Children's Home run by Cheshire West and Chester Council in Cheshire West and Chester

Inspection report for children’s home: 2547847 1 Registered provider: Cheshire West and Chester Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a local authority. It provides care for up to 2 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2021 and is suitably experienced.

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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: 8 September 2025

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2547847 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/09/2025 Full Good 19/03/2025 Full Good 27/02/2024 Full Good 21/02/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2547847 3

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Summary of findings

Since the last inspection, 2 children have been welcomed into the home and 2 children have moved out. One child returned to live with their family, while another moved to live with a foster family. These are positive outcomes for both children.

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Summary of findings

Leaders and managers are visible in the home. They are experienced and provide effective support to staff in developing their knowledge and skills. This enables staff to safeguard children effectively and provide experiences that create positive memories of their time in the home.

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Summary of findings

Children enjoy positive relationships with staff. As a result, risks to children have reduced since they began living in the home. Children make progress in many aspects of their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s moves into and out of the home are well managed. Managers and staff work closely with children and professionals at every stage to ensure that moves are smooth, well planned, and tailored to children’s individual needs and preferences. As a result, children have positive experiences at both the start and end of their time in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children feel heard. Staff build trusting relationships with children, which enables them to feel safe and confident in expressing their feelings. This allows children to share concerns and celebrate their achievements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a stable, homely and welcoming home. They are encouraged to personalise the home. One child has redecorated their bedroom, while another is repurposing the playroom into a gym. The home is maintained to a good standard; however, the front of the property requires repainting.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is prioritised. When children are on a reduced timetable, staff provide structured learning opportunities. One child is being supported to gradually increase their time in school. This support is valued, as reflected by one social worker who said, ‘Staff are supporting [name of child] in all the ways that they can.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are well understood. Staff work closely with healthcare professionals to ensure that children’s medication is appropriate, while also ensuring that children’s views are considered in decision-making. Managers and staff are proactive in seeking training and advice. As a result, children are supported to better understand and manage their conditions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s plans are informative and provide clear guidance to staff. Managers demonstrate perseverance in obtaining local authority plans and reports. This ensures Inspection report for children’s home: 2547847 4 that staff have access to up-to-date information and can provide well-coordinated support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from a wide range of opportunities. One child has attended their first of many football matches and has enjoyed visits to theme parks, the beach, and go-karting. Another child is being supported to continue participating in existing clubs and to explore new interests, such as horse riding. One family member said, ‘[Name of child] is seeing and doing so much; they are showing them the world.’

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

Staff know children well and understand their needs and associated risks. Clear plans, risk assessments and specialist nurture training equip staff with effective strategies to de-escalate situations and support children effectively. There is a strong focus on understanding behaviour as a form of communication, which enables staff to respond appropriately and provide well-informed support.

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

When children go missing from home, staff demonstrate perseverance in their efforts to locate them. There is effective collaboration with relevant professionals to ensure that all parties are kept informed. The manager maintains thorough oversight and ensures that follow-up work focuses on learning, helping children to understand risks and supporting them to make safer choices. As a result, incidents of children going missing from home have reduced.

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

Leaders and managers take immediate action in response to safeguarding concerns and allegations. The manager responds promptly to ensure children’s safety and investigates any concerns without delay. Children are kept informed and supported throughout the investigation process.

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

There have been no incidents of physical intervention in the home. Nevertheless, staff are appropriately trained and use their positive relationships with children to de-escalate situations effectively.

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

Children benefit from high-quality one-to-one discussions that support their understanding of how to keep themselves safe. Staff are confident in discussing sensitive and important topics with children. This helps children to feel emotionally safe and secure.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a confident and experienced manager, supported by a dedicated deputy manager. Managers know the children well and are ambitious about their progress, ensuring that this remains a priority. Staff report that they are well supported by leaders and managers, who recognise the importance of staff wellbeing, training and professional development in delivering high-quality care. Inspection report for children’s home: 2547847 5 The manager provides effective oversight by carrying out regular quality of care reviews and ensuring that the home’s statement of purpose is kept up to date. However, there have been some oversights in sharing the reports from these reviews, resulting in them not being submitted to the regulator.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and staff work collaboratively with other professionals and families to coordinate support for children. This has been particularly beneficial during children’s moves into and out of the home. This approach is valued; one social worker reported that transitions have been well supported by staff, who quickly demonstrate a clear understanding of children’s needs. Another professional said that both they and the child felt supported at every stage of the move, with staff readily available to provide advice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive high-quality training tailored to the children’s needs, including training in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, asthma, controlled medication, attachment, and an 8-day nurture training programme. One member of staff said, ‘It has helped me in understanding [name of child] in more depth,’ and ‘It has directly impacted our practice and how to support the child.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision sessions are thorough, and staff value this protected time, which allows them to focus on the children, training, and their overall wellbeing. Appraisals provide opportunities for managers and staff to review practice and identify areas for development and progression. However, appraisals do not currently incorporate feedback from children or other professionals, which is a missed opportunity. Inspection report for children’s home: 2547847 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is maintained and decorated to a good standard, with external maintenance and paintwork issues addressed to support a well-kept and homely environment. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that robust processes are in place to guarantee that quality of care review reports are submitted to Ofsted and to the placing local authorities for children in the home at least once every 6 months. In addition, the manager should ensure that any updates to the home’s statement of purpose are shared through the appropriate channels. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.3)  The registered person should ensure that staff appraisals consider, where reasonable and practical, the views of children and other professionals who have worked with the

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Recommendations

staff member over the year. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)

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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: 2547847 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cheshire West and Chester Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Council Offices, 4 Civic Way, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire CH65 0BE

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Inspector

Julia Edwards, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2547847 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 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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