Children's Home run by Choices Home for Children Limited in Stockport

Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2724171 1 Registered provider: Choices Home for Children Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private company. It is registered to care for up to 4 children who may experience social or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There were three children living at the home at the time of inspection. Two children spoke to the inspectors.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

Date of last inspection: 23 September 2025

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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 these inspections, the inspectors evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have 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: 2724171 2

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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

Children say they feel safe living in the home. One child described the home and staff as, ‘sweet’. The staff team is relatively stable, and they speak about the children with warmth and care. Relationships between staff and children are positive. One child said they trust the staff and feel listened to and supported.

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Findings from the inspection

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home, and one child has moved in. Before the child moved in, their needs were considered alongside the needs of the children already living in the home. The child has settled in well and is starting to develop a sense of belonging.

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Findings from the inspection

Children are offered activities of their choice both inside and outside of the home, such as movie nights, baking, go-karting, and bowling. Children are also supported to spend time with family members who are important to them.

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Findings from the inspection

Children live in a warm and comfortable home. There is ample space for children to relax and spend time together or apart. Children’s bedrooms are adequately furnished and personalised to their tastes. One child said the ‘calm, predictable and quiet’ atmosphere in the home helps them to concentrate. Consequently, the child is making progress with their education and learning.

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Findings from the inspection

Children’s risks are known and understood. Risk and behaviour management plans are updated regularly and provide clear information for staff about how to respond if risks arise. However, behaviour management in the home is not always effective and there have been occasions when the police have been called to manage children’s behaviour. Staff have held children to keep them safe, however records lack the required detail and management oversight.

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Findings from the inspection

When children go missing from the home, staff take swift and appropriate action to ensure they return home quickly and safely. The frequency of incidents of children going missing has decreased recently. This indicates that children feel settled, safe and secure.

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Findings from the inspection

There are shortfalls in the leadership and management of the home. Evaluation of incidents by managers is limited and opportunities to identify any learning to further develop practice have been missed. Serious incidents have not always been reported to Ofsted which limits the regulator’s oversight of the home. Allegations have not been managed effectively. Shortfalls have been identified by the senior leadership team recently and action is being taken to address all areas of vulnerability.

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Findings from the inspection

Monitoring systems are not robust. The manager’s review of the quality-of-care report has not been submitted to Ofsted within timescales. Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2724171 3 Leaders and managers have not met all the requirements from the last inspection and a number of these have been restated. Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2724171 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/09/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 01/10/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 19/06/2024 Full Inadequate 21/11/2023 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2724171 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—

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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 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; and

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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)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that leaders and managers have oversight of all work undertaken in the home.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must ensure that they embed internal systems in place to monitor and improve practice, and that systems are used to improve the progress and experience of children. 30 April 2026 Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2724171 6 This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

(xi)de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2) (xi))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff appropriately de-escalate situations and prevent unnecessary police involvement in managing behaviour and criminalisation of behaviours. 30 April 2026

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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

details of the child's behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used; 30 April 2026 Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2724171 7 the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3) (a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii) (b) (i)(ii) (c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children's home from abuse or neglect; and

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Requirement Due date

sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect.

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Requirement Due date

The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular—

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Requirement Due date

provide for liaison and co-operation with any local authority which are, or may be, making a child protection enquiry in relation to a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

provide for the prompt referral of an allegation about current or ongoing abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the home is located.

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Requirement Due date

provide for the prompt referral of an allegation about past abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the alleged abuse or neglect occurred. 30 April 2026 Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2724171 8 provide for records to be kept of an allegation of abuse or neglect, and the action taken in response.

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Requirement Due date

describe the measures which may be necessary to protect children following an allegation of abuse or neglect; and

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Requirement Due date

describe how and to whom staff are to report, without delay, any concern about abuse or neglect of a child. (Regulation 34 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality-of-care review") at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality-of-care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality-of- care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality-of-care review ("the quality of care review report").

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality-of-care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality-of-care review is completed. (Regulation 45 (1) (3)(a) (4)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 30 April 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 30 April 2026 Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2724171 9

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Choices Home for Children Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: 31 Wellington Road, Nantwich, Cheshire CW5 7ED

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Inspectors

Zillah Brooks, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Colin Jones, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2724171 10 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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