Children's home run by Cherish Children’s Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2810525 1 Registered provider: Cherish Children’s Care 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 and managed by a private organisation. It provides care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, two children were living at the home. One child was spoken to during the inspection.

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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: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2810525 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive care from a consistent team of staff who know them well. The home is well presented, clean and decorated to a good standard. Children’s bedrooms are personalised to reflect their interests and promote their identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Three children have moved into the home, and one child has left since the home opened. Children move in and out of the home in a planned and sensitive way. They visit prior to moving in and are supported to choose their bedroom, which gives them a sense of ownership. However, pre-admission assessments do not thoroughly explore how the identified competing needs of children living in the home will be met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are well supported with their health needs. Staff ensure that children can access planned and unplanned medical treatment when needed. This helps them to maintain a good standard of health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to pursue their social interests. Staff take time to understand what children enjoy and promote their participation in their leisure activities. This helps children feel listened to and valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to build and maintain meaningful relationships with people who are important to them. Staff understand the value of these connections and advocate for children to spend time with their family and friends in a safe and positive way.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to access education and employment opportunities. Staff support them to attend open days so that they can determine if an education setting is right for them. In addition, staff support children to safely engage in part-time work, by transporting them to and from their workplace.

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

There is an effective multi-agency response when children go missing from home. Staff work jointly with professionals to ensure that there is a swift and coordinated response to find children. However, direct work with children following missing incidents is not completed consistently.

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

Children are supported to manage their emotional and mental health. Staff seek guidance from the home’s therapist to ensure that their responses are appropriate and effective. Additionally, children are encouraged to discuss their feelings and coping strategies in a supportive and non-judgmental environment.

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

Leaders and managers ensure that safer recruitment processes are consistently followed. This reduces the risk of children being cared for by unsuitable adults. Inspection report for children’s home: 2810525 3 The safeguarding culture in the home is designed to protect children from harm. Staff receive training in safeguarding and demonstrate a clear understanding of how to apply it in practice. Individualised risk management plans are in place, ensuring that staff understand children’s risks and how to respond to these effectively.

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

Medication is stored safely and securely in accordance with the home’s policies and procedures. Concerns around administration of medication are addressed, and staff undertake further training to address any gaps in learning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has been in post since the home opened in April 2025. She demonstrates a commitment to achieving positive outcomes for children. Staff spoken with describe her as a supportive and approachable manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have opportunities to take part in ‘check-ins’ and group supervision sessions. However, formal one-to-one supervision is not taking place regularly. One member of staff did not receive individual supervision for several months after starting in their role. This limits the managers opportunities to identify and address the individual development needs of staff and offer them tailored support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings take place often and are well attended. These are used as an opportunity for team reflection and shared learning. Furthermore, staff have access to a package of training to support them in their role. However, one staff member tasked with the responsibility of completing staff supervisions has not completed the relevant training to support them in this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is a good advocate for children. A social worker for one child praised the registered manager for her commitment to ensuring that the child’s voice is heard and considered.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Despite the care plan for one child being significantly out of date and not reflecting their current living situation, leaders and managers have not demonstrated that all reasonable steps have been taken to obtain an updated plan. This means there is the potential for aspects of the child’s support needs being missed. Inspection report for children’s home: 2810525 4

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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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that concerns related to delays in receiving placing authority documentation are raised and escalated to the relevant persons in a timely manner until the documentation is received. 10 December 2025

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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 staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)). 10 December 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2810525 5 Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that each staff member has the opportunity to regularly take part in one-to-one supervision.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that direct work is consistently completed with children following significant incidents.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that staff assigned to carry out supervisions have completed supervision training.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that, prior to accepting children into the home, consideration is given to how the competing needs of children already living in the home will be met, (‘Guide to Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)

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Information about this inspection

The inspector has 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: 2810525 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cherish Children’s Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 8, Skyways Commercial Campus, Amy Johnson Way, Blackpool FY4 3RS

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Linda Pilkington-Mansfield

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Inspector

Chibuzo Otache, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2810525 7 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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