Children's Home run by Children & Adolescents Placement Provisions Ltd in West Northamptonshire

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2594233 1 Children & Adolescents Placement Provisions 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 owned and provides care for up to four children. At the time of the inspection, one child was living at the home. No children have moved to or from the home since the last inspection. The child was consulted as part of the inspection process.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has a registered manager. The manager was not present on the day of inspection. The inspection was therefore supported by a member of the leadership team.

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Inspection date: 18 and 19 November 2025

This inspection took place in the home on 18 November 2025. Due to a nationwide system error, it was agreed that further evidence could be shared virtually on 19 November 2025.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was undertaken to review progress against two compliance notices that remained from the last monitoring visit that were reissued. The progress continues to be insufficient to determine that the provider has met all steps in the compliance notices. Additionally, three of the six requirements that were issued alongside the compliance notices remain unmet. As a result of this inspection, a further restriction of accommodation notice has been issued. This means that no other children can move into the home.

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This monitoring visit

When staff physically hold a child, managers do not ensure that staff or the child is appropriately spoken to about it. Managers do not ensure that individual risk factors for the child are considered as part of their physical intervention plan. This negatively impacts the child because they have specific health needs that could increase their risk of being harmed when held by staff. Furthermore, the recordings of physical holds lack detail. For example, staff do not document the position of the child if they are held on the floor. Such incidents are therefore not appropriately Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2594233 2 reviewed or scrutinised by managers. This results in their safety and proportionality not being adequately assessed.

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This monitoring visit

Despite managers undertaking an audit in relation to staff safer recruitment, significant shortfalls remain. One staff member’s file does not include their full employment history as required by Schedule 2 of the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015. It is therefore unclear whether staff are safe to work with the child.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have implemented staff workshops to support the development of knowledge. However, managers have not ensured that this learning has been embedded into practice. Most staff continue not to have had individual supervision. This is further compounded by managers not appropriately exploring concerns that have been raised regarding staff practice. This further evidences that management does not ensure thorough oversight of the care provided to the child.

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This monitoring visit

Areas of the home remain unclean and unhygienic. There are still thick layers of dust on skirting boards and around the edges of the child’s bathroom floor. In response to the inspection, managers arranged a further deep clean of the home. Managers have not arranged for the child’s shower screen to be fixed. The child’s bedroom continues to not have functioning blinds. This results in the child having a lack of privacy. Managers have created a plan to replace damaged doors around the home. The managers’ lack of a timely and thorough response to such issues is a concern. This is because it prevents improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have failed to notice that staff are not administering a child’s medication in line with the prescription. There has been no exploration into the possible effect on the child of the medication being given at differing times each day. Medication administration records continue to be poor. Staff do not record if the child is given medication during admissions to hospital. This means that there is no record of what the child has been given or whether it could impact on their other medication. The lack of recording prevents managers from having thorough oversight of the child’s care.

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This monitoring visit

Staff do not always notify the child if they are leaving or changing roles. This results in uncertainty for the child, as they are unaware if their preferred staff will be returning. The child refers to their favoured staff as ‘my family’, which shows the importance of positive endings if staff plan not to return. The child states that they have spent more time living at this house than any previous care setting. They view the house as their home.

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This monitoring visit

Some staff were observed to have created a positive bond with the child. This was seen by the child appearing at ease with them and calm in their surroundings. Staff have helped the child to better manage changes between activities throughout the day. This assists the child to enjoy activities such as equine care and then engage positively in their educational tutoring. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2594233 3 As a result of the inspection, leaders ensured that the child was spoken to about the CCTV camera inside the home. Therefore, the requirement in relation to regulation 24, monitoring and surveillance, has been met.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has also ensured that their independent visitor comments on whether children are safeguarded and their well-being is promoted in their report. The requirement in relation to regulation 44 has therefore been met.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has submitted their Regulation 45 report to Ofsted. As a result, this requirement has also been met. The recommendations were not reviewed as part of this monitoring visit. They therefore remain. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2594233 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/06/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 07/05/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 03/05/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/07/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2594233 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 with 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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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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

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to 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; and

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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)(a)(c)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders should ensure that there are robust record-keeping and monitoring systems in place. It also relates to ensuring that all staff are safely recruited and that any conflicts of interest between staff are assessed. Leaders and managers should ensure that any practice-related concerns raised by staff are thoroughly explored. Staff, including non-permanent staff, should receive practice- 6 January 2026 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2594233 6 related supervision that is documented. Leaders’ and managers’ oversight of these should support improvements in the quality of care provided to children in the home.

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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 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

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, staff need to ensure that the home is regularly cleaned so that areas such as the bathroom are hygienic. Leaders and managers also need to ensure that maintenance issues are resolved in a timely manner. This includes children having appropriate privacy from the public in their bedroom and their wash area being free from damage.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 6 January 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; and

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Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers should ensure that documents relating to a child’s medication administration are factually correct and that medication is administered as 6 January 2026 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2594233 7 prescribed. It also relates to staff keeping a record of any medication administered by medics during hospital admissions.

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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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust; and

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(viii)(ix)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to the registered person ensuring that leaders and staff understand the impact that staff leaving the company could have on children, given their lived experiences. It also relates to ensuring that staff are supported in building an appropriate plan of how to notify children of their departure to make endings as positive as possible.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 6 January 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— 6 January 2026 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2594233 8 within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to records of restraint practice needing to comply with regulation. Leaders must have meaningful oversight of all restraint practice.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2594233 9

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority provides an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should ensure that staff provide a nurturing environment

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Recommendations

that is welcoming, supportive and provides appropriate boundaries in relation to their behaviour. The home should also meet children’s basic day-to-day needs and physical necessities. Staff should seek to meet the child’s basic needs in the way that a good parent would, recognising that many children in residential care have experienced environments where these needs have not been consistently met. This is an important aspect of demonstrating that the staff care for the child and value them as an individual. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2594233 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Children & Adolescents Placement Provisions Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Barratt House Office G3a, Kingsthorpe Road, Northampton NN2 6EZ

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Inspectors

Ellen Monk, Social Care Inspector Chris Haines, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2594233 11 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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