Children's Home run by Cheshire West and Chester Council in Cheshire West and Chester

Inspection report for children’s home: 2736861 1 Registered provider: Cheshire West and Chester Council 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 local authority. It provides care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and manager registered with Ofsted in July 2023

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, two children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection date : 20 and 21 October 2025

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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: 2736861 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/08/2024 Full Good 07/11/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2736861 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a large, spacious home with plenty of outdoor space to enjoy. They are cared for by a team of staff who are committed to their welfare and show genuine care and affection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, there has been a period of instability in the home. Despite the manager’s efforts to maintain consistent standards and keep children safe, changes in the staff team have presented challenges.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff take a proactive approach to education, emphasising its importance and helping children understand the positive impact it can have on their future. One child, in particular, has struggled with school attendance. Staff have worked closely with education professionals to encourage the child to return to school, developing a range of strategies to provide support and motivation.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has experienced a significant delay in receiving their education, health and care plan. Although some aspects of securing this plan were outside the manager’s control, a more proactive approach could have helped achieve this sooner.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Direct work with children is well-recorded and detailed, demonstrating that staff understand the needs of children and have developed good relationships with them. These relationships enable open, and at times difficult, conversations, which staff handle with sensitivity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of family in children’s lives. They work closely with professionals to ensure that, when safe and appropriate, children can enjoy time with their families. Staff also provide support and guidance to children and their families to strengthen relationships, recognising that positive family connections benefit children’s long-term well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff actively promote children’s physical and emotional health and well-being. They ensure that children can access the services they need, and they challenge professionals when support is lacking, advocating strongly on the children’s behalf.

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

The number of incidents of children going missing from the home has reduced since one child moved out of the home. Children are now more settled and demonstrate greater engagement with staff.

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

One serious safeguarding incident was managed effectively to ensure children’s safety. However, while the response was appropriate, there were some behaviours that may have been identified earlier and prevented matters from escalating had staff demonstrated professional curiosity. Furthermore, since the last inspection, Inspection report for children’s home: 2736861 4 there have been occasions where a lack of professional curiosity by staff has resulted in insufficient safeguarding of children.

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

In response to the identified safeguarding shortfalls, a behaviour management tracker has been implemented to monitor and reflect on incidents. This tool enables the manager to identify areas of poor practice and to analyse patterns and trends in children’s behaviour. It supports ongoing evaluation to ensure that care plans and risk management plans remain appropriate and effective in promoting the welfare and safety of children.

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

The home is well-maintained and provides a warm, homely environment for children. In addition, regular health and safety checks ensure that the home remains a safe and secure place for children to live.

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

Recruitment procedures are robust and ensure that only suitable and safe individuals are employed to care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a suitably qualified and experienced registered manager who demonstrates a reflective approach to practice and has high aspirations for children. Since the last inspection, the home has been through a challenging period. The manager has reflected on this time and identified areas that could have been managed more effectively. In response, she has introduced additional quality assurance systems to prevent further shortfalls. While these measures have strengthened oversight, there is still some scope to enhance these systems further.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

On occasion, a lack of clear and detailed evaluation following incidents at the home has resulted in insufficient challenge of staff practice. The manager has identified this shortfall and identified the need for staff to receive further training to develop their skills in report writing. This training has now been completed, and the manager is actively monitoring the quality of reports to ensure that staff demonstrate competence in this area going forward.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, the home has had a number of staff changes. Vacancies have now been filled, and the manager is working hard to build a stable and cohesive team that can provide consistent care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff report that they receive regular supervision, which offers opportunities to reflect on their practice and develop in their roles. One relief member of staff commented, ‘The manager takes time to ensure that I feel part of the team and that I receive the same time and attention as the rest of the team.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff also report that the quality of training is good and supports them in fulfilling their roles while developing their skills and knowledge. Inspection report for children’s home: 2736861 5

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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— helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h)). 31 March 2026

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

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Requirement Due date

that staff— 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; 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)(b)) 31 March 2026

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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 31 March 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2736861 6 authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (3))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the child has an education, health and care plan.

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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: 2736861 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cheshire West and Chester Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Department For Work & Pensions, The Portal, Wellington Road, Ellesmere Port CH65 0BA

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Inspector

Julia Toller, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2736861 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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