place away from the CCTV.

At the rear of the building there is a large garden, and a sheltered smoking area. Whilst smoking cessation will be promoted to all parents who smoke, we recognise that some parents may continue to do so, and this allocated area is the only part of the property where residents are permitted to smoke.

Chester Road operates a service with staff available 24-hours of the day, to ensure parents are supported throughout the day and night.

Chester Road also has the facility of portable CCTV footage through the use of an iPad, to enable staff to continuously monitor families. This is to ensure that when situations occur when staff are away from the office, CCTV monitoring can continue to be upheld at all times. All staff are trained during their induction, and understand the requirements and restrictions imposed around the use of electronic monitoring.

The CCTV cameras are in constant use externally at the entrance, exit and to the side of the building, in order to protect the safety of all residents, staff and visitors. Appropriate signs are displayed where CCTV footage is used in communal areas. All CCTV footage, including monitors, are held in a private area in the staff office.

CCTV footage can be requested by the local authority, guardians and the court for viewing. 

Directors & Management Team:

Noor Ali - Director

Noor is a qualified Social Worker, with a BSc in Mathematics, NVQ L5 in leadership and management and MA in Social Work. He has over 9 years of experience working in fostering and children’s residential homes within the management teams and as a Director, where he has had the opportunity to make a significant difference to vulnerable people’s lives.

Deborah Aremu - Service Manager

Deborah is a qualified Social Worker, with a BSc in Law, and a MA in Social Work. She has over 14 years of experience supporting children in care in various positions including Service Manager, Registered Manager, SSW and Senior Practitioner. She enjoys building relationships with families and supporting them within their role to provide safe, caring and nurturing homes for children and young people, which meet their holistic needs. Deborah also enjoys supporting Social Workers and staffing teams with their professional growth and development, to empower and equip them to best meet the needs of families.

Lauren Brogan – Responsible Individual 

Lauren has Level 3 BTEC national award in business studies, Safeguarding Children and Young People level 4, PAMS Assessment manual, level 3 diploma in children and young people, a level 5 in Leadership and Management in a Health and Social Care setting, and BA Hons in early years’. She has also undertaken the freedom programme facilitator course, which enables her to deliver the freedom programme in group sessions, or alternatively on a 1 – 1 basis. She has been working within residential settings since February 2012, supporting children and young people with challenging behaviours and needs, and supporting families in various roles and capacities, including support worker, and Registered Manager, and more recently Responsible Individual.

Alice Kimbley – Interim Manager

Alice holds an NVQ Level 2 & 3 Health and Social Care, and is working towards obtaining a Level 5 in Social Care Management. Prior to joining Kaleidoscope, Alice has 8 years of experience in the health and social care industry, having previously worked as a senior healthcare assistant in a nursing home, providing high standards of care to individuals with a diverse range of needs. She has completed a wide array of training courses, including: Safeguarding Children; Safeguarding adults; Early learning and development; Equality and diversity; Mothers, Parenting and the impact of separation; Child Development; and Challenging behaviour.

Social Workers

Social Workers

We have employed qualified Social Workers to complete and undertake assessments at Kaleidoscope, one of whom has a wealth of experience working in local authorities in child protection teams and with children in care, and has vast experience developing care packages and support plans for young people with care experience. She has also supported young people and their families, completed pathway plans and children and family assessments for families with a range of different needs, including mental health, complex safeguarding, county lines and has worked alongside children with disabilities social workers, supporting children with additional learning needs.

Our other Social Worker has experience working with adults with mental health needs, learning disabilities, and drug and alcohol misuse issues. She was also a mental health advocate, and has supported victims of domestic abuse and care leavers in her advocacy role.

Our Social Workers have completed the following training since joining Kaleidoscope:

• Recognising common mental health problems
• Equality and diversity
• Data Security
• Parent Assess
• Assessment Process and Delivery
• Freedom programme and Domestic violence in house training
• Paediatric First Aid

Consultant Psychotherapist

Kaleidoscope has commissioned the services of a qualified, independent Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist. She is care-experienced, and has 25 years of experience supporting vulnerable individuals in various roles, including care leavers, foster carers, children in SEN schools, and individuals in the community, where she has assessed their needs, and provided counselling and therapeutic support. She is currently working towards her Doctorate in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, and has a wealth of experience using a range of strategies, theories and therapeutic models to provide support to parents, carers, children and young people, and undertake assessments of needs. She also provides support and guidance to the staffing team, to aide them in their relationship building, communication and direct work with families.

