Children's Home run by Amelia Care Limited in Cheshire East

Inspection report for children’s home: 2743870 1 Registered provider: Amelia Care Limited

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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 home is owned and operated by a private company. The home is registered to care for up to 3 children, who may be experiencing social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, there were 2 children living in this home. The inspector spoke to the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and/or widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2743870 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/10/2025 Full good 10/12/2024 Full requires improvement to be good 30/01/2024 Full good Inspection report for children’s home: 2743870 3

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Summary of findings

There have been changes in leadership and management arrangements. Managers have not ensured that staff possess the necessary skills or knowledge to meet the needs of the children. Children’s plans do not give staff clear guidance on how to keep them safe, and when strategies are agreed, staff do not consistently implement them. As a result, children have been placed at risk of harm. Several staff members have been injured at work, and staff say they are fearful of being further injured while at work. Managers have not addressed shortfalls in staff practice or ensured that learning from serious incidents is embedded. External professionals have not been provided with timely information about emerging risks, limiting their ability to take action to safeguard children.

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Summary of findings

Serious and widespread concerns have been identified regarding the ability of managers and staff to recognise and respond effectively to safeguarding issues. An urgent case review was convened, and Ofsted subsequently issued a notice to suspend the home’s registration.

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inadequate

Managers have not assessed the ability of the staff team to meet the evolving needs of all the children. Staff do not demonstrate an understanding of the steps they must take to ensure that children’s individual needs are met. As a result, children’s experiences of living in this home vary.

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inadequate

One child reported that they do not feel staff are able to keep them safe and expressed concern that they may harm themselves or others. Staff responses to children are inconsistent, which fails to provide the stability children need and does not support them to understand what is expected of them. Furthermore, staff rely on the police when one child is in crisis. Using the police to manage children’s behaviour exposes children to unnecessary police involvement.

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inadequate

Children’s health needs are not consistently met. Staff do not administer medication as prescribed, and medication records are inaccurate. As a result, there is no clear understanding of what medication children have received. This has a direct impact on children’s health and their day-to-day experiences. For example, staff do not administer one child’s attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or sleep medication as prescribed, and when asked, staff are unable to confirm whether the medication has been administered. One education designated safeguarding lead reported that this child frequently arrives at school tired and unable to engage in learning; on one occasion, the child slept for the entire school day. Inspection report for children’s home: 2743870 4 Children’s experiences of accessing education are inconsistent. Staff support one child to attend school, which has resulted in improved attendance; however, there

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inadequate

are ongoing concerns about the child’s ability to engage once they arrive. When children are not attending school, managers work with other professionals to address the issues and promote re-engagement.

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inadequate

The quality of record-keeping is poor. Records of incidents are unclear and fail to provide an accurate account of what action has been taken. This does not ensure that there is a clear record of children’s experiences or decisions made about children’s care.

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inadequate

Staff help children create positive memories by taking them on outings and activities, enabling them to pursue their interests and build confidence. In addition, staff support one child to access voluntary work at a local farm, in line with the child’s interests and developing skills.

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

Managers and staff do not understand their safeguarding roles and responsibilities. There are serious failings in safeguarding practice, which have meant that risks to children have not been responded to effectively.

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

Staff report feeling fearful when coming to work due to the risk of injury. Several staff have sustained injuries during incidents within the home, and one member of staff continues to require ongoing medical intervention for an injury sustained at work. One staff member has not received training in the safe holding of children; despite this, they have been involved in physical interventions. Managers have not identified or addressed this gap in mandatory training, thereby increasing the risk of harm to both staff and children.

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

Children’s plans do not provide staff with clarity about the steps they should take to keep children safe. As a result, staff do not understand what is expected of them. When strategies are identified to reduce risk, staff do not consistently follow these. This has not been identified by managers. As a result, risks to children have increased and unsafe practice has been allowed to continue. For example, staff have not removed items from one child’s bedroom that they could use to harm themselves, in line with their individual plan, and staff have not ensured that when children are taken out of the home, the agreed staffing ratio is adhered to.

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

Some staff have acted in ways that are in direct opposition to strategies outlined in children’s plans, resulting in increased risk to the children. When such incidents have occurred, other staff have not raised concerns, followed whistleblowing procedures, or escalated the matter to managers. This lack of professional challenge compromises children’s safety and undermines safeguarding practice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2743870 5 Managers do not consistently act on known risks, which places children and staff at risk of harm. For example, managers have identified that one child has been barricading and locking themselves in rooms to prevent staff from accessing them during periods of crisis. While managers’ report that quotes for adaptations to the home were sought 3 weeks prior to this inspection, no interim measures have been implemented to address this risk.

