Children's Home run by Choices Home for Children Limited in Stockport

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2674455 1 Registered provider: Choices Home for Children Limited

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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 private organisation. It provides 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, 2 children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2025.

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Inspection date: 11 August 2026

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 11 August 2026

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspectors evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2674455 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Since the last inspection, one child has remained living at the home, one child has moved out of the home, and another child has moved in. The inspector spoke to both children about their experiences of living in the home. Children said that they have positive relationships with staff. Staff know the children well and make them feel welcome at the home. Staff regularly speak to children about their individual needs and risks to provide them with support and guidance.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff seek to create a sense of community for children. The provider organises a range of events for children to take part in, including football tournaments and wellbeing walks. Children enjoy these experiences, which help to promote positive relationships.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff support children to ensure that their health needs are met. They help children to access urgent medical attention when necessary and support them in attending health appointments.

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Findings from the inspection

When children go missing from the home, there is an effective response from the staff team. Staff search for children and encourage them to return. When children return to the home under the influence of substances, staff appropriately seek medical attention and follow the advice of health professionals to ensure children’s welfare.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff respond appropriately to incidents of self-harm. They provide emotional support and ensure that children receive first aid or medical attention when required. Strategies are in place to reduce the risk of children self-harming.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff are positive about working at the home. They say that leaders and managers are approachable and that they feel comfortable raising any concerns. Since the last inspection, staff have received further training relevant to children’s needs.

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Findings from the inspection

Recording and reporting continue to be inconsistent. Staff do not ensure that sufficient detail is included in children’s records. Children’s plans are not always accurate and up to date. Although the manager has oversight of children’s records, these shortfalls have not been identified and addressed by leaders and managers. This limits effective monitoring and review of children’s care.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager is aware of the risks children face and raises concerns with external professionals. However, concerns have not always been appropriately escalated and challenged in a timely manner when they feel decisions are not being made in children’s best interests. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2674455 3 At the time of this inspection, the children were enjoying the summer holidays. As a result, children’s education was not a focus of this inspection and will be considered at the next inspection. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2674455 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/05/2026 Full Requires improvement to be good 29/09/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 12/11/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/08/2023 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2674455 5

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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 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

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

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(vii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff follow all strategies identified in children’s plans to keep them safe.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must ensure that the plans in place to safeguard children are regularly reviewed to ensure that they are effective and sustainable. 9 October 2026

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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 9 October 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2674455 6 promotes their welfare.

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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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of 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;

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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)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that there is effective management oversight to ensure that safeguarding shortfalls in staff practice are identified and addressed.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must ensure that there are effective systems and processes in place to monitor and review children’s care and progress, particularly in relation to independence.

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Requirement Due date

Furthermore, the registered person must ensure that staff have the appropriate skills and experience to meet children’s individual needs by ensuring that training and guidance are implemented around new behaviours for children, and any expired training is scheduled and refreshed in a timely manner.

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, 9 October 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2674455 7 where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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Requirement Due date

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible;

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Requirement Due date

help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child’s learning. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(x)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children’s daily routines encourage and promote their engagement in education.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which— 9 October 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2674455 8 are kept up to date; and

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children’s records are kept up to date and sufficiently detailed. This includes ensuring that children’s care plans are regularly updated. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2674455 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Choices Home for Children Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 31 Wellington Road, Nantwich, Cheshire CW5 7ED

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Inspectors

Hayley Smith, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Dawn Walker, Regulatory Inspection Manager Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2674455 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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