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

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

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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. It provides care for up to 3 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this visit, no children were living in the home because the provider’s registration had been suspended.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a manager in post; however, they are not yet registered with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

This home was judged as ‘inadequate’ at the full inspection on 29 and 30 April 2026. The inspector identified serious shortfalls in relation to children’s safety and leadership and management arrangements. Due to the extent of the concerns, a suspension notice was served on the provider under section 20B of the Care Standards Act 2000.

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring visit was carried out on 1 July 2026 at the provider’s request to review the progress made in addressing the concerns set out in the suspension notice. It was found that insufficient action had been taken to address the identified shortfalls. Consequently, the suspension notice remained in place.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was carried out to further assess the provider’s progress in addressing the identified concerns.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has not complied with the suspension notice, having continued to provide care for children. At the last visit, it was identified that staff from the home had provided care for one child in an unregistered children’s home for 27 days. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2743870 2 Operating outside the legal framework for children’s homes exposes children to the risk of harm due to a lack of oversight and potentially poor standards of care.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have started to embed new systems and processes to support staff in understanding their roles and responsibilities. Managers have carried out competency checks with all staff in relation to important topics, including medication administration and whistleblowing. Practice is improving.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has appointed a manager; however, they are not yet registered with Ofsted. Ofsted has not yet received a complete application and has therefore been unable to assess the proposed manager’s suitability.

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This monitoring visit

The absence of suitably skilled and experienced leaders and managers presents a significant risk of harm to any child placed in the home. Therefore, a further suspension notice has been issued to the provider.

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This monitoring visit

The requirements raised at the last inspection were not reviewed during this visit and have therefore been restated. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2743870 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/04/2026 Full Inadequate 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 - monitoring visit: 2743870 4

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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 with 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. 1 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2743870 5 (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

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 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; 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; 1 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2743870 6 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;

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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 with the necessary 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 receive regular supervision and training to enable them to develop professionally and provide children with continuity of care.

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Requirement Due date

Furthermore, 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 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 1 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2743870 7 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 carried out 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 UK.

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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.

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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))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered provider must ensure that effective management monitoring systems are embedded to maintain the accuracy of children’s case records. 1 August 2026

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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 an accurate record is maintained of when staff are working in the home. This should include staff members’ full names and the hours they have worked.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered provider must ensure that an accurate record is maintained of all visitors to the home. This 1 August 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2743870 8 should include visitors’ full names, their role, the purpose of the visit, the time of arrival, and the time they left.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2743870 9

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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

Nicola Shaw, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2743870 10 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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