Children's Home run by Homes for Support in Cheshire East

Inspection report for children’s home: 2856750 1 Registered provider: Homes for Support Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private provider. It offers 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, one child was living in the home, and they spoke with the inspector.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and the manager registered with Ofsted on 30 October 2025.

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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: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2856750 2

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Summary of findings

When a new child moves into the home, the manager and staff develop a clear understanding of their individual needs and ensure that their views are sought and considered. They welcome the child into the home, provide a clear structure and consistent routines and focus on building positive relationships. This helps the child to feel settled and safe.

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Summary of findings

Risks for children are well understood. When children go missing from home, staff know what action to take and work with the child to explore the reasons why they go missing. This has resulted in a significant reduction in missing-from-home incidents and has reduced risk for one child.

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Summary of findings

The home is managed by a qualified and knowledgeable manager. Effective systems are in place to review and continually improve the quality of care, ensuring that children remain safe. When concerns about staff practice arise, they are thoroughly explored, and the manager provides clear guidance to support staff in managing and reducing risks. Staff report feeling well supported and motivated in their roles.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A child moved into the home in an emergency. The manager ensured that as much information as possible was gathered to consider the child’s needs and risks, alongside staff’s skills and experience. The child was warmly welcomed into the home and supported to personalise their bedroom. Staff spent time helping the child to settle in and feel safe. As a result, the child has become settled following a significant period of instability, and some risks, such as going missing from home, have reduced.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is encouraged to express their views and feelings. Staff have built positive relationships with the child, helping them to understand risks while actively listening to their views. Plans for time spent in the community are reviewed, and the level of supervision is appropriately reduced to support the child in developing independence and making informed decisions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are proactive in supporting the child’s learning. They use creative approaches to promote natural learning opportunities, incorporating the child’s interests and hobbies. As the child is not currently attending formal education, the manager challenges other professionals effectively to secure a suitable education provision.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote the child’s health and wellbeing by encouraging a healthy lifestyle. They ensure that the child is registered with appropriate healthcare services, arrange appointments when needed and encourage attendance. When the child is reluctant to engage with appointments, staff work with the child’s family and other professionals to Inspection report for children’s home: 2856750 3 explore ways to support attendance. However, staff are not sufficiently proactive in rescheduling missed appointments in a timely manner.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is encouraged to maintain relationships with their family and friends. Staff support the child to spend time independently with those who are important to them, while maintaining appropriate contact with the child and their parent to promote safety in the community. The child expressed a wish for their pet dog to visit them at the home. A risk assessment was carried out with the child to enable the dog to visit for overnight stays.

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

Staff understand the actions to take when children go missing from home. They are proactive in searching for the child and work collaboratively with other professionals, such as social workers and the police, as well as the child’s family. Following any missing-from-home incidents, the child is welcomed back into the home. Staff speak with the child to understand the reasons for their absence and to identify strategies to reduce the risk of future incidents. As a result, there has been a reduction in episodes of the child going missing from home.

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

Staff help the child to understand the expectations regarding their behaviour by creating clear routines and structure throughout the day. The manager and staff seek support from their commissioned therapeutic service to better understand the underlying causes of the child’s behaviour and how to respond effectively. In addition, staff are encouraged to develop a strong sense of self-awareness, enabling them to recognise how their own emotions may affect their interactions with the child and to manage these appropriately. This approach has supported the development of positive relationships between staff and the child.

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

There have been no allegations or complaints made by the child. However, the manager and staff have ensured that the child understands their right to raise a complaint and the processes to follow. Staff are aware of the appropriate actions to take should an allegation be made against a professional, including making referrals to the local authority designated officer.

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

There are clear plans in place to support the child’s needs and reduce risk. These include identifying when the child may be feeling unsettled and outlining practical steps for staff to help the child feel settled. Staff respond to the child in a positive manner, without the need to use physical intervention. The child’s plans are shared with them, and their views are considered when identifying ways to provide effective support. This promotes a sense of self-worth for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is suitably qualified and has a clear vision for the home, which is shared by the staff team. The manager has ensured that a full, permanent staff team is in place. Inspection report for children’s home: 2856750 4 As a result, the child receives care from consistent adults who understand their needs and know them well, helping the child to feel safe and settled.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are reflective and purposeful. Staff discuss the child’s progress in depth and thoughtfully consider significant incidents. These meetings provide regular opportunities to identify training needs and support professional development. Staff are encouraged to identify areas for improvement, and there is evidence of constructive challenge and open discussion. This demonstrates a positive team culture in which staff feel confident to raise concerns, reflect on practice, and work collaboratively to resolve issues.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager maintains effective oversight of all incidents and concerns. They provide reflective evaluations, recognising staff strengths as well as areas for development. When concerns arise regarding staff responsibilities in managing safeguarding incidents, these are thoroughly explored. The manager works with staff, providing clear guidance on expectations and the immediate actions required when responding to incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision and report feeling well supported by the manager. They can talk openly about any issues, confident that they will be supported. Staff are encouraged to continue their professional development, with opportunities available for progression in the organisation. As a result, staff feel valued and remain committed to providing high-quality care to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has robust systems in place to monitor the quality of care provided to children. They welcome monthly visits from an independent person and use their feedback to inform action plans and drive improvement. The manager ensures that the regulator is promptly notified of significant incidents, enabling appropriate oversight of events in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2856750 5

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children attend healthcare appointments. Where children experience difficulty engaging with appointments, staff should adopt a proactive approach to explore the reasons for this and implement strategies to help children feel more comfortable. This will support children in attending appointments and ensure that their health needs are appropriately met. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.11)

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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: 2856750 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Northern Point Developments Ltd, Northern House, 3 Kennerleys Lane, Wilmslow SK9 5EQ

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Inspector

Sarah Probert, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2856750 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 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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