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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2608872 1 Registered provider: Northamptonshire Children’s 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 two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager became registered with Ofsted in October 2020.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, two children were living at the home, and their views were considered as part of the inspection.

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: requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2608872 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/07/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 20/06/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/01/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 09/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: 2608872 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are happy and settled in their home. The home is well presented, clean and maintained to a good standard. Plans to refurbish the kitchen are in place and this will improve its practicality and create a more homely atmosphere. Children have personalised their bedrooms to reflect their tastes and interests. One child has a pet hamster. This contributes to their sense of belonging and the encouragement to take responsibility for their animal companion.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and staff have developed positive and trusting relationships. This enables children to have important conversations with staff about the things that matter to them. Staff demonstrate a good knowledge of the children. This contributes to creating consistent routines and clear boundaries. A social worker praised a staff member for his thoughtful presentation of a child’s profile at a fostering event. This is testament to how his depth of knowledge made him the most appropriate person to share this information.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have made progress in their education. One child has excellent attendance at school, and despite the distance, staff have successfully maintained their motivation and engagement. Another child, following a period of instability at their previous school, currently accesses an alternative provision as a temporary measure. The manager has taken a proactive role in liaising with providers to develop a bespoke educational plan tailored to the child’s interests and designed to enhance their engagement. The team’s sustained efforts to promote attendance and routine have contributed to greater structure and stability in the children’s daily lives.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to take part in activities that promote their social development and increase their confidence. One child has made notable progress in joining in with activities, including guitar lessons and attending an interview with the Sea Cadets. Children regularly attend community-based activities aligned with their personal interests, which has enabled them to develop their skills. Children also benefit from enriching experiences such as holidays, with one child recently travelling abroad for the first time. As a result of thoughtful planning and dedication from staff, children are gaining new experiences and growing in confidence.

p.3

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

Children’s risk assessments are reviewed on a regular basis and updated to reflect their current presentation and needs. Staff demonstrate a strong understanding of individual risks and implement effective strategies to reduce risk to children and ensure that children are kept safe.

p.3

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

Children rarely go missing. On the one occasion this occurred, staff responded promptly by following the missing-from-home procedure and child’s individual risk assessment, ensuring a swift and safe return home. The managers explored the incident further and Inspection report for children’s home: 2608872 4 initiated a discussion with professionals in the wider network to consider the negative influence of peers. As a result, the child received additional support to manage their friendships, and further safety measures were implemented to reduce future risk.

p.3

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

Physical interventions are used as a last resort to manage incidents where children pose a risk of significant harm to themselves or others. Most commonly, staff use other agreed strategies, such as distraction or verbal communication, to defuse situations and reduce incidents occurring. All incidents involving physical intervention are carefully documented, and debrief discussions are held with both staff and children involved. The manager’s improved oversight of these incidents has supported a culture of reflection and strengthened processes within the home.

p.4

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

Children are supported to maintain meaningful relationships with their families. For one child, staff worked sensitively with a family member, resulting in a successful reunion after several months apart. Another parent expressed how valuable it has been to visit their child’s home and praised the excellent communication with staff. This collaborative approach helps children feel reassured that the people who care for them are working together in their best interests.

p.4

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

Two children who previously lived in the home made an allegation against a member of staff. This allegation was reported and handled appropriately by the manager and senior leadership team. A comprehensive investigation was carried out, which allowed for conclusions to be drawn and learning to be identified. While the learning outcomes have been shared with the wider staff team, there remains an opportunity to further strengthen the policy and expectations around professional boundaries. This particularly relates to staff using their personal mobile phones for work purposes.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager’s commitment and determination has contributed to the improvements that have been made since the last inspection. The overall positive changes have had a very good impact on children and supported them to make progress. The manager is well supported by a strong deputy manager, who plays an active role in the day-to-day running of the home, particularly in the manager’s absence.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager understands the importance of having a well-trained and consistent group of staff to care for the children. He has embraced the strengths of his staff, enabling effective delegation of tasks. This collaborative approach has allowed the manager to maintain a clear focus on the children’s well-being and progress. This is demonstrated through the strong, positive relationships he has developed directly with the children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are well supported and now benefit from regular and meaningful supervision sessions. Team meetings are both productive and purposeful, providing a space for reflection. The manager encourages the team to share their views and contribute to the ongoing development of the home. This encourages a culture of learning and reflection. This whole-team approach has helped staff to work in a connected and consistent manner, improving the quality of care provided to children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2608872 5 Staff are safely recruited in line with safer recruitment practices. Recent vacancies have now been successfully filled, completing the staff team and strengthening the home’s capacity to provide consistent care. New staff are supported through a comprehensive induction process to ensure they are well-prepared for their roles. The manage has recently recruited additional senior staff. This ensures that each shift is led by someone

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

with senior experience, promoting consistency, accountability and effective team guidance. Inspection report for children’s home: 2608872 6

p.5

Recommendations

 The registered person is responsible for ensuring that all staff consistently follow the home’s policies and procedures for the benefit of the children in the home’s care. Everyone working at the home must understand their roles and responsibilities and what they are authorised to decide on their own initiative. There should be clear lines of accountability. This includes staff having access to appropriate resources, such as work mobile phones so they can safeguard children effectively when outside of the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.20)  The registered person must ensure that all staff in a care role, including external agency or bank staff, must have the qualification in regulation 32(4) within the relevant timescale listed in regulation 32(5). The registered person may extend the time period if the member of staff hasn’t worked in the role for a prolonged period,

p.6

Recommendations

such as sick leave or maternity leave, or if it is not reasonable to expect the member of staff to complete in this timescale due to the nature of the hours they work. The registered person must clearly outline and document the rationale for a staff member being granted an extension and identified a target date for completion. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.12)

p.6

Information about this inspection

The inspector has 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: 2608872 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Northamptonshire Children’s Trust Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

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

p.7

Inspector

Kayleigh Spinks, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2608872 8 regulates 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.

p.7

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.8

Inspector

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

p.8

Inspector

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

p.8