Children's Home run by iMap Centre Limited in Cheshire West and Chester

Inspection report for children’s home: SC481295 1 SC481295 Registered provider: iMapcentre Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a private provider that specialises in delivering services for children with autism, learning disabilities and complex needs. The home provides care for up to four children. At the time of the inspection, three children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2021.

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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: 12 February 2025

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC481295 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/02/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/03/2024 Full Good 14/11/2023 Full Inadequate 13/03/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC481295 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The inspectors observed two children during the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There have been no changes to the children living at the home since the last inspection. As a result, the children have continued to experience a consistent and predictable environment that has allowed them to make good progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are developing their individual communication skills. These range from children communicating their basic needs and wants, to more difficult concepts such as their emotions and worries. This development is supported by the staff who know each child well, ensuring that the appropriate resources and time are provided to children to help them develop these skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s sensory needs are well met and understood by staff, who follow occupational therapy plans. This ensures that children receive the sensory feedback that they seek or need and that suitable activities are available throughout the day. Children have fun and there are always opportunities for children to learn, driven by creative staff and the activities they offer.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child is preparing to leave the home. Although this is a big move for them, the child has shown a great level of maturity and resilience due to the strong relationships that they have built with the staff. The child has been involved in the planning for their move and the manager has advocated that the child remains living at the home until they finish school, as the child wants to share their end of year activities with the staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children attend school and are doing well. One teacher said that they had ‘seen great improvements since [name of child] has lived at the home’. Another teacher said, ‘[Name of child] is in a much better place and they have been able to make and sustain friendships.’ The teachers also comment that communication between themselves and the staff is good.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to achieve and develop life skills through careful planning and reviewing of their targets. Children can now use the toilet independently and have lots of opportunity to practise skills, such as attending to personal hygiene, making snacks, completing laundry and keeping their room clean. However, there is not always an agreed response to children’s behaviours.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are well met and the manager works as part of a multi-agency team to support children who find attending appointments difficult. As a result, a coordinated and agreed plan is in place to address any outstanding procedures for one child to ensure that they are in good health.

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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC481295 4 The staff have good relationships with the children, and they know them well. Staff are guided by robust plans that are clear and child focused. As a result, incidents involving children are rare. There have been two occasions when the staff have physically intervened to support the children. These have been necessary and proportionate.

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

The manager and staff act in the best interests of the children and use their understanding of the children’s needs to advocate for them. However, not all children have advocates, which is a missed opportunity to ensure that their well-being is protected and their voice is heard by someone independent.

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

Two children are subject to deprivation of liberty orders. It is a positive that the staff have been able to work with the children to remove some of the restrictions that were permitted in these orders and allow the children more freedom.

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

The manager follows safer recruitment processes that reduce the risk of unsuitable people working with the children. The manager maintains a safe environment for the children and all children now leave the premises during fire drills.

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

When there are incidents of the children self-injuring, staff are aware of the protocols in place and follow these to ensure that the children’s well-being is protected.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is suitably experienced and qualified and has returned following a period of leave. The manager has ensured that they have updated themselves on the children’s progress and experiences during their absence. The manager has been well supported by the responsible individual and, as a result, management oversight has improved.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has introduced new daily recordings for the children built on research- based practice into how care-experienced children would like their records written. The children now have daily letters written to them by the staff, which capture well the impact that living at the home has on the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that team meetings happen regularly. These meetings are child focused and are also used as training sessions for the staff to develop their skills and knowledge. The staff say that they feel supported by the manager and that they receive regular supervision sessions. Additionally, the manager ensures that staff receive appraisals and mid-year reviews. However, the children’s views are not sought.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team has been consistent and the manager has ensured that there are staff in place for when another child moves in. This planning means that the manager will not have to rely on the use of agency staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager, along with the responsible individual, have met the requirements made at the last inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: SC481295 5

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Statutory requirement

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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(ii)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to children’s behaviours being understood by the staff, and that strategies are in place to support children to manage these behaviours in a way that does not risk restriction or isolation in the future. 25 July 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all children have access to appropriate advocacy support to advise them and ensure that they have the support needed to express their views, wishes and feelings about their care and lives. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 23, paragraph 4.16) Inspection report for children’s home: SC481295 6  The registered person should ensure that children have the opportunity to provide feedback on the staff that support them and that this feedback forms part of staff appraisals. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)

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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: SC481295 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Imap School Barrowmore Estate, Barnhouse Lane, Great Barrow, Chester CH3 7JA

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Inspectors

Kerri Lynch, Social Care Inspector Shauna Morley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC481295 8 inspects to 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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