Children's Home run by Alpha-Imperial Private Limited in Leicestershire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2744977 1 Registered provider: Alpha-Imperial Private Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a private company. It offers care for up to 3 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home. No other children have lived at the home since the last assurance inspection. The child contributed to the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in January 2024.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2744977 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/04/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 10/09/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2744977 3

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Summary of findings

The child has made progress from their starting point. There has been a reduction in incidents of missing from care and in the severity of incidents in the home. The staff have built consistent and trusting relationships with the child, which has supported their stability and sense of belonging. The child can open up and share their feelings with staff.

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Summary of findings

There are shortfalls in safeguarding practices relating to the management of allegations and the disproportionate consequences imposed on the child. This affects the child’s voice being heard and their experiences in the home. Leaders and managers have failed to identify these shortfalls, take appropriate action or learn from them.

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improvement to be good

The child is making progress from their starting point. This is the longest that the child has been in any home. They have built trusting relationships with adults and are starting to talk to them about their views and experiences. Staff talk positively about the child and recognise the progress they have made. One staff member reflected that the child allows the staff to care for them now and will share excitement and joy with them when they have positive experiences.

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improvement to be good

Children’s interests and hobbies are encouraged and supported. Since the last full inspection, the child has started training with a football team. They play regular matches and attend weekly training, which supports a feeling of stability and belonging.

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improvement to be good

A parent reported that there are improvements in the relationship between them and the staff team. This has helped them feel involved in the child’s care, as well as build a more positive relationship with the child. The parent said, [Name of child] knows that they are actually cared for, and they (the staff) want the best for them.’

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improvement to be good

The staff team understands the importance of education. The staff team and the manager work alongside different provisions to increase the child’s access to education. They think creatively about education in the home and encourage the child to engage in it when not attending other provisions.

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improvement to be good

Staff have regular and meaningful conversations with the child. They identify areas of focus and discuss them with the child in a way that helps them develop. The staff capture the child’s views on the home and their care. When the child said that their bedroom felt ‘childish’, the staff redecorated it as a surprise when the child was away on holiday. This redecoration included a large drawing board on the wall to support their artistic skills. Inspection report for children’s home: 2744977 4 Professionals talk positively about their relationships with the manager and the staff. They report good communication and positive support that has helped the child make good progress and reduce the frequency of incidents. On one occasion, the home has failed to share an allegation about a previous home the child has lived in. This has prevented appropriate action being taken from the wider professional network to explore

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improvement to be good

Since moving into the home, the frequency and severity of incidents involving the child have reduced. The staff recognise this progress and work with the child to continue to reduce such incidents. Structure, boundaries and routines have provided stability and safety for the child.

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improvement to be good

Allegations have not always been appropriately responded to. Since the last assurance inspection, 3 allegations have been made. Two allegations involved staff in the home, and one related to a previous home the child has lived in. Although staff have documented some of the allegations, they have not always ensured that the manager has been made aware. When allegations have been documented in reports, the manager has not always recognised them. Therefore, timely and appropriate action has not been taken.

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improvement to be good

There is missing documentation around when one allegation was made. It took 10 days following the incident before the child was spoken with. Managers still do not know when the allegation was originally made. The most recent allegation has been reported to the police and is still awaiting internal investigation.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments are in place for the child. However, the risk of allegation has not been included. Therefore, staff are not well informed about the agreed protocols to follow if an allegation is made.

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improvement to be good

Since the last full inspection, there have been incidents of physical intervention; however, they have reduced over time. Staff have appropriately documented the incidents and have highlighted the attempts at de-escalation that were made before the use of physical intervention. The manager has oversight of these documents and has assessed that the actions taken were necessary and proportionate. There has been one occasion when the staff member involved in the incident carried out the debrief with the child. Consequently, an opportunity for the child to discuss their views with an independent person about the intervention was missed. This practice has since changed, and following more recent incidents, the child has been provided the opportunity to debrief with someone who was not involved.

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improvement to be good

Incidents of the child going missing have reduced. There was one incident where staff did not respond in line with agreed protocols, and the manager’s oversight did not highlight this issue. Since then, a detailed analysis of missing-from-care incidents has been carried out, which has led to training for staff. Staff are more confident in following Inspection report for children’s home: 2744977 5 the protocol as a result. Managers have noted patterns around family time and provided more structured support. As a result, the child has not gone missing from the home in the last month.

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improvement to be good

There have been several consequences imposed on the child since the last inspection. They are often financial in nature. Recently, one financial consequence was imposed while the child was still managing another similar consequence. This resulted in two thirds of pocket money being deducted, as well as activity money, which minimised opportunities for the child to engage in positive activities away from the home. This was planned for a significant period, with minimal opportunity for this to be reduced. Although staff have received training on the importance of positive reinforcement, practice has not changed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager knows and understands the child. They have reflected on the child’s journey and the positive steps they have made. They recognise that staff have built positive and consistent relationships that have helped the child feel cared for.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager and other leaders have supported the home’s development since the last inspection. Staff have been encouraged to develop a mindset of continued improvement, which has supported changes to some working practices.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff feel supported. Staff highlight the training that has been meaningful and important to them. Staff receive regular supervision and attend team meetings that complement the training. Staff know the importance of continued professional development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff development has been personalised to address gaps in their practice through analysis and audits. Purposeful work has been carried out by senior leaders that has supported improvements in understanding, reporting and recording, nurturing relationships, and the importance of consistent boundaries and routines. This has altered staff practice, which has provided stability and continuity of care for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Management oversight has not always been consistent. There are times when oversight has missed allegations or staff practice concerns. Consequently, the staff team has missed opportunities for development, and safeguarding actions have not been carried out.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The review of the quality of care document does not include feedback from stakeholders, parents, staff or the child. This is a missed opportunity for the manager to reflect on the wider impact of the quality of care for the child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2744977 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 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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager and senior leaders understanding when an allegation has been made, acting in a timely manner, and escalating to the wider network where required.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to ensuring that staff understand when an allegation has been made and take appropriate timely action, and they are supported to understand the protocols in place.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to ensuring that allegations management protocols are present in risk assessments to reduce the risk of harm. 30 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2744977 7 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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that the manager has detailed oversight of all documents, including incidents and key- work sessions, highlighting where learning or development is required for the home and acting on this in a timely manner when protocols have not been followed. 30 July 2026

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Requirement Due date

No measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (2) may be used in relation to any child.

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Requirement Due date

The following measures may not be used to discipline any child—

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Requirement Due date

imposing a financial penalty, other than a requirement for the payment of a reasonable sum (which may be by instalments) by way of reparation. (Regulation 19 (1) (2)(f))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that consequences that impose financial penalties are balanced, proportionate and not spread over a prolonged period. 30 July 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it, 30 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2744977 8 The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly relates to ensuring that the quality of care review includes the feedback from parents, stakeholders, staff and children.

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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: 2744977 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Alpha-Imperial Private Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 9, Uxbridge Road, Leicester LE4 7ST

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Inspector

Becki Cornes-Sinclair, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2744977 10 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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