Children's Home run by Heart and Home Living Limited in North Northamptonshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2780231 1 Registered provider: Heart and Home Living 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

The home is run by a private provider. It offers care for up to 4 children, who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 2 children were living at the home. Both children were seen during the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager was present on both days of the inspection.

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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

Date of last inspection: 25 February 2025

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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: 2780231 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/02/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2780231 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and managers recognise the central importance of building strong, trusting relationships in which children feel safe, relaxed and able to be playful. They invest significant time and effort in creating and sustaining these connections, enabling children to express their wishes and feelings confidently and allowing staff to respond in a thoughtful and meaningful way. These conversations lead to tangible changes in the home. For example, staff use a ‘you said, we did’ approach to support children to influence decisions ranging from personalising their bedrooms to choosing holiday destinations. This clearly demonstrates that children’s voices actively shape their daily experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Because staff know the children so well, they are able to plan bespoke activities that reflect each child’s individual personality and interests. This not only strengthens relationships but also helps children to feel settled and secure in their home. Children’s moves into the home are carefully considered and well managed, with thorough analysis of their needs completed before they arrive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Both children currently attend education provisions and are making good progress. Staff and managers work closely with education professionals to ensure each child receives an education that is well matched to their needs. Education professionals provided positive feedback for one child, highlighting the strong advocacy shown by staff and managers and noting their clear understanding of the child’s educational needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and managers ensure children maintain links to their family and friends. One parent said that their child was ‘thriving’ in the home and staff ‘made sure they were as settled as possible’.

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

Children say that they feel safe, and professionals confirm that staff have a strong understanding of each child’s vulnerabilities and needs. Care plans are clear, detailed and tailored, and staff speak openly with children about their worries, helping children to recognise that staff care about them and to develop their own understanding of how to keep themselves safe.

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

Written records also include information about each child’s attachment style, providing staff with valuable insight into the child’s lived experiences and trauma, and supporting more informed and sensitive care. Inspection report for children’s home: 2780231 4 Staff manage risks linked to online devices, such as phones, well. They work with the children in an age-appropriate manner, allowing children autonomy where possible while also maintaining a clear focus on children’s safety.

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

When children go missing from home, staff respond proactively and work closely with partner agencies to locate and support them. When the child returns, they are warmly welcomed back, and staff offer therapeutic support that reduces feelings of shame and helps the child feel safe to talk openly, enabling staff to safeguard them effectively.

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

Staff respond to incidents in a calm, therapeutic manner, which generally reduces the need for physical intervention. When holds are required, they are typically proportionate and used only when necessary. However, the recording of these incidents is not consistently clear, particularly regarding the duration of holds. This lack of detail limits managerial oversight and reduces the ability to identify wider patterns or emerging themes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The senior leadership team, including the manager and deputy manager, know the children well. They use this understanding to support and challenge staff to continue to work with the children in a therapeutic manner.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say they are happy working in the home and feel well supported by the managers. One staff member said they ‘love’ working at the home. Staff feel that the manager’s approach to encouraging and developing a culture of openness and transparency helps them to feel well supported in their role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has clear quality assurance processes in place, carried out on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. They maintain strong oversight of both the home’s strengths and areas for development. Since the last inspection, a new independent visitor has been appointed, providing the manager with a more robust and objective view of practice. In addition, the responsible individual plays an active and effective role in the home’s overall quality assurance.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers support staff development in a variety of meaningful ways. New staff benefit from a thorough induction into both the home and the wider organisation, which is then strengthened through regular supervision and ongoing training. This training equips staff with knowledge in key areas relevant to the children’s needs, such as child sexual exploitation. A particularly positive addition to practice is the commissioned psychological service available to managers, staff and children. Managers use this service effectively to inform and enhance their practice, which in turn supports staff and contributes to improved outcomes for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2780231 5

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure records of restraint are kept that enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice. In particular, the record should consistently detail the length and duration of the hold. (Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards, page 49, paragraph 9.59) Inspection report for children’s home: 2780231 6

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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: 2780231 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Heart and Home Living Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Highbank, Greenbank Crescent, London NW4 2LA

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Laurence Davison

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Inspector

John McDonnell, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2780231 8 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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