Children's Home run by Continuum Support - Care Services Limited in Warrington

Inspection report for children’s home: 2816315 1 Registered provider: Continuum Support

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private provider operates this home. It is registered to provide care for one child with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and manager were registered with Ofsted on 12 November 2024.

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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

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2816315 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is making good progress and has secure, trusting relationships with staff. The child is treated with dignity and respect. Staff work closely with external partners to make sure that the child’s needs are met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is clean, and the child’s bedroom is personalised. The child is regularly consulted about their views and feels listened to.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is enrolled in education and attends tuition sessions every day. Managers and staff have been tenacious in their challenge to the local authority to find an alternative education provision, which has now been agreed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are met. They have regular contact with health professionals and are supported by staff to attend appointments when necessary.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know the child well and speak about them affectionately. They are ambitious for the child and encourage them to achieve their aspirations. This includes doing outdoor activities, such as camping and paddle boarding. The child also accesses local activities, including go-karting, the cinema and playing pool. Staff have enriched the child’s interest in photography by purchasing a camera, which they encourage the use of during days out.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s time with their family is sensitively supported, which maintains the child’s family relationships and a sense of identity. Family members have a positive relationship with staff. One parent said, ‘They always go above and beyond to support family time.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are proud of the child’s progress. They record positive comments about the child every day. These are shared with the child and support them to build their confidence and self-esteem.

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

The home has measures in place to restrict the child’s access to the internet. However, there are no regular checks or clear boundaries in respect of the child’s mobile phone and their access to mobile data. This means that there is no understanding of how the child uses their mobile phone or other online devices, or if they are being exposed to any risks online.

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

Practice linked to periods of children going missing from care is effective. Staff work closely with external professionals, sharing information appropriately to protect the child and to understand their lived experience. Social workers describe communication with the home as ‘really good’. Inspection report for children’s home: 2816315 3 The child is safeguarded through clear procedures and consistent practice. Risk management plans are thorough and provide staff with clear guidance. When the child has gone missing, staff have responded promptly, maintaining contact and working with relevant agencies to locate and return them safely. Social workers say that communication is good. Reflective discussions with the child are used to understand risks and reduce the likelihood of further incidents.

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

Staff take a restorative approach to managing conflict. This allows the child to learn from incidents and develop problem-solving skills. There have been no incidents requiring physical intervention.

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

Direct work is well planned and tailored to meet the child’s individual needs, covering important topics, such as safe relationships, gender identity, conflict resolution, and aspirations. Staff are confident in addressing sensitive issues and promoting children’s social and emotional development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a suitably qualified and experienced manager who provides strong and effective leadership. External professionals and staff hold the manager in high regard. He sets high aspirations for both staff and children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel well supported through reflective supervision and appraisals. Regular team meetings are an opportunity for staff to reflect on practice and identify learning. This contributes to improved care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager maintains a workforce development plan, which is regularly reviewed to ensure that training is relevant to the needs of children. Staff training and professional development are promoted, with progress monitored and opportunities for further development provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff rotas are planned well in advance, and there are sufficient staff in place to support the child in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Recruitment processes are safe. Staff employed at the home bring a range of skills and experiences that support the child’s well-being. There is a balanced gender mix in the staff team. Inspection report for children’s home: 2816315 4

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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

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

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

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children’s access to mobile devices is suitably managed to ensure that access to social media and gaming is age-appropriate. 28 June 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2816315 5

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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: 2816315 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Sinclair Accounting Co Ltd, 300 St. Marys Road, Garston, Liverpool L19 0NQ

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Inspectors

Jon Dutton, Social Care Inspector Sarah Jackson, Regulatory Inspection Manager Inspection report for children’s home: 2816315 7 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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