Children's home run by Cheshire West and Chester Council

Inspection report for children’s home: 2835392 1 Registered provider: Cheshire West and Chester 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 four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

Two children were living at the home at the time of this inspection. Both children spoke with the inspector.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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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: 2835392 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected. Inspection report for children’s home: 2835392 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are two children living in the home. One child moved in and out of the home within a short period, in line with the placing authority’s plan. Staff who were already familiar to the child supported their move, providing reassurance during an uncertain time. Staff worked hard to make the child’s brief stay a positive experience, and they have remained in contact with the child since.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children say that they like living at the home. They are settled and feel secure. Children have quickly formed positive and trusting relationships with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are nurturing in their approach and strive to provide children with a safe, secure and loving home. Children enjoy spending time with staff doing activities in the home and in the local community. Staff create memory books to capture the fun times they have shared with the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are growing in confidence. They are beginning to feel more able to share their views and opinions with professionals. Staff support children to express their personalities and develop their own identities. One professional said, ‘Staff are encouraging both children’s individuality to shine through.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive frequent praise, and their achievements are celebrated. Staff actively look for opportunities to tell children how proud they are of their progress. This helps to build children’s self-esteem and sense of self-worth

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive lots of praise and their achievements are celebrated. Staff seek opportunities to tell children how proud they are of them and the progress they are making. This helps to build children’s self-esteem and feelings of self-worth.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff also encourage and promote children’s hobbies and interests. Children enjoy activities such as swimming, roller discos and gymnastics, and staff introduce them to new experiences, including fishing. These opportunities enrich the children’s day-to-day experiences of living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy school and attend regularly. Staff have a clear understanding of the progress each child is making and ensure that children receive the additional support they need to reach their potential. Staff help with homework and make learning at home enjoyable. For example, they are supporting one child to develop their reading skills through karaoke-based activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are well understood. Staff act promptly when concerns arise and make timely referrals to specialist services. They are also supporting one child to take an active role in monitoring their own health, which is both child-centred and empowering. Inspection report for children’s home: 2835392 4 Children live in a comfortable, well-furnished home with plenty of space for them to relax and play. Children are proud of their bedrooms, and they have personalised them to reflect their tastes, interests and personalities.

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

Children say that they feel safe living in the home. Children have a high level of supervi- sion and support which helps to keep them safe and protected from harm.

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

The manager responds quickly and effectively to emerging risks for children. She ensures that risk management plans are developed with appropriate multi-agency involvement to safeguard each child.

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

Staff demonstrate a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe. Risks are well understood, and the manager ensures that clear risk management plans are in place to guide staff in managing these risks effectively. These plans are reviewed regularly and updated promptly following any incidents.

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

There have been incidents when a child went missing from the home. Staff took prompt and effective action to locate the child and return them to the safety of the home. The manager ensures that there are clear protocols in place for staff to follow if a child goes missing from home. This promotes a shared understanding of the steps staff must take.

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

Staff have developed clear and consistent boundaries for the children, which the children generally accept. These boundaries support the development of positive daily routines. For instance, the children go to bed at the agreed time and follow expectations around the use of their phones and electronic devices. Although the children do not always welcome these rules, staff take time to explain their purpose, helping the children understand why they are important. Staff use rewards and praise to reinforce positive behaviours.

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

Staff are helping children to manage their behaviours and emotions in a more positive way. Staff encourage the children to identify practical strategies that help them feel calmer and deal with their frustrations differently. For example, one child is using mind- fulness exercises and meditation to ease their anxieties and relax at bedtime.

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

There are different versions of the staff rota. In addition, the rota does not accurately show the hours that staff have worked in the home. As a result, these documents cannot be relied on to identify who has been responsible for the care of children.

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

When employing new staff, the manager takes care to obtain a full employment history and references from the person’s current employer. However, she has not taken steps to verify the reasons why staff have left their previous roles in the care sector. This is a missed opportunity to ensure that the manager has sufficient information about the prospective employee. Inspection report for children’s home: 2835392 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home is led by an experienced and qualified manager who is focused on ensuring that children live in a stable, nurturing, family-style environment. This vision is shared by the staff team, who work together to create a consistent and supportive home for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager reviews records of significant incidents in the home to ensure that staff have taken the appropriate action. There has been one occasion when staff have not followed the managers instructions regarding how a child should be cared for. The manager has identified the shortfall in their practice, but she has not taken action to address this with all the members of staff involved. This is a missed opportunity to improve practice and to ensure that children’s needs are being met consistently.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager does not have clear oversight of the training needs of the staff team. There is not an effective system in place for recording all the training that staff have completed. As a result, it is difficult to establish whether staff have had the training they require to care for children safely. The manager has not taken steps to assure herself that staff have completed all the relevant training they need before they come to work in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff receive regular supervision. This supports them to reflect on their practice and identify any areas for development. Staff say they feel well supported by both their manager and their colleagues. One member of staff said, ‘I have found the staff team supportive, and I am able to ask for guidance when I am unsure or need advice.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff have regular team meetings and daily handovers. This enables them to share relevant key information and provide continuity of care to the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Professionals speak highly of the home and of the progress children are making. They value the good communication from staff and report that they are kept well informed about children’s development and day-to-day progress. Inspection report for children’s home: 2835392 6

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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, 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 promotes their welfare.

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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

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

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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)(c)(h)) 29 March 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children's safety. The registered person may only— employ an individual to work at the children's home; if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). The requirements are that— full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(1)(2)(a)(3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that if a member of staff has previously worked in a position involving work with children or vulnerable adults, they seek to verify, so far as is reasonably practicable, the reason why the employment ended. 29 March 2026

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children's home. The registered person must— maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4. (Regulation 37(1)(2)(a)) 29 March 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2835392 7 Specifically, the registered person must keep an accurate record of the staff rota and a record of the actual hours staff have worked.

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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: 2835392 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Portal, Wellington Road, Ellesmere Port CH65 0BA

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Inspector

Sophie Thomson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2835392 9 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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