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

Inspection report for children’s home: 1183574 1 Registered provider: Cheshire West and Chester Council

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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.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered in June 2026. She is suitably experienced.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 4 children were living in the home. The inspector spoke with all 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1183574 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/03/2026 Full Good 11/06/2024 Full Good 05/12/2023 Full Good 17/01/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1183574 3

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Summary of findings

Children make progress in the home. They receive support to access education and healthcare services and are encouraged to maintain relationships with family and friends. Children can express their wishes and feelings and are supported to influence decisions about their lives and futures.

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Summary of findings

Children enjoy a range of experiences that enrich their lives and helps them create positive memories.

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Summary of findings

Children are kept safe by staff who provide effective support. When children face challenges, staff support children with sensitivity, understanding and care.

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Summary of findings

The manager is new to the home; She has ensured consistency in practice and provides effective guidance, monitoring, and leadership in the home. However, there has been a delay in all serious events being notified without delay to the appropriate people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a variety of activities together and individually with staff. This includes a holiday to Belgium, a city theatre break, meals out and sleep overs with friends. These experiences help children to develop confidence, have fun and create positive memories. Photos of special memories are captured, displayed in the home and kept in memory books. This supports children to feel valued and settled.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy spending time with staff. When children experience positive and exciting events in their life, they actively seek out staff to share their moments. One social worker said that a strength of the home is the positive and trusting relationships between staff and children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is prioritised. Children make progress in their learning and independence work, helping them to plan positively for their future. This was echoed by one parent who said their child can now make plans and look forward because of the progress they have made in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, 2 children have moved into the home, and one child has moved out of the home. Managers and staff work hard to ensure that these moves are as positive. Leaders and managers recognised that for one child a move away from the local area was necessary to promote safety. Staff ensured that the child’s views were thoroughly considered. A learning review and feedback from the child has helped to inform future practice. Inspection report for children’s home: 1183574 4 Children’s health needs are met. When children feel anxious about new challenges, staff use their relationships with children to provide reassurance and support, helping them to build confidence and develop strategies to manage their worries.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff speak respectfully and with warmth about the children. They know the children well and respond sensitively to their individual needs. Children are engaged in meaningful one-to-one conversations which encourage them to share their views in a safe environment. However, on occasion, the language used in records does not fully reflect a nurturing response.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children spend time with family members and friends. Staff support this and ensure that arrangements are safe. Staff recognise the importance of having social opportunities with staff and with friends and family. This helps children maintain a sense of identity and emotional well-being.

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

Staff understand their responsibilities in relation to safeguarding. Since the last inspection there have been an increased number of missing-from-home episodes for one child. Despite the challenges, staff have remained consistent and persistent in their efforts to search for and locate the child. This has helped the child to return home at the earliest opportunity, reducing the time spent missing.

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

During an unsettled period for one child, staff minimised the impact on the other children living in the home. This is reflected in feedback from one social worker who said, ‘Staff protected [Name of Child] from this, they managed this really, really well.’

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

Physical intervention is rarely used in the home. On the one occasion it was required, the intervention was proportionate and necessary to keep the child safe.

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

Children know how to make a complaint and how to raise concerns. When one child shared a concern this was thoroughly investigated, explored and responded to. This means that children’s views and concerns are valued, acted upon.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has experienced a change in manager. The new manager is supported by an experienced senior staff member. Together they have ensured a consistent approach is maintained with effective oversight. Children benefit from a stable and experienced staff team who provide a consistent level of care. Staff work well together and respond to challenges in a consistent way. This helps children to feel safe and contributes to their sense of belonging.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback from family and professionals is positive. Social workers say that children have a positive time in the home. Parents appreciate an open line of communication where feedback is welcomed, and any concerns are addressed promptly. Inspection report for children’s home: 1183574 5 Serious events are generally appropriately reported to the regulator. However, there have been some delays in reporting and on one occasion concerns relating to practice were not shared. This did not impact on the actions taken by managers or compromise the safety and welfare of children but did enable the regulator to have sufficient oversight.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say they are supported and happy in their roles. They value supervision with the manager and plan for it in advance to make the most of these sessions. Staff receive quality training, that is online, face to face and specialised. As a result, children benefit from a skilled, consistent and knowledgeable staff team, helping them to feel safe, secure and valued.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager focuses on reflective practice and learning. This approach is shared by her team, who are committed to continuous development and improving outcomes for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 1183574 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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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

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to,

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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 — is instigated; or 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

(Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all significant incidents are notified to Ofsted.

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Requirement Due date

Furthermore, the registered person must ensure that there is a system in place so that all serious events are notified without delay to the appropriate people. 30 September 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 1183574 7

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home maintains a nurturing environment and that language used when describing routines and activities reflects that used in a family home. (‘The Guide to the Children’s Home regulations including the quality standards.’ Page 15 paragraph 3.9)

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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: 1183574 8

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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: 1183574 9 and inspects 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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