Children's Home run by Northamptonshire Children’s Trust Limited in North Northamptonshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2615067 1 Registered provider: Northamptonshire Childrens Trust Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a local authority. It provides care for up to five children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2020.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, three children were living at the home.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2615067 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/05/2024 Full Good 02/10/2023 Full Good 09/08/2022 Full Good 11/08/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2615067 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is generally well presented, clean and maintained to a good standard. However, some areas are beginning to show signs of wear and are due for refurbishment. Renovation work is scheduled to take place in the coming weeks. Children have been actively involved in the consultation process and have contributed to decisions about the design and finishing touches, promoting a sense of ownership and belonging.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Positive behaviour and good decision-making are actively encouraged through rewards and praise. Children respond positively to this approach and are motivated by a range of incentives, from small, thoughtful gestures to larger, planned events. When consequences are necessary, they are proportionate and used as learning opportunities to help children reflect on their actions. Children are also offered the chance to engage in restorative work, either as an alternative to, or in conjunction with, a consequence. This promotes accountability and supports the development of empathy and social understanding. Managers maintain oversight of all consequences and restorative interventions, using this information to evaluate effectiveness and inform future practice.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend school regularly and benefit from structured routines that support their engagement and learning. Staff maintain strong, positive relationships with the schools and are proactive in working collaboratively to address any concerns relating to behaviour, attendance, or presentation. When exclusions have occurred, staff have responded swiftly and supportively to minimise disruption to the child’s education. Children are supported to continue their learning at home through structured activities and tailored routines. This approach helps maintain stability, reinforces the importance of education, and ensures that children do not fall behind academically or emotionally.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff recognise the importance of children maintaining relationships with their families and actively support this. While communication with one child’s parent is regular and informative, this practice is not consistent across all families. One parent raised concerns about the lack of updates regarding their child’s well-being. However, the manager was quick to respond to ensure improvement without delay.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A recent shortfall in local authority planning has created uncertainty around one child’s care plan, with the potential to disrupt the stability of their placement. The manager has acted swiftly to advocate on the child’s behalf, escalating concerns to the relevant professionals and clearly articulating the likely impact on the child’s well-being and continuity of care.

p.3

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

Staff demonstrate a strong understanding of the risks associated with children’s behaviours and respond effectively to manage and mitigate these risks. The team navigated a particularly complex situation in which three children were simultaneously Inspection report for children’s home: 2615067 4 engaging in high-risk behaviours, often influencing one another. Consequently, this also led to a high number of physical interventions being used during this period. The manager acted decisively, recognising that the dynamic posed a significant safeguarding concern and that the children could not be kept safe while living together. Although this situation ultimately required a change in placement, staff made sustained efforts to support the children and resolve the challenges before reaching this decision.

p.3

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

Staff respond promptly when concerns about children’s safety arise, taking appropriate action to manage risks. This has included searching children’s bedrooms where necessary to ensure children’s welfare. Children are not always present or informed when these searches take place. One child expressed that this lack of communication felt intrusive and impacted her sense of privacy.

p.4

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

Key-work sessions in the home demonstrate the team’s skill and sensitivity in navigating difficult and often uncomfortable conversations with children. These sessions are underpinned by empathy, curiosity and a non-judgemental approach, enabling children to explore complex emotions in a safe and trusting environment. This has been especially evident in the case of one child, where the external therapist recognised the therapeutic relationship established with the child’s key worker and entrusted them to continue the delivery of targeted therapeutic input.

p.4

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

Allegations and complaints are taken seriously and responded to promptly and appropriately. Children are listened to and supported to express their views and concerns. Where staff misconduct has been identified, managers have acted decisively, ensuring a robust and transparent response. These actions reflect a strong safeguarding culture and a commitment to maintaining high standards of professional conduct.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager brings a wealth of experience and continues to demonstrate unwavering commitment to delivering positive outcomes for children. Her passion and motivation remain evident after many years in post. She is well supported by an experienced assistant manager and, together, they provide strong, consistent leadership. A clear sense of teamwork and shared purpose is embedded across the staff team, contributing to the delivery of stable, nurturing care that supports children’s well-being and development. This positive culture has fostered good staff morale and strong retention, ensuring that children benefit from consistent, trusted relationships with familiar adults.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Concerns regarding staff performance are addressed promptly and in line with established policies and procedures. This ensures that appropriate processes are followed, and that staff receive the necessary support to improve their practice. These actions reflect the high standards set by managers and their commitment to ensuring that children consistently receive high-quality care. Performance issues are explored through regular supervision, with targeted training and development opportunities provided to build staff confidence and competence. Inspection report for children’s home: 2615067 5 Staff receive regular and meaningful professional supervision that promotes a culture of support, reflection and professional growth. Supervision sessions encourage staff to celebrate successes and thoughtfully consider areas for development, fostering a reflective and learning-focused environment. The manager maintains strong oversight of

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

the supervision process, ensuring that records are thorough and that the process is used effectively to monitor practice.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are regular and efficient. Staff are encouraged to share their views and contribute to the ongoing development of the home. Each team member holds a designated area of responsibility or professional focus, which they present during meetings to share insights and learning. This encourages and supports a culture of shared accountability, reflective practice and continuous professional development across the team.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The previous requirement from last year relating to staff achieving the relevant qualification has not yet been fully met. While the team brings a wealth of experience and holds a range of alternative qualifications, the manager has not provided sufficient evidence to demonstrate how these meet the regulatory equivalence criteria. Delays in staff completing the required qualification have been influenced by external factors, including issues with the training provider, which are beyond the manager’s control. In response, the manager has sourced an alternative provider and has implemented a monitoring system to ensure that all staff are supported to meet the regulatory requirements within an appropriate timeframe. Inspection report for children’s home: 2615067 6

p.5

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

p.6

Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or

p.6

Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

p.6

Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

p.6

Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person may defer the relevant date if the individual—

p.6

Requirement Due date

does not work, or has not worked, in a care role in a home for a prolonged period; or

p.6

Requirement Due date

works, or has worked, in a care role in a home on a part-time basis. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b) (6)(a)(b))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This requirement was set at the last full inspection and is restated. 1 September 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2615067 7

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff support children to develop skills to have positive relationships with others. This particularly relates to the relationships that children have with their parents or other significant family members. The manager should support these relationships and, where appropriate, maintain contact and share information with these significant people. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 38, paragraph 8.6)  The registered person should ensure that they actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring (including under regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. This also includes ensuring that the point-in-time surveys are distributed to all relevant people so they have the opportunity to provide feedback. In the absence of the registered

p.7

Recommendations

person, the responsible individual should ensure that this task has been completed. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)  The registered person should ensure that a child’s bedroom should not generally be entered without the child’s permission, though it may be necessary to establish routines to allow for rooms to be cleaned regularly. Usually, rooms should only be searched if the child has been informed or asked for their permission. Immediate searching may be necessary where there are reasonable grounds for believing that there is a risk to the child’s or another person’s safety or well-being. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.20)

p.7

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: 2615067 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Northamptonshire Childrens Trust Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: One Angel Square, Angel Street, Northampton, Northamptonshire NN1 1ED

p.8

Inspector

Kayleigh Spinks, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2615067 9 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.

p.8

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9