Children's home run by Kids Inc Residential Services Limited

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2704185 1 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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Registered provider: Kids Inc Residential Services Ltd

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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 three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties. They also provide care for children who may have a learning disability.

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Information about this children’s home

There were two children living in the home at the time of the inspection. These children contributed to the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 2024. This manager also manages another setting.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2704185 2 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff know children well and develop positive relationships. Staff celebrate children’s strengths and talents. This supports development of confidence and self-esteem for children. One child does not enjoy weekly ‘house’ meetings and comments they are pointless. They would rather just talk about their views. Different ways of exploring the views of children are considered by the manager and staff.

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Findings from the inspection

One child is attending college and is enjoying their course. Staff support children’s future aspirations. Another child is not yet in education. Staff support the child to access online education and are exploring other local provisions.

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Findings from the inspection

When children move into the home, planning is robust. Meetings are held between managers and professionals to explore the individual needs of children and whether staff can meet them. Children’s wishes are considered within this planning, including preferences in decoration of their bedroom.

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Findings from the inspection

The home environment requires attention. Children need support to develop skills in keeping their bedrooms tidy. There are areas around the home that are not well maintained. Bathroom areas are not always clean. This includes bathrooms for the children and staff. The kitchen area is tired, with the worktops being in a poor state of repair. This has been a constant theme raised by the independent visitor, who visits the home monthly.

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Findings from the inspection

Individual risk assessments for children do not help staff understand what risks are current and which are historic. Staff do not always follow risk assessments. One child went missing from home. Staff did not go out to look for this child for four days. There was reliance on the police to undertake checks of known areas. Following on from this, staff did make attempts to locate the child.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff and the manager celebrate positive achievements for children. Manager oversight of one consequence did not consider the risks associated with removing the child’s phone for three days. There was no consideration given to ensuring the child could contact staff if they needed to, such as providing the child with a basic phone.

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Findings from the inspection

Risks in the local area are considered by the manager. However, there is no evidence of consultation with other local professionals. This impacts the strength of the local area risk assessment and ensuring staff support children to be safe.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager is verbally reflective about her oversight of the care provided to children and areas for continued professional development. This is not yet embedded into practice. Progress made by children is not yet effectively monitored Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2704185 3 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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Findings from the inspection

or evidenced by the manager or staff. Language used by staff is not always child friendly or child focused.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff do not receive regular practice-related professional supervision. Where there are clear support needs for staff, these are not set out clearly. This impacts review and progress of these areas for development.

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Findings from the inspection

Training for staff does not consider specific needs of children living in the home. There is one member of staff who has not completed the relevant qualification within the required timescales. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2704185 4 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/06/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/06/2024 Full Good 17/05/2023 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2704185 5 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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

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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;

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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)(c)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must have effective oversight of the quality of care provided to children so they can identify areas of concern and respond with clear and measurable actions. This includes recording in children’s case records, reporting incidents and ensuring that language is child focused. This specifically relates to embedding 21 January 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2704185 6 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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Requirement Due date

monitoring systems, capturing children’s progress effectively and an ongoing review of their progress.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure all staff have regular practice-related supervision and effective team meetings, where clear targets are set and reviewed. The registered person must also ensure staff training is up-to-date and considers the individual needs of children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure understanding of the impact the quality of care has on children and their experiences.

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure staff follow children’s individual, tailored risk assessments. They should 21 January 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2704185 7 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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Requirement Due date

ensure risk assessments explain known risks and whether these risks are current or historic.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure consequences set are restorative in nature. They should consider the impact of consequences on the safety and welfare of children. 21 January 2026

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all staff are registered on the diploma and complete this within the set timescales. 21 January 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2704185 8 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure the location risk assessment includes consultation with local professionals. (‘Guide to Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)  The registered person should ensure that children live in an environment where the general cleanliness is consistently good and required maintenance is addressed without delay. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2704185 9 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Kids Inc Residential Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Kathryn Hurley, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2704185 10 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspector

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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Inspector

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