Children's Home run by Eden Childrens Care in Cheshire East

Inspection report for children’s home: 2818907 1 Registered provider: Eden Children’s Care 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 company. It provides care for up to 2 children with learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, no children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager in post since September 2025.

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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 widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor, and they are not making progress.

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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: 2818907 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/06/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2818907 3

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Summary of findings

There have been serious failures in safeguarding practice. Appropriate action has not been taken to protect a child who was assessed as being at high risk of self-harm.

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Summary of findings

The lack of stable and suitable management arrangements has negatively impacted the quality of care provided in the home, leaving children at risk of significant harm.

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Summary of findings

Leaders and managers have failed to identify the needs and risks of children admitted to the home. This has resulted in poor experiences for all children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

During the inspection period, 2 children have lived in the home. One child moved out in line with their plans as they reached adulthood. The other child experienced an unplanned ending to their placement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Managers did not fully consider children’s needs and risks or staff’s skills before the child moved in. As a result, the child moved in without clear plans to meet their needs or manage identified risks. Some of the strategies used to manage risks were inappropriate, including the use of medication to influence behaviour.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children have been cared for by staff who lack the necessary knowledge and understanding of their needs. Furthermore, when a new child moved into the home, they were unable to develop positive, trusting relationships with the staff caring for them. Although a staff team has now been recruited, members are new and largely inexperienced.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff do not yet have the necessary skills and experience to meet the child’s needs effectively. As a result, the child moved out after a very short period, leading to further instability and disruption in their care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children who do not access formal education are encouraged to engage. Leaders and managers have challenged professionals effectively to ensure that children have education, health and care plans in place to support their learning needs. Staff also support children in accessing alternative learning opportunities, such as online resources.

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

Following a significant incident, managers and staff failed to implement strategies to prevent further harm. As a result, the child remained in possession of items that were later used to cause serious injury. When the child subsequently received medical attention, the wounds had become infected and required further treatment, including hospital visits. These failings demonstrate that staff do not fully understand their roles Inspection report for children’s home: 2818907 4 and responsibilities in safeguarding children. Consequently, children are not being adequately protected from harm in the home.

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

Staff do not have the skills required to manage one child’s behaviour or support their emotional wellbeing during periods of crisis. As a result, incidents have occurred that have placed the child at serious risk. Staff have sought police assistance to manage behaviour, which resulted in the child being handcuffed on 2 occasions. This caused the child significant distress and placed them at risk of criminalisation.

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

Children’s risks are not fully understood when they move into the home. As a result, a child already living in the home was placed at risk of physical harm. Following an incident, arrangements were made late at night for one child to stay in temporary accommodation due to the risks posed. This does not demonstrate that staff have the skills to manage children’s relationships and conflicting needs effectively.

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

Staff understand the actions required when children go missing from home. They follow the missing-from-home procedures, search for children and work with other professionals to support their safe return. When children return, staff speak with them to understand the reasons for their absence, with the aim of reducing the likelihood of future incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There is no registered manager or responsible individual in post. An interim manager was appointed; however, they lacked the skills, experience and knowledge to meet registration requirements and subsequently withdrew their application. Despite this, they remained in the managerial role, resulting in ineffective oversight of serious safeguarding incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home has been without a permanent responsible individual since September, which has limited strategic oversight during this period. Oversight has been provided by a suitably qualified director, and a new responsible individual has now been appointed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There has been instability in the staff team. Some staff members have left, while others have moved to work in another home owned by the company. This has led to a reliance on unfamiliar agency staff, particularly during times of crisis, which has significantly affected the quality of care provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff have not always felt well supported by managers, and communication has been poor. This has left staff unclear about significant incidents and their roles and responsibilities. As a result, children have not been kept safe. Staff say that communication has improved in recent weeks following the departure of the previous manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have oversight of incidents; however, they do not always identify gaps in staff practice, and actions to improve practice are not consistently clear. This does not support staff to fully understand their responsibilities in safeguarding children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2818907 5 Leaders and managers do not always notify the regulator of serious incidents, as required by regulations. This limits the regulator’s ability to maintain effective oversight of serious incidents in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2818907 6

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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

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 located so that children are effectively safeguarded;

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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; and 17 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2818907 7 that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(c)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that:

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Requirement Due date

when planning for children to move into the home, the needs and risks of all children are fully assessed and considered;

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Requirement Due date

all risks to children are thoroughly explored, and clear strategies are in place to manage and reduce these risks;

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Requirement Due date

staff understand their roles and responsibilities when responding to incidents of self-harm and are clear about the actions required to keep children safe.

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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; 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 and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; 17 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2818907 8 demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that:

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Requirement Due date

there are sufficient staff to meet the needs of all children living in the home;

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Requirement Due date

staff have the necessary skills and experience to support the children in their care effectively;

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Requirement Due date

they maintain oversight of all incidents, including evaluation and reflection, and identify gaps in the care provided;

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Requirement Due date

they work with staff to address gaps in practice and provide clear actions to improve the quality of care;

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Requirement Due date

staff receive consistent support and guidance to help them understand expectations regarding their roles and responsibilities in caring for children and keeping them safe.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; 17 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2818907 9 protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that all children are provided with a safe and stable environment in which they can live comfortably and feel safe in their home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and the registered provider—

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Requirement Due date

is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home.

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Requirement Due date

If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of—

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person so appointed; and the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii) (2)(a)(b)) 17 July 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child— 17 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2818907 10 is instigated; or

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation—

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Requirement Due date

the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter;

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Requirement Due date

must be made or confirmed in writing. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e) (5)(a)(i)(ii)(ii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that all serious incidents requiring police involvement are promptly reported to the regulator.

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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: 2818907 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Eden Children’s Care

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suite G30 Genesis Centre, Innovation Way, Stoke on Trent ST6 4BF

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Inspectors

Sarah Probert, Social Care Inspector Sadie Green, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2818907 12 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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