Children's Home run by Mercia Children Services Limited in Cheshire West and Chester

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2587763 1 Registered provider: Mercia Children Services 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 provider and offers care for up to 4 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since May 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home. The child spoke with the inspector.

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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 this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has 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: 2587763 2

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Findings from the inspection

We identified the following serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection:

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Findings from the inspection

 Delay in informing relevant partners of safeguarding concerns.  Lack of understanding of professional boundaries.  Quality of care to children.

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Summary of findings

Allegations are not always addressed or referred to partner agencies in a timely way. This does not reflect best safeguarding practice and indicates gaps in understanding safeguarding thresholds and reporting responsibilities. On one occasion delays in referral to partner agencies meant that safeguarding partners were unable to contribute to decision-making at an early stage and opportunities for earlier multi-agency discussion and coordinated risk management were reduced.

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Summary of findings

The quality of care provided to children is affected by weaknesses in safeguarding practice, professional conduct and aspects of organisational culture. Disclosures from staff had not been responded to appropriately. Staff reported inappropriate behaviour by senior leadership. However, these concerns were not consistently escalated or explored. This suggests that systems for responding to concerns are not fully embedded.

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Summary of findings

There is evidence that professional boundaries are not consistently well understood or maintained. Children and young people reported the use of inappropriate language by some staff. In addition, a care-experienced young person described concerning conversations and behaviour involving staff during a personal celebration. These accounts indicate that expectations regarding professional conduct are not always clear or consistently upheld.

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Summary of findings

Where boundaries are unclear, adults do not consistently model appropriate behaviour. This has the potential to weaken the safeguarding culture and reduce the effectiveness of the protective environment for children and young people.

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Summary of findings

Managers have not established a consistently open culture where staff and children feel confident to raise concerns, and where those concerns are routinely explored and escalated appropriately. Oversight of professional practice and conduct is not sufficient.

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Summary of findings

The independent visitor does not consistently speak with children or see their bedrooms. They do not regularly speak with external professionals. This means that their reviews only offer a narrow perspective of the care the children receive. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2587763 3 An external consultant has been brought in to the company to support staff and managers, and some actions have been taken to improve the safeguarding knowledge of staff.

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Summary of findings

A case review was held on 9 April 2026, where it was agreed that compliance notices under regulation 12, the protection of children standard and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard, would be issued. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2587763 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/03/2026 Full Good 25/02/2025 Full Good 25/01/2024 Full Good 21/09/2022 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2587763 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 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

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that safeguarding procedures are followed. 5 June 2026

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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

promotes their welfare. 5 June 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2587763 6 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

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)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the culture in the home promotes children’s welfare.

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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

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c)

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that when completing a quality of care review, children’s feedback is taken into consideration and evidenced in the report. 5 June 2026

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure the independent person makes arrangements to visit the home that enable them to regularly consult with children and see their bedrooms, and that they also consult parents and professionals as part of their assessment of the home’s care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2587763 7 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2587763 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Mercia Children Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Windsor House, Bayshill Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 3AT

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Inspector

Cathy Wilkins, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2587763 9 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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