Children's Home run by Homes for Support in Cheshire East

Inspection report for children’s home: 2526004 1 Registered provider: Homes for Support Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a private organisation. The home provides care for up to six children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, five children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in May 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2526004 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/03/2024 Full Good 20/03/2023 Full Outstanding 01/03/2022 Full Outstanding 20/11/2019 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: 2526004 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s care is consistently planned in partnership with the children and external agencies. Children are helped to understand their progress and are supported to achieve their aspirations.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff build trusting relationships with children and their families. The consistent liaison between the home and the child’s family means that there is a committed approach to family time. When necessary, staff provide additional support to ensure that visits are positive and meaningful for the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health is suitably managed. Staff are proactive in making referrals to health professionals to ensure that children’s physical and emotional health needs are assessed and addressed. Children are registered with local health services and are supported to attend routine appointments.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children with a history of non-attendance in education are provided with bespoke educational opportunities. Small steps are taken to re-engage children into education. Tutors, mentors and counsellors work with children to build their confidence and help them to develop functional skills. Consistent daily routines enable children to understand the plans for their day and the expectations around educational engagement. A tutor said, ‘The staff are fantastic. They never give up and keep pushing the children. We are all working together and want the best outcomes for the children.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Consultation with children takes place regularly, through children’s meetings, key-work sessions and monthly individual letters to children. Children engage in these sessions and offer their own views and suggestions. When appropriate, staff respond to requests and make necessary changes. This can be seen in the decor children have chosen for their bedrooms and the home’s living areas, as well as in activities and menus.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to develop independence skills. Individual targets identify the tasks for children to achieve, such as using appliances, budgeting and lone travel. Key- work sessions support children to make progress and further develop their skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to take part in community and individual activities. This has proved successful. Children are engaged in Cadets and Scouts, go cycling and to the local gym. Furthermore, children enjoy spending time with staff. Children’s interactions with staff are happy and relaxed and they enjoy discussions and banter with the staff team.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The property is warm and welcoming, providing ample space for children to spend time together or alone. The home is filled with the smell of home cooking and the sound of laughter, which creates a relaxed and calm environment. Inspection report for children’s home: 2526004 4

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

When safeguarding concerns arise, staff follow the correct procedures. There is effective communication with relevant key professionals. Children have clear safety plans in place, with actions for staff to follow.

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

Staff are trained in holding a child to keep them safe. When a hold has been used, records show these are minimal. Children are provided with a debrief and key-work session, and the full report is provided to the placing authority. The manager regularly reviews incidents to identify patterns and trends that help to develop the strategies for managing children in crisis. However, when more than one hold has taken place in a day, they are recorded collectively and not as separate incidents. Therefore, some records lack clarity.

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

Children are provided with consistent routines and boundaries to support their safety in the home and the community. Staff help children to understand the impact of their behaviour on themselves and others and support them to move forward positively.

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

Children are helped to understand how to safely use social media and the internet. All devices are regularly checked and are equipped with a security app which disables inappropriate sites. Despite this, some children have accessed inappropriate material. Managers have not reviewed the security apps to ensure that they are effective.

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

Since the last full inspection, there have been five occasions when children have been reported as missing from the home. On each occasion, staff have followed the missing- from-home protocols and actively searched for children to ensure their safe return. Return home interviews have taken place and individual key-work sessions help children to understand the risks of being missing from home. However, in some instances, records are misleading, as they do not always accurately identify if children are absent or missing.

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

Since the last inspection, there have been four occasions when police have been called to support staff in managing challenging behaviours, including damage to property and physical aggression. The manager failed to notify Ofsted in accordance with regulation. This limits the regulator’s oversight of practice in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff team consistently create a caring, safe and fun environment for the children to thrive and grow.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Several staff have successfully completed a relevant childcare qualification. They receive suitable training to assist them in supporting the children. Staff who are new to the home are taking a relevant childcare qualification.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a consistent staff team. Staff say that they are happy in their roles and that they receive a high level of support and guidance from the manager. Inspection report for children’s home: 2526004 5 The management team sets the standards for the home and leads from the front. They provide regular formal and informal supervision and guide the staff in developing a safe and nurturing environment for children. When shortfalls in practice are identified, individual staff support sessions are put in place to address these concerns.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is consistent in her approach to monitoring the quality of care provided and the positive effect that this is having on the children. The manager’s review identifies shortfalls in practice. Immediate action is taken to address concerns, including additional support to staff to aid their continued learning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The independent visitor completes a monthly assessment of the home. The assessments have improved and provide a good overview of the progress and challenges for both the children and staff and identify areas for additional learning and development. Inspection report for children’s home: 2526004 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a regulation 40 notification is made when an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)) 28 March 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when a physical intervention is necessary to safeguard a child, these incidents are recorded separately. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)  The registered person should ensure that records of a child being reported as absent are not confused with a child being missing. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.28)  The registered person should ensure that systems in place to restrict children’s access to inappropriate sites online are reviewed for effectiveness. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.10)

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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: 2526004 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Homes for Support Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Northern House, 3 Kennerleys Lane, Wilmslow SK9 5EQ

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Inspector

Maria McGranaghan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2526004 8 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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