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

Staff support children to spend time with their families and connected persons. This approach has contributed to a reduction in one child’s risk of going missing from home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There have been changes in management and leadership arrangements. At the time of this inspection, the registered manager post was vacant. The provider has identified a manager, although their suitability has not yet been assessed by Ofsted. Management oversight and monitoring systems are ineffective. As a result, leaders and managers do not have sufficient oversight of the care provided to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers have failed to identify shortfalls in staff practice. On the occasions where shortfalls have been identified, managers have not taken appropriate action to address them. As a result, unsafe staff practice has been allowed to continue, increasing the level of risk to children. For example, a serious incident occurred in which a child attempted to exit a moving vehicle while travelling on a motorway. The child should have been supported by 2 members of staff but was not on this occasion. This incident posed a significant risk of serious harm to the child. Despite the seriousness of the event, the manager did not notify the local authority designated officer or inform Ofsted, as required.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers have not identified learning from incidents, which has resulted in risks not being fully understood and incidents recurring. Staff do not receive regular supervision or opportunities to reflect with their manager on their practice. This limits staff development and does not support them to build the skills and knowledge required to meet children’s care needs. Managers have not ensured that all staff possess the necessary skills, knowledge, and experience to care for the children safely. For example, managers have not identified when staff have failed to complete essential training required to keep children safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Records do not provide a reliable account of which adults are present and working within the home at any given time. A maintenance staff member was deployed as bank staff without the required safer recruitment checks or completion of mandatory training. This failure to follow established safeguarding procedures places children at risk of harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers attend multi-agency meetings and contribute to decisions regarding children’s care. Despite this, 2 social workers and one education designated safeguarding lead have reported that managers and staff are difficult to contact and Inspection report for children’s home: 2743870 6 that there are delays in receiving important information about children. Managers and staff do not consistently inform professionals in a timely manner when immediate risks arise. For example, a member of staff became aware that a child had contact with an adult identified as a risk within the child’s plan, yet this information was not shared with the social worker. This failure to report concerns promptly delayed the local authority’s ability to intervene and manage escalating risks. Inspection report for children’s home: 2743870 7

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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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm;

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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)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(d)) 19 June 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2743870 8 In particular, the registered provider must ensure that children’s plans provide staff with clarity about the steps they should take to meet children’s needs and keep them safe. In addition, the registered provider must also ensure that all staff have the skills to assess and respond to risk in accordance with children’s individual plans.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered provider must ensure that all staff fully understand their safeguarding roles and responsibilities. This must include a clear understanding of their duties in respect to whistleblowing and the requirement to raise concerns about the quality of care or the safety of children without delay.

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Requirement Due date

Furthermore, the registered provider must ensure that the premises of the home are subject to regular and effective risk assessment, and that any identified risks are promptly addressed and resolved to maintain a safe environment for children, staff, and visitors.

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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

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

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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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

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child 19 June 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2743870 9 and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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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)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that there are enough staff to meet the needs of the children and that these staff have the skills, experience, and knowledge to meet the needs of the children.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered provider must ensure that staff have access to regular supervision and training to develop professionally and provide children with continuity of care.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered provider must ensure that management monitoring systems are effective and that managers take decisive action to address shortfalls in staff practice.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration, and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

medicines kept in the home are stored in a secure place so as to prevent any child from having unsupervised access to them;

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Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; and

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Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered provider must ensure that all staff fully understand their roles and responsibilities when administering medication to children. This must include administering medication as prescribed and maintaining accurate records.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered provider must ensure that any medication administered to a child while they are away from the home is clearly recorded. 19 June 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2743870 10 The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification, and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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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)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered provider must ensure that robust recruitment checks are completed for all staff before they start working in the home. This should include references, employment history, and evidence of the individual’s right to work in the United Kingdom.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered provider must ensure that only staff who are formally contracted to provide care for the children undertake such duties. 19 June 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 19 June 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2743870 11 In particular, the registered provider must ensure that effective management monitoring systems are embedded to maintain the accuracy of children’s case records.

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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.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered provider must ensure that there is an accurate record of when staff are working in the home. This should include staff’s full names and hours worked.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered provider must ensure that there is an accurate record of all visitors to the home. This should include full names, their role, the purpose of the visit, time arrived and time they left. 19 June 2026

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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: 2743870 12

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Amelia Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Heath Business and Technical Park, Heath Drive, Weston, Runcorn WA7 4QA

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Inspector

Sally Griffiths, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2743870 13 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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