Children's Home run by Emerge Care and Therapeutic Solutions Limited in Cheshire East

Inspection report for children’s home: 2818319 1 Registered provider: Emerge Care and Therapeutic Solutions Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This privately operated home provides care for up to 3 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2025.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 2 children were living at the home. Both children spoke to the inspectors about their experiences living at the home.

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: 2818319 2

p.1

Summary of findings

Children feel safe and well cared for in this home.

p.2

Summary of findings

Staff build positive relationships with children and provide nurturing, therapeutic care which meets their needs.

p.2

Summary of findings

Overall, there is a homely environment. Minor changes should be made to enhance the homely feel.

p.2

Summary of findings

Children have positive experiences and make good progress. Their wishes and feelings are valued, however more could be done to prepare children living in the home prior to another child moving in.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children feel well cared for and have positive relationships with the people who look after them. They take pride in their home, contributing to household chores and spending more time in communal areas than they do in their bedrooms.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The environment is clean and tidy, welcoming and homely. Photos of children are on display around the home. However, the lock on the door to the ground floor bathroom and a staff-led display in the hallway detract from the homely feel.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff consistently prioritise children’s emotional and physical well-being. They work in partnership with children’s schools. As a result, children are settled and feel secure, which strengthens their capacity to engage in learning and supports them to make good progress. Staff enhance learning opportunities for children by engaging them in exam revision or reading bedtime stories.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff speak about children with compassion and written records reflect the same nurturing language. In the kitchen, a clearly displayed menu reflects children’s contributions to daily routines. Alongside it, an accessible resource titled ‘who’s looking after me?’ supports children’s understanding of who is caring for them each day and night. This strengthens their sense of security and predictability.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have a good sense of belonging. They know that their views matter and have regular conversations with staff about their wishes and feelings. More could be done to ensure that children living in the home are well prepared for a new child moving in. This will further enhance their sense of stability.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children share positive experiences of living in this home. One child spoke about the meaningful difference that living in the home has made to their behaviour and how they see themselves. One child has moved on from the home after only living there for a Inspection report for children’s home: 2818319 3 short space of time. A parent shared on their behalf that they felt safe and well-cared for in the short space of time they lived in the home.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff communicate well with the important adults in children’s lives. Two parents shared positive feedback about the care their children receive. One parent shared their gratitude for the regular updates they received about their child.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff adopt a therapeutic, trauma-informed approach, recognising gaps in children’s learning and development and providing opportunities to help them experience and achieved missed milestones, such as learning to swim or engaging in age-appropriate play. As a result, children make meaningful progress, building confidence, skills and a stronger sense of self.

p.3

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

Children feel safe in their home. They shared that if they felt worried, they could speak to any of the staff. They felt certain that their concerns would be listened to and that staff would take appropriate actions to keep them safe.

p.3

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

Staff ensure clear and consistent boundaries in the home. As a result, children understand expectations and make positive choices. In situations where a child has needed physical support to remain safe, this has been confidently managed by staff. Any physical intervention has been proportionate and child focussed. Clear records have been kept in these instances and necessary conversations have taken place with the child to support their wellbeing.

p.3

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

The manager takes appropriate action to ensure the safety of children when concerns arise about staff practice. The manager ensures that all relevant professionals are informed and that action is taking to reduce any potential risk to children.

p.3

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

Staff have a good understanding of children’s needs and vulnerabilities and take effective action to address them. Staff have regular discussions with children around their personal safety, for example how to keep safe online. This successfully supports children to make safer choices.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager leads a culture where children are spoken about with care and compassion. There is a relaxed, homely atmosphere. As a result, children are at ease in their home environment. They enjoy spending time with the people who look after them.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager encourages reflective and child-centred practice. The therapist consistently attends team meetings to ensure that children’s care plans are therapeutically informed. Following one child’s sudden move from the home under challenging circumstances, the manager ensured that thoughtful and thorough reflection took place. This was supported by input from the therapy team, enabling meaningful learning to be identified and used to strengthen practice and improve outcomes for children in the future. Inspection report for children’s home: 2818319 4 Leaders and managers have a clear understanding of the needs of children, their previous experiences and their hopes and dreams for the future. They ensure that staff have the tools they need to support children to the best of their ability. The manager has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the team and utilises internal and external monitoring systems well to support her understanding of this.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive a comprehensive training and induction programme before supporting the children, along with ongoing training available to them. Staff also complete specific training that gives them the knowledge and skills to meet the children’s individual needs. The manager uses creative methods to upskill staff such as scenario-based learning opportunities.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff have effective communication with other professionals and important people to children. As a result, children benefit from consistent, well- coordinated care. Inspection report for children’s home: 2818319 5

p.4

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children are able to experience living in a home that is homely, that notice boards are removed from the living areas and all communal areas of the home are accessible. The registered person should seek as far as possible to maintain a homely environment. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that children are listened to and involved in decisions which affect them. Specifically, staff should work with children to consult with and prepare them for the arrival of new children moving into the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.10)

p.5

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: 2818319 6

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Emerge Care and Therapeutic Solutions Limited

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Office, 5 Rockside, Stoke on Trent ST7 4PG

p.6

Responsible individual:

Registered manager: Jade Bennett-Clayton

p.6

Inspectors

Bethany Riley, Social Care Inspector Cathy Wilkins, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2818319 7 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.

p.6

Inspectors

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.7

Inspectors

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

p.7

Inspectors

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

p.7