Support Workers / Key Workers

Play Worker

Our Play Worker has extensive experience working in nurseries with children aged 0-5 years and has been involved in the development of child development plans and implementation of children’s EYFS learning journey. She has attained a plethora of qualifications and completed a number of training courses, including: NNEB; Diploma in post qualification studies level 4 in childcare; A1/A2 NVQ Assessor’s award; Managing Anger and Challenging Behavior; COSSH; Assessment Process and Care proceedings; and National Minimum Standards & Regulations Awareness. She has 5 years’ experience working in a family assessment center at a senior level, co-coordinating the delivery of teaching to families in line with their placement plans, and has also facilitated story time sessions and arts and crafts with child sessions, to support parents to play, bond, and engage with their children. She has contributed to comprehensive family assessments in line with the Department of Health Framework of Assessment. She continues to provide support and engage in activities with the families at the center on a part time basis, offering arts and crafts, sensory sessions and in-house baby massage.

Support Workers

We have employed a number of skilled and experienced support workers, who undertake direct work and key work sessions with families, as well as observations, and complete daily records based on their direct and indirect interactions.

Our support worker has a level 4 qualification in childcare, and A1/A2 NVQ Assessor’s award. She has worked as a volunteer for 8 years in a primary school, supporting children with their reading and behaviours where additional needs were identified. She has also worked for many years within a residential family assessment centre, undertaking direct observations of families and observations via CCTV. Within her roles, she has experience of working in line with care and placement plans to offer support and intervention to families in need/crisis, and facilitated delivery of direct work to aid parental learning and growth. She has experience in observing family contacts to contribute to the family’s assessment process.

Another support worker is working towards her Level 4 Qualification in Children & Young People’s Practitioner. She has extensive knowledge around mental health, after working as a Psychiatric Counsellor for 12 years in India.

We have employed a support worker who is working towards her Level 4 Qualification in Children & Young People’s Practitioner. In addition to working for Kaleidoscope, she also has experience working in a residential children’s home, where she has supported and cared for children and young people with challenging behaviours. She has great experience working with families and has also been a key worker for the families.

Another support worker is currently working towards attaining his Level 3 in Health & Social Care. He has spent a number of years working in the care sector, and has moved into family residential centres and is looking to expand his knowledge and further his career in child protection.

One of our support workers is currently completing the final year of her Social Work Degree. She is passionate about child protection, and has used her experience, knowledge and training whilst supporting families within her role at Kaleidoscope.

A recent addition to the team is a support worker who has over 6 years experience caring for children as a nanny. Within her previous role she accumulated a plethora of practical knowledge and insight into caring for children and young people, and child development, all of which she has used whilst supporting and observing families within her current role as a family support worker. She has ambitions to progress her career within social care, and is working towards her level 3 in health and social care.

Another recent addition to the team is a support worker who has previous experience as a teacher. Her is also working towards his level 3 in health and social care, and since joining the team has demonstrated the ability to transfer his previous teaching experiences to supporting parents and families to develop the skills they require to safely and effectively meet the needs of their children.

A long standing member of the team has been employed as a support worker for many years. He was previously a teacher, is working towards his level 3 in health and social care, and has also gained a number of high-level qualifications within his previous roles. His qualifications, as well as his previous employment as a teacher, has given him the skills and ability to provide quality, advice guidance and support during direct work sessions with families.  

We have another recent addition to the team, who has recently embarked on starting a career in social care. He has completed a level 3 in health social care to develop his skills and knowledge, and has a positive work ethic and desire to make a difference in the lives of the families that he supports, which has been evident in the care and positive, professional relationships he has built with families and the team, since joining the organisation.

Training – Play Workers & Support Workers

We encourage and support all of our support workers to regularly attend training, to increase their knowledge and skillset, and ensure their practice remains up to date. Training consists of statutory and mandatory training, and any training that we believe will be of benefit to our families and their needs identified pre and post placement.

Guidance and Information for Residents

Kaleidoscope recognises that living in a communal environment away from home and undertaking a parenting assessments can be an unsettling and anxious time for all families. We therefore aim to make placements as comfortable as possible, and the process of the assessment an empowering and supportive process for all residents. We have prepared a Parent’s Handbook which will be given to each parent prior to their admission to Chester Road. The Parent’s Handbook provides families with as much information as possible about Kaleidoscope, and is designed for residents to keep and reflect back on throughout their stay.

Should there be any questions from a resident that are not contained in the Parent’s Handbook, staff will be available to answer these at any time during their stay.

We welcome feedback from all aspects of our service and encourage parents to tell us if they have questions and / or concerns.