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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2833809 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

This home is privately owned and provides care for up to 3 children who may experience emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 2 children were living at the home and were both spoken to during the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was present at the time of the inspection, and has been registered with Ofsted since May 2025.

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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: 28 October 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: 2833809 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/10/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2833809 3

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Summary of findings

The home offers a stable and friendly environment where children are treated with dignity and respect. Transition support for a child moving into the home has been comprehensive. Children are helped to build trusting relationships with staff, and make clear progress in developing their confidence and processing big emotions as a result. Family relationships are sustained and repaired when needed. The staff are caring for a child with complex health needs, and while day-to-day support is consistent, plans for medical emergencies lack clarity. The leadership team also intends to review the policy around keeping doors locked without a clear rationale.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy spending time with staff, and a consistent staff team has created a stable and loving home. Staff do a variation of activities with children in and out of the home. Staff have supported one child to fulfil an ambition in creating a music video, which has helped them to build confidence and feel accepted.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s support plans are written to the child, using caring language. This reflects the positive relationships that children have with staff. Staff invest time and effort into developing these relationships with children, using a trauma-informed approach. Consequently, children have trusting relationships with different members of staff and feel comfortable in sharing their views.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that the children receive an education, despite challenges around attending school. Children receive tutoring, and staff are providing creative support for one child to complete exams. Staff have arranged visits to potential post-16 provisions to prepare children for their next steps.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to attend health appointments. However, one child has not been offered all of the necessary adaptions in order to give them the best chance of accessing health support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff offer consistent day-to-day support for one child around their additional needs. However, the child requires extra help to fully understand their own needs and identity. This includes ensuring that the child is aware of the support that they are entitled to.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child’s bedroom was seen to require significant cleaning and tidying. The condition of the bedroom did not align with being a therapeutic space for the child. Staff are completing bedroom checks. However, these are not being formally recorded, meaning that their impact is limited. Inspection report for children’s home: 2833809 4

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

Risk management plans contain a timeline of significant events for children, providing clarity of both the current and relevant risks. There is a clear and comprehensive list of actions and responses for staff when supporting children. Staff follow missing-from-care procedures closely and act quickly in order to safeguard children.

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

Physical intervention is used sparingly with children, and there is clear rationale when children are held for their own safety. Staff take into account what works in helping children to feel calm. Staff also reflect as a team on what has not worked and make changes to practice accordingly.

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

Professionals comment that staff advocate for children to take positive risks in relation to their independence and social development. Professionals also praise staff’s ‘solution- focused approach’ to supporting children. Family members acknowledge staff’s dedication to ensuring that children see, and develop relationships with, the people who are most important to them.

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

There have been 2 medication errors. There has been robust action in response to these errors, which appears to have improved staff practice and knowledge when administering and recording daily medication.

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

There is an action plan in place to support one child with complex health needs. There is some conflicting information around emergency responses within different documents, which has caused confusion amongst staff. Agency waking night staff carry out regular checks with the child overnight, but they do not have specific medical training. The staff are in the process of working alongside health services to better understand the child’s health needs and form a clear response.

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

The front door and back gate are kept locked throughout the day and night. Children do not have a key for the door and staff will unlock the door when children ask to leave. There is no clear rationale in place for this arrangement, and this also has implications for fire safety. The evacuation plan for one child does not take into account how health issues may impact on their mobility during a fire.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager provides detailed oversight and reflection after significant incidents. This reflection is rooted in understanding the children’s emotions and behaviours through their life journey and experiences. New actions are clearly communicated to staff, who also have external support from a therapeutic clinician.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are supported to develop and progress. The home has experienced challenges due to changes in the management structure during this period. There is now a clear structure in place and a plan to support staff to step into more senior roles in the organisation. Inspection report for children’s home: 2833809 5 The manager is prepared to have difficult conversations with staff where required. The staff team remains a relatively new team, and the manager has addressed any concerns relating to professionalism through individual and team discussions. Conversations are focused on the impact of staff actions on children. Responses to complaints and allegations are thorough, which strengthens relationships between staff, children and their families.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision is detailed, and focused on progress of children and staff wellbeing. Staff feel valued by an accessible management team. The manager feels well supported by the responsible individual and receives regular supervision. The manager is dual registered and divides time between 2 homes. The manager feels confident in delegating work and responsibilities to a capable deputy manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

One child has moved into the home in this period. This move has been supported through liaison with professionals, family and the previous home. Staff have received training that is specific to the needs of the child. The child already living in the home was spoken to about the move, and their views have been taken into account.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The review of the premises does not include information relating to local provisions for disabled children, or local features that may impact the risk of exploitation to children. This requires consideration due to this information being relevant to both children living in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2833809 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 health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well-being;

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children understand their diagnoses and the support that is available to them. 31 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2833809 7 Ensure that children have a clean and therapeutic living space that promotes their health and wellbeing.

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Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (1)(a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 30 June 2026

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies to the home—

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that there is adequate means of escape from the home in the event of a fire. 30 June 2026

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the information recorded within the location risk assessment is correct and up to date. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the Quality Standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1) Inspection report for children’s home: 2833809 8

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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: 2833809 9

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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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Inspectors

Patrick Rowell, Social Care Inspector Laura Copus, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2833809 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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