Children's home run by Cheshire East Council

Inspection report for children’s home: 2823505 1 Registered provider: Cheshire East Council

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority home provides care for up to three children who may experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Two children were living at the home at the time of this inspection. The inspector spoke to both children about their experiences.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and manager have been registered with Ofsted since July 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: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2823505 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children say they are happy living at the home, and they have good relationships with staff. One child said they ‘like all the staff for who they are’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to engage in several activities, and they spend time with staff in the home and community. Children are discovering interests such as playing golf, biking and fishing. This helps children learn new skills and explore new hobbies, and staff actively nurture these opportunities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are positive about their roles and committed to providing good-quality care for children. Staff speak fondly of the children and relationships appear genuine and warm. This helps create a comfortable environment where children can develop a sense of security and belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to maintain relationships with people who are important to them. Family members are welcomed at the home and children enjoy meaningful time spent together. Family members say they are happy with the care that children receive, and one family member said, ‘[Name of Child] is happy there.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Professionals say that the registered manager and staff are strong communicators who ensure that relevant agencies and family members are consulted and kept up to date. They say that staff know the children well, advocate strongly on their behalf, and are proactive in ensuring that their needs are met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Both children engage in full-time education and have plans and aspirations for their future.

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

Children share their worries and complaints with staff. They talk to staff about their feelings and are open to receiving support and nurture. When children make complaints, they are fully explored and acted on promptly. Children’s views are considered, and the outcomes shared with them appropriately. This shows children that they are important, and their views are listened to and respected.

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

Staff support children to access health appointments and therapeutic services. Professionals say that staff proactively identify relevant support, ensuring that it is accessed in a timely manner and in consultation with children.

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

Staff know how to keep children safe. When incidents occur, staff take swift and effective action to address safeguarding concerns. Staff respond to incidents through a multi- agency approach and seek advice from services such as the fire service and police Inspection report for children’s home: 2823505 3 community support officers when appropriate. This helps children develop their knowledge and skills to keep themselves safe.

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

Staff regularly talk to children about their risks. These conversations help children stay safe and develop strategies to manage risks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by a committed and experienced registered manager and senior leaders. They know the home and children well. The registered manager has a clear vision for the home’s future development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say they are well supported in their roles and are positive about leaders and managers. There is a stable and consistent staff team in place, and no staff have left since the home was registered. This helps promote children’s sense of stability and security.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision and team meetings take place regularly. These provide staff with an opportunity to consult with one another and reflect on the children’s progress and day- to-day activity at the home. This helps ensure the home operates smoothly and that children receive consistent care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have strong oversight of incidents and there are robust monitoring and reviewing systems in place. The registered manager is transparent about the areas for development at the home and takes effective action to address any shortfalls.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The rotas detail which staff are working at the home and their hours. However, they do not always include the registered manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The statement of purpose does not clearly detail the arrangements for the professional supervision of staff, or staff training expectations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There were no requirements made at this inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: 2823505 4

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home’s rota accurately reflects the hours worked by all staff, including the manager. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.7)  The registered person should ensure that they lead and manage the home in a way that delivers the approach set out in the home’s statement of purpose, specifically detailing mandatory training and the arrangements for supervision. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.4)

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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: 2823505 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Cheshire East Council, Westfields, Middlewich Road, Sandbach CW11 1HZ

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Inspector

Danielle Allen, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2823505 6 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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