Children's home run by Zen Care and Education Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 2839656 1 Registered provider: Zen Care and Education Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

This home is owned and run by a small private provider. The home may provide care for one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

At the time of this inspection, the home was providing care for one child. The child did not speak to the inspector directly. However, they did share their views via written communication.

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Information about this children's home

The home and manager registered with Ofsted in August 2025. This is the first inspection since registration.

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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

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: 2839656 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child receives good ‑ quality care from a staff team that works hard to build and maintain positive relationships with them. Since moving into the home, the child has begun to develop meaningful connections with staff and is starting to trust that they will provide consistent and predictable care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is not currently engaged in education. The manager has listened to the child's views about education and arranged a bespoke tutoring programme within the home to meet their individual needs. Staff actively promote the child's engagement in learning through flexible and nurturing approaches to support their return to education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is registered with relevant health services. When the child refuses to attend health appointments, staff explore the child's reasons for this and provide guidance about the importance of maintaining regular medical check ‑ ups. This helps the child to feel listened to while encouraging them to take responsibility for their health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to engage in activities that reflect their individual interests. They listened to the child's views and arranged for them to have regular horse-riding lessons when they moved into the home. The child also volunteers at the local stables. These activities strengthen and promote the child's well-established interest in horses.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When the child experiences challenges in their relationships with family, staff provide sensitive support and advocate effectively on their behalf. Staff work hard to build positive relationships with family members and promote meaningful communication that is safe and supportive for the child.

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

Staff are developing a strong understanding of the child's individual risks. As a team, they are becoming increasingly confident in recognising potential triggers for the child. They respond using well-planned strategies that have reduced incidents and support the child to feel understood.

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

There has been one incident when the child has been missing from the home. This occurred the day before this inspection and lasted for a brief period. Staff responded promptly and effectively, enabling the child to return to the home as quickly and safely as possible. After the incident, staff engaged the child in reflective discussions to explore the reasons for leaving and to develop positive strategies to reduce the likelihood of further incidents.

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

Staff are skilled in de-escalation techniques and use therapeutic approaches to support the child. As a result, there has been only one occasion when staff have needed to use a physical hold to manage the child's behaviour. This intervention was proportionate to the level of concern and used only as a last resort to promote the child's safety. Inspection report for children's home: 2839656 3 Staff develop monthly key-work session plans with the child to develop their understanding of risk. The sessions are adapted to the child's current needs and reflect emerging risks. This child-centred approach helps the child engage in positive discussions and ensures that their views are actively considered.

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

Staff have a good understanding of how to respond to identified risk and seek appropriate external support when required. However, on one occasion, staff did not complete a visual check on the child in a timely manner or confirm the safety of their environment when a concern was raised. The manager reflected on this incident during inspection and identified this as a learning and development opportunity for staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by an experienced and suitably qualified registered manager. She is supported by a deputy manager who has recently stepped into this role. The manager knows the child well and has a good understanding of their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is also the registered manager of another local children's home in the organisation. Despite this, staff say that she is present and easily accessible when required. Staff say that they feel well supported by the management team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been several staffing changes since the home registered, linked to the needs of other homes within the organisation. However, the current staff team presents as stable and includes staff who have a broad range of experience and knowledge. This enables them to provide effective support to the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from attending regular team meetings and group supervision. This approach promotes consistent practice and shared understanding across the staff team. Staff are regularly updated regarding any changes to the child's care plan to ensure that they continue to provide predictable support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals working with the child are positive about the care provided by the staff team. The child's social worker reported that communication between them and staff at the home is positive, and said, 'Staff understand dynamics around emotional health and impact on [the child's] wellbeing.'

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has identified an independent person to visit the home to report on whether children are effectively safeguarded and the conduct of the home in promoting children's wellbeing. However, the independent person did not undertake the visits within the required timescale following the home's registration. The manager has taken action to ensure that future visits take place in line with regulatory requirements. Inspection report for children's home: 2839656 4

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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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

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

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child's health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff respond consistently when children display behaviour that may place them at risk. Visual checks should be completed when children indicate that they may have come to harm. In addition, staff must ensure that the children's environment remains safe in a timely manner. 18 March 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children's home at least once each month. (Regulation 44 (1)) 18 March 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2839656 5

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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: 2839656 6

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Zen Care and Education Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Trafford House, Chester Road, Manchester M32 0RS

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Inspector

Carrie Mayes, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2839656 7 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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