Children's Home run by Choices Home for Children Limited in Stockport

Inspection report for children’s home: 2724171 1 Registered provider: Choices Home for Children 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 owned by a private company. It is registered to care for up to four children who may experience social or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There were three children living at the home at the time of inspection. All three children spoke to the inspectors.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2025.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

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

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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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.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2724171 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/10/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 19/06/2024 Full Inadequate 21/11/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2724171 3

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, a high number of children have moved into and out of the home. Group dynamics have not been well managed, and at times, staff have been unable to keep children safe. Consequently, children’s experiences are not always positive. Leaders and managers have reflected on the children’s time in the home and learning has been identified and changes are being embedded.

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improvement to be good

Two children have recently moved into the home. Although they have only lived at the home for a short time, the children are starting to make progress. All three children say they are happy living in the home.

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improvement to be good

The relationships between staff and the children appeared positive and children enjoy activities out of the home with staff.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children’s education. When children do not attend school, they receive support to maintain a structured routine. They work closely with the children’s social workers to address concerns that children are currently receiving less education than their peers. Staff are persistent and advocate for children to receive education that meets their needs. This ensures that children are supported to achieve their academic potential.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to maintain their physical and emotional health. However, one child’s use of an electronic cigarette has not been sufficiently challenged by staff or managers. Another child has not been registered with a local doctor’s surgery. This does not help children understand how to stay healthy or to access advice and support from a professional when required.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to spend time with their family and the children’s family are welcomed into the home. One parent said, ‘I can’t say enough good things; they have been absolutely fantastic.’ This helps children to maintain important relationships and increase their sense of identity.

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improvement to be good

The home is clean and tidy and has sufficient space for the children who lived here.

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improvement to be good

An incident in the community involving a child who has now moved on from the home had not been managed appropriately. The incident report lacked professional curiosity and there was a delay in sharing information with a child’s social worker. This is something that the manager has taken action to address. Inspection report for children’s home: 2724171 4 Not all incidents have been notified to Ofsted as required by regulation, which limits the regulator’s oversight of practice in the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff have an understanding of the children’s care needs and vulnerabilities. However, risk management plans are not robust, as not all known risks have been included. This means that they do not offer staff ongoing guidance or consistency.

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improvement to be good

Security settings on the home’s internet-enabled devices are not consistently implemented by staff. Managers took swift action to address this to ensure that children are not exposed to content that is not suitable for their age group.

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improvement to be good

Children have gone missing from this home and staff know how to respond. They are proactive in searching for children and work collaboratively with other agencies to keep them safe.

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improvement to be good

Children know how to make a complaint. When a complaint was made, action was taken to ensure that the child had the opportunity to express their views and that the child was updated on the outcome.

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improvement to be good

Professionals are complimentary about the care the children receive. Staff have developed professional relationships with external agencies and are able to appropriately challenge others to ensure that children’s needs are being met.

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improvement to be good

Safer recruitment practices have not always been implemented to ensure that only adults who are safe to work with children are employed at the home. This compromises children’s safety.

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

There have been changes in the leadership and management of the home since the last inspection. The registered manager is motivated and committed to improving outcomes for children. The registered manager is now supported by two new deputy managers.

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

There are repeated requirements from the home’s last inspection. Leaders and managers have implemented changes and are strengthening internal monitoring systems. These changes are continuing to be embedded.

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

Staff are positive about the support they receive from the managers, and they enjoy working at the home. Staff morale has improved and there is now a period of stability as there has been a high number of staff who have left the home. This has impact on the children being able to build trusted relationships.

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

Regular team meetings take place and there is reflection on the children’s needs and present behaviours, the meetings include the home’s therapist. These meetings with the therapist create an opportunity for learning and reflection and help to improve consistency in staff’s practice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2724171 5 Staff have not always received regular reflective supervision, and not all staff have received training to reflect the home’s statement of purpose. Consequently, the manager cannot be assured that all staff are confident in their roles and understand the risks and vulnerabilities for children. This does not give staff the opportunity to improve practice at the home and discuss the child’s progress.

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

The manager has completed a six-monthly quality of care report. However, the reports lack evaluation, and the opinions of staff are not considered. This limits opportunities to monitor and evaluate the care provided to children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2724171 6

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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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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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; and

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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)(a)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that leaders and managers have oversight of all work undertaken in the home.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must ensure that they embed internal systems in place to monitor and improve practice, and that systems are used to improve the progress and experience of children. 14 November 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2724171 7 This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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

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

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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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(c)(e))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children’s risks are clearly assessed. They must ensure that staff are provided with guidance and strategies to support them to reduce risks.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must ensure that security settings are in place on the home’s internet enabled devices to prevent streaming of content that is not suitable for children. 14 November 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2724171 8 This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that children only move into the home when it has been identified that their care needs can be met.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 14 November 2025

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well-being; and 14 November 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2724171 9 that each child is registered as a patient with a general medical practitioner.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that identified health needs for children are followed up. Direct work should be carried out with children to help them understand their health and risk(s) associated with the use of electronic cigarettes. In addition, that all children are registered at a local doctors without delay.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development; and

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 14 November 2025

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 14 November 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

The requirements are that— 14 November 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2724171 10 the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that safe recruitment practices are followed at the home.

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Requirement Due date

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.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality-of-care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality-of-care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality-of-care review ("the quality of care review report").

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality-of-care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality-of-care review is completed. (Regulation 45 (1) (3)(a) (4)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 14 November 2025

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the workforce development plan is kept updated to include any new training and qualifications completed by staff while working in the home, and used to record ongoing training, and continuing professional development needs of staff, including the home’s manager. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.08) Inspection report for children’s home: 2724171 11

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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: 2724171 12

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Choices Home for Children Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 31 Wellington Road, Nantwich, Cheshire CW5 7ED

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Inspectors

Michelle Snape, Social Care Inspector Danielle Allen, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2724171 13 regulates and 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 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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