Children's Home run by Elite Education JB in Wigan

Inspection report for children’s home: 2840382 1 Registered provider: Elite Education JB

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and run by a private company. The home provides care for one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home was registered with Ofsted in October 2025. The manager also registered with Ofsted in October 2025.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

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

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2840382 2

p.1

Summary of findings

This was the first inspection of the home.

p.2

Summary of findings

One child lived in the home for a short time, which was not a positive experience for them. The management team learned lessons from this, and the next child had a positive and well-planned move into the home.

p.2

Summary of findings

The child has settled well and interactions with staff demonstrate they are beginning to form positive relationships.

p.2

Summary of findings

There is a stable staff team, with strong management oversight. They provide nurturing and consistent care and have high ambitions for the child. Staff feel positive about working in the home and talk about the child with care and respect.

p.2

Summary of findings

The manager has robust processes in place to evaluate the care provided in the home, however, they do not include the child’s opinion when reviewing the quality of care.

p.2

Summary of findings

The home environment is generally well maintained. However, there are areas that require some attention.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child living in the home has made good progress in a short period of time.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One other child lived in the home but only remained there for 4 weeks. This was not a positive experience for a child. The registered manager has learned lessons and developed practice. As a result, the current child’s move into the home was well planned, with robust planning and transparent decision-making.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has developed positive, trusting relationships with staff who know them well. There is a stable staff team who provide nurturing and consistent care. The child enjoys taking part in a variety of activities with staff, both inside and outside the home. This helps the child to build and maintain meaningful relationships with staff. One parent said, ‘[Name of child] is now really calm, happier and settled.’

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child attends an appropriate education provision that meets their needs. They were not attending school before moving in and staff have worked closely with education professionals to find the right provision for them. The child’s thoughts, feelings and wishes are at the heart of decision-making and they are now accessing bespoke learning activities and have visited a local school with a view to starting there.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that the child remains in good health. They support the child to access routine and specialist services and advocate strongly so the child has access to the Inspection report for children’s home: 2840382 3 health services they require at the time they need them. Staff ensure that the child maintains a good sleep routine and encourages them to take part in physical activities that interest them, including going to the gym and fishing. This proactive approach supports the child to lead a healthy lifestyle.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is preparing for their future. Staff have high ambitions for them and preparation for independence is embedded in everyday practice. Targets are agreed and progress is monitored by the registered manager. This includes the child having practical tasks to complete around the home, such as cleaning and tidying their room, budgeting and also going into the local community without staff support.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child enjoys regular quality time with the people who are important to them. The registered manager works proactively with external agencies and the child’s family to ensure that time spent with family is meaningful and safe. She has developed positive relationships with family members and ensures that they are fully involved in decisions about their child’s care.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is generally well maintained, and is decorated to reflect the child’s preferences. However, some areas need cleaning and maintenance work.

p.3

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

The child’s vulnerabilities have significantly reduced since moving into the home. Previously, serious incidents occurred frequently. However, the child has responded positively to the nurturing care that the staff provide. When the child is struggling with their emotions, staff use their relationships and, often, humour to support the child to manage their feelings and emotions in a safe way. As a result, there have been no significant incidents since the child moved in.

p.3

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

The child is kept safe by staff who know them well. Staff have a good understanding of the presenting risks for the child and how to manage them, but they are not risk averse. The child is supported to take risks appropriate to their age as part of their preparation for independence.

p.3

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

All staff are trained to use a recognised therapeutic model of care to support the child. There are clear rules and boundaries in the home which go alongside the caring and nurturing nature of the staff team. Staff consistently promote and reward positive behaviour with treats such as takeaways, activities and buying new sports equipment. This ensures that the child receives consistent and predictable care from staff.

p.3

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

When things do not go to plan, the child is encouraged to learn from this. Staff initiate supportive conversations to build the child’s knowledge and understanding of risks and develop their life skills.

p.3

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

The registered manager thoroughly evaluates every incident report. She leads discussions with staff and children to embed good practice through focused team meetings and conversation sessions. Inspection report for children’s home: 2840382 4 There are robust safer recruitment processes in place to ensure that no unsuitable people work in the home.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is child centred and has high ambitions for the child. She is supported by an experienced and inspiring leadership team.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

She ensures that the staff team provide high standards of care for the child. If the need for additional training or learning is identified, she will quickly put it in place. This ensures that the child is supported by well-trained and qualified staff with the knowledge, skills and experience to meet their needs.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel supported by managers. They receive a robust induction, regular reflective supervision and have ample opportunities to discuss their care of the child. Staff goals, aspirations and targets are linked to the child’s care plan. This ensures that the child’s needs remain the focus for all staff.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is embedding a culture of learning in the home. Staff are able to access a wide range of training that is specific to the child’s needs. The registered manager uses team meetings to support staff to understand what is working well and to reflect on areas where practice can improve. She sources research and presents relevant legislation in an accessible way to expand staff knowledge.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager communicates very well with other agencies. She has developed positive networks, strongly advocates for the child and escalates her concerns when the child’s needs are not being met effectively. Staff from different agencies are impressed by how well the child has settled into the home and one social worker said that staff are providing excellent care for the child.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager maintains strong oversight of the child’s care and incidents. She has vigorous evaluation systems in place. If change is required, the registered manager takes decisive action to ensure that practice and processes remain effective.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has completed a quality of care review. However, feedback from the child has not been included. There are several systems in place to ensure that the child is listened to, but this is a missed opportunity to capture the impact of their views on the quality of care in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2840382 5

p.4

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.5

Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

p.5

Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential

p.5

Requirement Due date

in particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.5

Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

p.5

Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

p.5

Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(vii)(c)(i)(ii))

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that the home is clean and well maintained throughout. 21 May 2026

p.5

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.

p.5

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—

p.5

Requirement Due date

The quality of care provided for children; 21 May 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2840382 6 the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it. (Regulation 45 (2)(a)(b))

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that the voice of the child is captured in the quality of care review.

p.6

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: 2840382 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 62 Whitehall Avenue, Appley Bridge, Wigan WN6 9JY

p.7

Inspector

Caroline Bates, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2840382 8 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.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8