Children's Home run by GAC Family Services Limited in West Northamptonshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2734662 1 Registered provider: GAC Family Services Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned. It is registered to provide care for up to two children with emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, there were two children living at the home. The inspector spoke with both 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: 2734662 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/01/2025 Full Good 19/12/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2734662 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, no children have moved in or out of the home. The two children who live here now have done so for over 18 months. The children benefit from a stable and consistent home environment and enjoy spending time with each other.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have positive relationships with children. Observations of children show them being relaxed, happy and having fun with staff. Staff are enthusiastic, nurturing and proud to work with the children. Children feel loved, valued and understood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s progress in education is mixed. Both children have education places. One child is making excellent progress, enjoys school and attends full time. One child has complex barriers to education. Despite the manager and staff’s best efforts, the child’s progress with education is poor. The manager is a strong advocate for the child. She has ensured that a new specialist school has been identified and is awaiting the outcome of the referral. In the interim period, staff are creatively home schooling the child and helping to prepare her to restart formal education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One parent is happy with the care provided and feels assured that his child receives good-quality care. Staff manage extremely sensitive situations very well to help children maintain time with their families. Staff understand the importance of children’s time with their families and give good support to help maintain relationships that are important to the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have opportunities to try a wide range of new activities and experiences. These have included arts and crafts, swimming, day trips and horse riding. Both children have been on holiday to the seaside. Children have baked cakes for their neighbours. Children engage in fun and enriching experiences, have more confidence and improved self- esteem and are encouraged to be part of the local community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are helped to explore different religion and cultures. Children have child friendly bibles. Staff have taken part in culture evenings with a child and their family. The child has learned more about his family’s culture and how to use chop sticks. Children enjoy learning about people’s differences. Children have tried foods from around the world and have incorporated the foods they enjoy into their weekly menus.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to develop independent living skills. Where appropriate and safe, staff also encourage children to spend time with friends in the community. Positive risk-taking enables children to maintain important friendships and develop the skills that they will need as they become more independent. Inspection report for children’s home: 2734662 4

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

The manager and staff team have acted to keep children safe. Despite this, one child has been exposed to risky situations outside of their control. The staff are confident and well equipped to manage safeguarding incidents. Professionals and a parent are confident in the team’s ability to safeguard children.

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

Behaviour support plans are individualised. Children have input into the plans and how they like to be helped. Staff support children in creative ways, including using emotion cards and worry monsters, to express their emotions safely. There has been a notable decrease in unwanted behaviours.

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

Key-work sessions with children are planned, interactive and excellent quality. They cover important safety topics, including online safety, safe relationships and sexual health education. Staff are creative and use researched information to deliver the key- work topic in an interesting way that children want to learn.

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

There have been some missing-from-home incidents for one child. Staff generally manage these well. The child is offered independent return interviews. The manager holds strategy meetings with social workers to agree risk management strategies when needed. On one occasion, staff did not immediately follow the child’s missing-from-home protocol. The manager took appropriate action to address this shortfall and there have been no further occurrences.

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

Staff understand that physical intervention should only be used as a last resort. There has been one necessary physical intervention. However, on this occasion staff used an unrecognised physical intervention. Having recognised the shortfall, the manager took appropriate action, which included talking to the staff member and offering additional training. The physical intervention was used for minimal time, and no harm came to the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is knowledgeable and is working towards a relevant leadership qualification. She is supported by a competent deputy manager. Together, managers have high expectations of staff and are good role models. Staff morale throughout the workforce is high.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that they feel valued, respected and empowered by the manager. Staff have good-quality and regular professional supervision. The manager is dedicated to developing the staff team. Staff benefit from regular team meetings and team-building exercises. This support helps to create a stable and resilient staff team that can provide excellent care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive good-quality training. A recently appointed psychologist helps them understand how to best meet the children’s complex needs. The staff hold either a Inspection report for children’s home: 2734662 5 relevant level 3 or 4 diploma qualification or are working towards it within agreed timescales.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An independent reviewing officer and a nurse speak highly of the staff and manager. The independent reviewing officer said that the manager and staff ‘are excellent’. She said that communication is excellent, and she is impressed with the care provided by the manager and staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been some staff practice concerns. The manager generally addresses staff practice concerns appropriately. On one occasion, a significant incident occurred with one child in the community. The manager and staff did not take prompt action, leading to a delay in reviewing important information and notifying the police. The manager did not appropriately reflect on the incident with staff. Not learning from incidents could lead to a repeat of poor practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The independent person’s monthly reports are generally good quality. One child has had minimal opportunity to share his views. The visitor often completes his visits during school hours. Important feedback from the child could be missed. Inspection report for children’s home: 2734662 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(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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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

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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)(f)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to ensuring that manager’s oversight of incidents is robust and that the manager ensures that lessons are learned from incidents. 11 December 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; 11 December 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2734662 7 (Regulation 44 (1)(2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all children are regularly consulted with.

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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: 2734662 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: GAC Family Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 29a, The Link, 49 Effra Road, London SW2 1BZ

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Inspector

Amy Miles, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2734662 9 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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