Children's Home run by Cannon Children Services Ltd in North Northamptonshire

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2691235 1 Registered provider: Cannon Children Services Ltd

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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 privately run and provides care for up to two children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Since the last inspection, one child has been living in the home, and no children have joined or moved on from the home.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since the 17 July 2025.

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Inspection date: 25 February 2025

Date of last inspection: 10 December 2024

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Inspection date: 25 February 2025

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 25 February 2025

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has 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: 2691235 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

There has been good progress made since the last inspection. As a result, some of the requirements raised have now been met.

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Findings from the inspection

The home is kept to a good standard and feels like a family home. The child is supported by a well-established and consistent staff team. The child feels settled and has shared no concerns about their care.

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Findings from the inspection

The child has shown better engagement in their education, and there has been a slight increase in their attendance at school. The home has worked collaboratively with the school to devise a new plan so that the child can receive some online education at the home. Staff are not yet evidencing how they support the child when they refuse to attend school. Care plans do not provide clear guidance to staff regarding routines or activities to carry out when the child is at home during the school day.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff understand the importance of the child’s culture and religion, and the child is supported to attend a local place of worship.

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Findings from the inspection

The child engages regularly in one-to-one discussions with staff and children’s meetings. Staff use these opportunities to discuss important matters and to seek the child’s views and understanding.

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Findings from the inspection

The child is not yet engaging in community activities and spends long periods in their bedroom. Activities are offered to the child, but these are regularly declined. The staff are not yet supporting the child to develop safe social relationships and interests outside of the home as they move towards independence.

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Findings from the inspection

Since the last inspection, serious incidents involving the child have reduced. There have been no physical interventions, allegations or complaints. Staff say that it has been a settled period for the child.

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Findings from the inspection

There has been one occasion when the child has gone missing from the home. This incident received a well-coordinated response from staff. Staff understand the child’s vulnerability to exploitation in the community and respond proportionately to this risk. Following the incident, staff did not ensure that a return home interview was requested for the child. This prevented staff and involved professionals from understanding why the child left the home.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff understand the risks posed to the child by having a mobile phone. They have recently implemented a mobile phone agreement to ensure that appropriate checks are carried out on the child’s mobile phone moving forward. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2691235 3 Staff have not been curious with the child, or escalated concerns to wider professionals, when a consequence given by their parent may not have been in the child’s best interests.

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Findings from the inspection

The home has a new manager, who has recently applied to register with Ofsted. He has developed a good relationship with the child. The manager has ambitious plans for the home and how staff will be supported moving forward. Work on improving practice has begun but is not yet fully embedded.

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Findings from the inspection

The responsible individual has maintained close liaison with professionals in the absence of a manager, and this is recognised and valued by them. Several professionals said that the responsible individual communicates well with them. The child identifies the responsible individual as a trusted person and someone who has supported them during incidents. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2691235 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/12/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/10/2023 Full Good 19/07/2023 Full Inadequate 01/02/2023 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2691235 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 registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to leaders and managers escalating when external return home interviews have not been carried out. This also relates to leaders and managers liaising with the relevant agencies to discuss any potential safeguarding concerns. This requirement is restated. 25 March 2025

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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. (Regulation 8 (1))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to leaders and managers ensuring that children receive consistent support with day-to-day routines to help them attend school. There must be clear plans in place when children refuse to engage with school. This requirement is restated. 25 March 2025

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Requirement Due date

No measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (2) may be used in relation to any child.

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Requirement Due date

The following measures may not be used to discipline any child— 25 March 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2691235 6 any punishment involving the consumption or deprivation of food or drink. (Regulation 19 (1) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to leaders and managers remaining professionally curious and escalating any concerns to wider professionals when consequences may not be in children’s best interests.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children are offered a wide range of activities inside and outside of the home (where appropriate) and are encouraged to participate in those activities. Staff should support children to take part in school trips, out-of-school and other clubs, volunteering and leisure activities. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 31, paragraph 6.5) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2691235 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cannon Children Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 Calais Hill, Tyler Hill, Canterbury CT2 9LT

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Inspector

Louise Copping, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2691235 8 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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