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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2594233 1 Registered provider: Children & Adolescents Placement Provisions Limited 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 4 children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living at the home. One child has moved in and out since the last inspection. The child currently living at the home 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 during this inspection. The inspection was therefore supported by an interim manager and newly appointed responsible individual.

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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 inadequate

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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: 2594233 2

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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: 2594233 3

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Summary of findings

Shortfalls identified in the leadership and management of the home have impacted the overall judgement. Poor oversight and management of staff practice, skills and experience have affected the day-to-day care of children and negatively impacted on how well children are protected from harm.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers do not assure themselves that staff have the necessary skills and experience to meet children’s needs before they move in. This means that staff have been unable to meet children’s day-day care needs or manage their associated risks. This had a negative impact on one child, who needed to move out in an unplanned way because staff were ill-equipped to meet their needs.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not regularly consult with children about the care they receive. Records are poor and do not demonstrate how children’s views are listened to and acted on.

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improvement to be good

The child currently living at the home has built positive relationships with some staff, and they engage in activities they enjoy. They have made some progress, particularly with their engagement in education. The child said they liked living at the home and liked the staff. Their bedroom is designed and decorated to their taste and liking.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the importance of family time and what it means to the child. Where safe and appropriate, the staff support the child to maintain links with those who are important to them.

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improvement to be good

The children’s guide is child friendly and gives children a sense of what it is like living at the home. The guide also contains details of who children can speak to if they are worried or if they need support outside of the home. Staff go through this document with children when they first move in.

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improvement to be good

Staff are caring for a child who has high-level needs where they can cause injury to themselves. Staff do not consistently follow this child’s risk assessment or plan. This has resulted in the child being harmed because staff are not taking the necessary preventative action to reduce risk. When staff do not follow children’s plans, leaders and managers fail to act to prevent reoccurrences. As a result, there have been repeat incidents where a child has come to harm. A social worker raised concerns about these serious reoccurring incidents. Inspection report for children’s home: 2594233 4 Managers are not consistently recruiting staff safely in line with regulation. Some staff working at the home did not have appropriate pre-employment checks completed before commencing employment. This means that staff were working with children prior to managers knowing whether they were suitable.

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improvement to be good

The home’s fire risk assessment was updated by an external professional in February 2026. This assessment outlined 3 outstanding actions that needed to be remedied urgently. These actions remain outstanding.

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improvement to be good

When children go missing from the home, staff contact appropriate agencies. However, children have not received independent return home interviews. This means that opportunities may be missed to understand why children go missing and to reduce these incidents.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers do not always notify Ofsted of serious incidents, despite deeming the incidents serious enough to contact the local authority designated officer. Failure to notify Ofsted reduces Ofsted’s ability to monitor safeguards at the home effectively. There have also been serious incidents where the police have been called to the home and Ofsted has not been notified. This is a repeated theme of concern.

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improvement to be good

There have been no complaints from children. Physical interventions are managed well. When they do occur, children are consulted and give their views about why it was necessary, and the staff reflect on what happened with the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager was not present during this inspection; they have been on extended leave. The home is led by an interim manager and newly appointed responsible individual. The responsible individual has not yet had their suitability assessed by Ofsted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff complete the organisation’s mandatory training, and leaders and managers aim to provide staff with additional training. However, leaders and managers have failed to monitor and assess the skills and experience of the staff team. Training opportunities afforded to staff do not equip them to meet the children’s particular and complex needs effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff, including the manager, do not receive regular supervision sessions. This means opportunities are missed to support staff to reflect on practice and discuss development needs and opportunities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home’s statement of purpose is updated regularly and shared with Ofsted. However, it does not contain all required information. For example, it does not provide information about staff skills and experience, which means Ofsted cannot monitor effectively the quality of care provided at the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2594233 5 Leaders and managers have reviewed the location and premises of the home. However, they have failed to consult with relevant external agencies. This limits the scope for assessing risks to children in the wider community.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

A small proportion of staff hold a relevant qualification or are working towards this. However, there have been delays in some staff completing the qualification within the specified time frames.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Feedback from some professionals was positive. A social worker said that communication from the interim manager was good. However, other professionals raised concerns relating to transition planning and how well staff can meet children’s needs. Feedback from staff was positive. One staff member said that the interim manager is dedicated and invested in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Overall, there are significant failures in the leadership, which is impacting both the day- to-day care and the protection of children. Managers are not always transparent with Ofsted because they do not always share notifiable information, which reduces Ofsted’s oversight as a regulator. Inspection report for children’s home: 2594233 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

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

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff adhere to children’s risk assessments and plans to reduce risks to children and help keep them safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from home or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority provides an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Information provided by such interviews should be considered when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. 1 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2594233 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

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 work as a team where appropriate;

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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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff are provided with the support to develop their skills and knowledge to manage children’s risks in order to meet their needs.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that appropriate scrutiny and action are taken when children are placed at risk as a result of staff not following guidance, protocols and plans. 1 July 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 1 July 2026

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(a) 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)) 1 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2594233 8 In particular, ensure that matters identified in the fire risk assessment that place the home at high risk of fire are rectified without delay.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(b)(d) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b)) 1 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2594233 9 The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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 children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff have the skills and experience to meet the children’s needs before placing children in the home to reduce the risk of placements breaking down and children having negative experiences of moving on from the home. 1 July 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home at least once a year. The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing these. When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)  The registered person should ensure that they have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce-related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs19 and 20). The plan should: - detail the necessary management and staffing structure (including any staff commissioned to provide health and education), the experience and qualifications of staff currently working within the staffing structure and any further training required

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Recommendations

for those staff, to enable the delivery of the home’s Statement of Purpose. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)  The registered person should have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive regular supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2) Inspection report for children’s home: 2594233 10  The registered person should ensure that the Statement of Purpose contains all matters listed in accordance with schedule 1. In particular, the registered person should ensure the staffing structure; experience and qualifications are included in the Statement of Purpose. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the

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Recommendations

quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.10)  The registered person should ensure that children are consulted regularly on their views about the home’s care, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. Due consideration should be given to the child’s cognitive ability in the development and implementation of any consultation processes. Children should be able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted upon. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11)

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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: 2594233 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Children & Adolescents Placement Provisions Limited

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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

Anver Rose, Social Care Inspector Jenna Allen, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2594233 12 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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Inspectors

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