Children's Home run by Heartly Care Limited in North Northamptonshire

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2821627 1 Registered provider: Heartly Care Limited

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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 owned and managed by a private provider. It offers care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since April 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home and contributed to the inspection.

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Inspection date: 9 December 2025

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 9 December 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: 2821627 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

Requirements set at the last inspection were reviewed. One requirement was met, and the other was restated, with one additional requirement and two recommendations made.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff support the child to develop positive relationships. Staff gather the child’s views using a range of methods that support their communication needs. The child expressed that they feel happy and safe living in the home.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff provide the child with opportunities to take part in a range of activities both within and outside the home. Staff promote positive experiences for the child while managing the legal restrictions regarding the child’s liberties that are in place.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff understand the child’s deprivation of liberty safeguards and support the child to understand how this impacts on their daily routines and levels of supervision. However, the step-down plan to safely end the child’s deprivation of liberty safeguards remains outstanding, meaning the child’s future plans are not known.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff promote positive daily routines, which supports the child to consistently engage in tutoring education. The manager and staff support the child to prepare to return to a school environment; however, the plan for this is unclear.

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Findings from the inspection

Care plans lack sufficient detail and do not give guidance as to how staff should meet children’s individual needs or respond to their behaviours. Similarly, risk assessments do not include relevant information to inform staff’s practice to keep the child safe.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff use language in both spoken and written form that does not align with language that cares or with the organisation’s own expectations for child-centred documentation.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff follow missing-from-home procedures when children leave the home.

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Findings from the inspection

On one occasion, staff did not follow the provider’s allegations procedures. Staff are not clear about the internal processes for raising concerns, creating confusion about escalation pathways and accountability.

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Findings from the inspection

Although management oversight is recorded, it does not consistently identify or address shortfalls in staff practice. On one occasion, the regulator was not informed of a serious incident. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2821627 3 Staff describe the manager as supportive and have been provided with additional support and training. The manager is reflective and understands that there are areas for improvement. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2821627 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/08/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2821627 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 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

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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; 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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly relates to ensuring that children’s care plans and risk assessments are accurate and relevant. They must 13 January 2026 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2821627 6 detail how children’s needs should be supported and be recorded to a good standard.

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Requirement Due date

This also particularly relates to ensuring that management oversight of children’s care planning and any recorded incidents is reflective and evaluative in nature.

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Requirement Due date

This also specifically relates to ensuring that staff fully understand the complaints process and how to use this if required.

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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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that staff follow the provider’s allegations procedures. 31 December

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Recommendations

 The registered person should notify Ofsted and other relevant persons if one of the situations specified in regulation 40(4)(a)–(d) occurs, or if there is an incident relating to the protection, safeguarding or welfare of a child living in the home which the registered person considers to be serious (40(4)(e)). (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.10) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2821627 7  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. In particular, the registered person should ensure that

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Recommendations

all language, both spoken and written, is child friendly and not institutional in nature. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2821627 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Heartly Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Bridge House, 9–13 Holbrook Lane, Coventry CV6 4AD

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Inspector

Chloe Harvey, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2821627 9 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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Inspector

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