Children's home run by WS Project Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2756016 1 Registered provider: WS Project Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and provides care for up to two children with special educational needs and/or social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2025 and holds a suitable qualification in leadership and management.

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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: 2756016 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/07/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2756016 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The same child has continued to live in the home since the last inspection. No other children have moved in or out of the home. The child’s successes and achievements are celebrated by staff, who recognise the importance of creating a family environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is settled and making progress from their starting points. Staff are nurturing and loving in their approach to caring for them. This has supported the child to form positive and trusting relationships with them. The child said, ‘I like living in the home, and the best parts about living here are the staff and food.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff use additional assessments to help them to understand the child’s needs and support them to provide individualised care that promotes the child’s independence skills. As a result, the child has made progress with learning practical tasks such as cooking, managing medication and budgeting. These tasks are embedded into the child’s daily routines.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff capture the child’s views creatively and respond to their requests, helping the child feel heard and valued. They show genuine interest in the child’s hobbies, for instance by supporting them to learn Japanese due to their interest in anime. This strengthens the child’s engagement with staff and contributes to a positive experience of being cared for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Important relationships are actively supported, including through long-distance travel to enable the child to spend time with people who matter to them. This strengthens the child’s sense of identity and promotes their emotional well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Barriers to education are identified by leaders and managers, who have taken appropriate action to support the child with their learning. Alternative schools for the child to attend are being explored. The child is now engaging with daily tutoring and is working towards academic qualifications. This is significant progress from the child’s starting point and reflects the staff’s persistence and commitment to supporting educational outcomes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the child’s health needs and promote a healthy lifestyle through consistent routines and support with personal hygiene. The child accesses support from a therapist, who also provides guidance to staff, which informs their practice. This enhances the consistency and quality of care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child benefits from living in a welcoming and personalised environment that reflects their interests and promotes a sense of belonging. However, the manager has not ensured that all areas of the home are consistently well maintained and that repairs are completed without delay. Furthermore, staff do not always ensure that there is support for the child to keep their bedroom clean. Inspection report for children’s home: 2756016 4 Future plans for the child lack clarity. This is due to poor communication between professionals. Where local authority responses have been delayed or ineffective, the manager has not escalated concerns. This includes delays in receiving care records post- review, which has impacted timely and effective planning and clarity for the child.

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

Staff have a clear understanding of the child’s risks, and they implement consistent measures to help keep the child safe. A particular strength of the staff is engaging the child in discussions about their safety. For example, staff effectively use humour to engage the child in discussions about online risks. This practice helps the child to develop skills to keep themselves safe while still enjoying the benefits of accessing the internet.

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

There have been no serious incidents or physical interventions since the last inspection, reflecting the consistency and quality of care. The child said they feel safe and attributes this to staff support. Trusting relationships have supported the child to develop emotional regulation, contributing to a reduction in concerning behaviours.

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

Medication is stored and administered safely. Staff are supporting the child to understand their medication and to take responsibility for managing this.

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

Safer recruitment practices are followed, ensuring that only individuals assessed as suitable are employed to work in the home.

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

There are no clear plans to reduce the restrictions on the child’s mobile phone access, which may limit progress towards independence. During the inspection, leaders and managers acted promptly to review this and consult with professionals involved in the child’s care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The new manager was previously the deputy manager for the home. This helped children and staff to adapt well to changes in the leadership team. The manager is dedicated and passionate about enriching children’s lives with new experiences that help them to achieve their personal goals. He is a positive role model for children and staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision that focuses on professional development and child- centred practice. This contributes to the delivery of good-quality care. Staff say they feel well supported and describe the home as a positive and collaborative environment. One staff member said, ‘This is the best place I have worked.’ Professionals consistently report that the child is well cared for, and they recognise significant progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Effective monitoring systems help the manager understand the quality of care and identify areas for improvement. Oversight from the responsible individual supports this process. All requirements from the previous inspection have been met. Inspection report for children’s home: 2756016 5 Staff have completed mandatory training and some training that is specific to the needs of the child. However, further training to support staff to understand and support the child’s emotional well-being has not been identified. The manager took swift action during the inspection and arranged for relevant training to be completed by all staff. Inspection report for children’s home: 2756016 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is well maintained and provides a homely environment to children. In particular, they should ensure the maintenance required is completed without delay and that the child receives support to keep their bedroom clean. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that where the placing authority or another relevant person does not provide the input needed to meet a child’s needs, the home challenges them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph 2.8)  The registered person should ensure they take reasonable precautions and make informed professional judgements based on the individual child’s needs and developmental stage about when to allow a child to take a particular risk or follow a particular course of action. Staff should discuss the decision with the child’s placing

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Recommendations

authority where appropriate. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 7.9)  The registered person should ensure that staff have access to suitable resources to support their training and development. They should also recognise the vital role they play in fostering a learning culture within the home, particularly in ensuring staff receive training that enables them to understand the needs of children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)

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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: 2756016 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 11 Gatley Road, Cheadle, SK8 1LY

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Inspector

Joanne Humphreys, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2756016 8 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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Inspector

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