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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2736861 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 4 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties or have learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2023 and is suitably experienced.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 3 children were living in the home. The inspector spoke with all the children.

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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: 20 October 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: 2736861 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/10/2025 Full Good 06/08/2024 Full Good 07/11/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2736861 3

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Summary of findings

Staff have a strong understanding of children’s individual needs. Managers are positive advocates for children and proactive in seeking additional support, training and guidance to enhance the care children receive.

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Summary of findings

Children have built positive and trusting relationships with the staff team. The manager has high expectations and is focused on continued development for herself and staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff work sensitively with children and professionals to prepare children for moves into and out of the home. One child has successfully moved to foster care following their time at the home, reflecting the stability and quality of care they experienced. Two children have moved into the home and have developed positive relationships with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a comfortable, personalised and well-maintained home. Toys, activities and games are accessible to them, including a trampoline, swing and spinner. Staff support children to look after and care for their pets. This helps to create a warm, homely atmosphere that contributes positively to children’s sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is prioritised. Managers and staff work closely with education professionals and advocate on behalf of children. One child has started school for the first time, while another child’s attendance has significantly improved. Both children are now attending school each day. When children are on a reduced education plan, the manager proactively requests for this to be increased. This support is valued, as reflected by one independent reviewing officer who said, ‘The manager never gives up, especially when it comes to education, even when there are barriers.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have a clear understanding of one child’s individual communication and sensory needs and engage with them effectively. The child is well supported to develop their nonverbal communication skills using a range of techniques and support strategies. The manager has sought help and guidance from wider professionals and training providers to further develop and strengthen this practice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are well understood. The manager proactively seeks additional support when specialist input is needed for children. For one child, this has led to specialist assessments and targeted mental health interventions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to understand their plans. Staff engage children in open, purposeful conversations to promote understanding and resolve concerns together. Staff adapt their approach to ensure that all children can communicate their views about their care. This has included using a range of communication aids, such as signs, symbols, Inspection report for children’s home: 2736861 4 photos and observations. One child said, ‘I think it is amazing here.’ They scored their home as ‘100 out of 10’.

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

Professionals are confident that staff keep children safe. An independent reviewing officer said that risks associated with one child, who recently moved out of the home, significantly reduced due to the support they received from staff.

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

There have been few incidents since the last inspection. When incidents occur, safety is at the forefront of practice and follow-up discussions with children focus on learning.

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

Staff take a balanced approach to maintaining safety while also enabling children to take age-appropriate risks. There has been thoughtful exploration around mobile phone and media checks, with consideration given to protecting children’s privacy and reducing anxiety. However, a clear plan for supervising potential online risks has not been fully implemented.

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

Children’s safety is prioritised. Physical intervention is rare and is used only as a last resort to keep children safe. Managers and staff demonstrate professional curiosity about behaviour and what it is communicating. They use their relationships with children to de- escalate situations effectively.

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

One child uses walking reins in the community to help keep them safe. This has been agreed as required by the social worker. However, this intervention has not been formally recorded through a multi-agency agreement or included in the child’s care plan. It is important that this is clearly documented as being in the child’s best interests.

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

Managers and staff work closely with wider professionals. When the manager has not been satisfied with a professional’s response to a child’s disclosure, this has been escalated to ensure that it is addressed effectively.

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

Staff feel confident in raising and whistleblowing any concerns that may affect children. Managers respond effectively to these concerns and take appropriate action.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager knows the children well and understands their individual complex needs. As a result, she has positive relationships with the children. A teacher said, ‘The manager and staff are flexible to meet [name of child]’s needs.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Effective collaboration with professionals and the wider teams around each child is evident, enabling access to specialist support and guidance. This has had a positive impact on staff confidence, practice, and the quality of work with children. As a result, staff have introduced a range of resources and activities to support one child’s communication skills, emotional development, sensory exploration and experiences with different tastes. Inspection report for children’s home: 2736861 5 The manager is experienced and leads a child-focused team. She is committed to upskilling staff, which is valued and appreciated by the team. Staff receive reflective and supportive supervision and have access to a comprehensive training programme that develops their skills and knowledge to ensure that they can provide effective care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a good understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for development. Team meetings provide opportunities to discuss the children and reflect on practice, learning and focus on improvement. This promotes consistency for children, and staff value this approach. One member of staff said, ‘I always feel encouraged to grow in my role.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals speak positively about the home. They say that staff pay strong attention to detail in the care they provide for children. One professional said, ‘They have been amazing in supporting [name of 2 children] to settle and feel at home.’ Professionals also value the manager’s and staff’s approach to building relationships with families. One parent described staff as ‘caring’ and ‘gentle’, saying time together felt like a positive family experience. These relationships support children’s stability and progress. Inspection report for children’s home: 2736861 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

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person should ensure that when safety measures, such as walking reins, are used, they are formally agreed through a multi-agency best-interests decision and clearly documented in the child’s care plan. 19 August 2026

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Recommendation

 The registered person should take a balanced approach to device and online activity checks, considering each child’s needs and age, while also monitoring safety. When risks are identified, staff should implement increased safety measures and support children to understand these, helping them to stay safe online. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.7)

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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: 2736861 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: 2736861 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 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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