Children's Home run by Cannon Children Services Ltd in North Northamptonshire

Inspection report for children's home: 2691235 1 Registered provider: Cannon Children Services Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

The home is owned by a private provider and cares for up to 2 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

The manager has submitted their application to register and is awaiting a fit person interview. The manager was away from the home during the inspection. Since the full inspection, the manager has resigned and will be leaving imminently.

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Information about this children's home

At the time of the inspection, 2 children were living in the home. The inspector spoke with both children, who contributed to the inspection.

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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: good

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

A monitoring visit took place in October 2025 following Ofsted receiving information about the home, which found no serious or widespread concerns. Inspection report for children's home: 2691235 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/06/2025 Full Good 10/12/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/10/2023 Full Good 19/07/2023 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children's home: 2691235 3

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Summary of findings

One child has moved out, and 2 children have moved into the home since the last inspection. There has also been a change of management since the last inspection. Children have had some positive experiences but also report some challenges with relationships and, at times, have not felt safe. A significant incident has had an impact on one child's views of the home. Managers have failed to have sufficient oversight of this incident and in recognising where staff have not followed protocols. Staff are not confident in using the protocols and risk management strategies to support children. Children are making progress in some important areas of their development.

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Summary of findings

An additional inspection was carried out in response to concerns raised to Ofsted from a whistleblower relating to the recording of incidents and safeguarding of children. The findings from this additional visit are contained within the report.

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improvement to be good

Managers have understood the presenting risks and behaviours of children before they have moved into the home. For one child, their confidence has improved in talking to professionals and speaking to adults. That child said they have positive relationships with the staff team.

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improvement to be good

Children report on some positive experiences in the home and, overall, say that they are happy. Children have not always felt safe in the home, and one child reported some challenges in their relationships with staff. One child shared frustration about changes to boundaries and inconsistencies between the staff.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children with activities that they enjoy, such as going to mini golf or the cinema. For one child, spending time with friends is important, and staff readily facilitate this. Staff also support activities in the home, such as board games and baking. This helps to build relationships between staff and children.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children's time with their family. For one child who lives a significant distance from their hometown, staff have driven them weekly to spend time with their parent and siblings. Some family members report inconsistent communication and a lack of consistency in information-sharing. One family member reported feeling worried about the quality of the care provided to the child. Some family members do not always feel informed about children's care or involved in sharing information about their child with the home. This has impacted on children's views of the home and their sense of security and belonging.

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improvement to be good

Staff have supported one child to take their GCSE exams, despite their court order restrictions and the distance from their school. Strong risk assessments and plans supported Inspection report for children's home: 2691235 4 overnight stays, which allowed a child to access their education and complete their GCSEs. Another child has been out of education for a long period of time. Staff have provided some worksheets each day. However, these are lacking in creative thought, which has impacted on the child's engagement.

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improvement to be good

There are times when language used in records is harsh, punitive and not therapeutic in nature. In addition, in some incident reports, there is information recorded that is inaccurate and language that could be stigmatising to the child. The manager has failed to identify these concerns during their review and oversight of the records.

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improvement to be good

One child has a deprivation of liberty order in place. Since moving into the home, plans have started to reduce the level of restriction in place. Staff are following a strong and clear plan to reduce the level of restriction. Professionals are involved in changes to the plan, and the child's view is captured before next steps are taken. As a result, the child is making progress to reduce the level of restriction in place safely.

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improvement to be good

There was one significant incident where a child, who is not subject to a deprivation of liberty order, was prevented from leaving the home for several hours. This resulted in both children causing significant damage around the home. The recording of this incident did not sufficiently identify whether staff were present to support the child while in crisis or the length of time the incident took place for. The child has continued to express frustration at this incident and the impact it has had on their experience of living at the home.

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improvement to be good

There have been some incidents involving the use of physical intervention with one child. Physical intervention reports do not have the required information on what measure was used, for how long and the location. Reports of incidents also do not include the de- escalation techniques attempted by staff. This limits the managers' ability to have effective oversight on whether the interventions were necessary and proportionate. Managers' oversight has failed to identify these shortfalls in the reporting and recording of incidents.

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improvement to be good

Protocols for when a child goes missing from the home are not clear. As a result, staff are not consistent in their knowledge of what to do should a child go missing. When one child has gone missing, the agreed protocol has not been followed. When there have been changes to protocols or children's curfews, these have not always been effectively shared with staff or the child.

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improvement to be good

Staff are being placed in situations that may be a risk to them when they are in the community looking for children. On one occasion, a staff member was subject to intimidation and racial abuse, and the manager has failed to act in response to these concerns. The child is not being supported to understand socially acceptable behaviour and the possible consequences of racial abuse. Inspection report for children's home: 2691235 5 Following incidents of being missing from care, staff have conversations with children about the incident. Staff are vigilant to concerns about substance misuse and exploitation for one child. Educational work has started with the child to support their understanding and to try and reduce the level of risk. However, this has not been effective.

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improvement to be good

One child has had incidents of self-injurious behaviour. Staff have taken action to prevent some significant harm from occurring, including by physically intervening. Staff are not always confident about the different behaviours that the child may present when trying to harm themselves. As a result, staff were not confident in the protocols to follow when a child displayed some self-injurious behaviours.

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improvement to be good

Allegations about staff made by children are shared with relevant external professionals. There has been a recent increase in allegations, and the manager is working with other professionals in creating a safety plan in response.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments are not up to date and do not correctly identify the presenting risks or behaviours that children may display. Plans do not always include the agreed strategies to follow if risky behaviours are being displayed. This has impacted on staff having confident knowledge of what to do during incidents.

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improvement to be good

There is an identified language barrier, which has led to some inaccuracies in the recording and reporting of incidents. A recent incident contained inaccurate information, which led to a management investigation following a concern being raised to the local authority designated officer by a whistleblower.

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improvement to be good

All fire doors in the home are locked with a key and not all staff on duty carry a key, which could lead to a delay in the evacuation of the home in an emergency. Fire and evacuation procedures are not explained to visitors. Fire risk assessments do not identify the risk from locked fire escapes, which places children, staff and visitors at risk of significant harm. The provider has failed to take steps to mitigate and minimise these risks.

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

There has been a change of manager since the last inspection. The previous manager is now in a senior leadership position and supported this inspection in the appointed manager's absence. The newly appointed manager has now resigned and there are no clear plans in place for the day-to-day management of the home once the manager leaves.

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

The manager has not yet completed their training on the use of physical intervention since starting in this role. This limits their ability to have knowledgeable oversight of physical intervention records. As a result, there have been gaps in identifying patterns and trends, or concerns around staff practice. The manager has failed to recognise the significance of when one child was deprived of their liberties for several hours. Therefore, actions to support staff learning and development have not been taken. Inspection report for children's home: 2691235 6 Staff receive regular supervisions, appraisals and engagement in team meetings. This allows them time to discuss the children and changes in the home as well as their own wellbeing. Staff feel well supported in their roles and comment on the visibility of senior leaders.

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

Communication between managers and professionals is positive. Wider professionals report that they feel well informed about the children and involved in their care.

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

Staff receive regular training, both face to face and online, covering topics that are important in supporting the children in the home.

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

The model of care is being embedded in the home. This practice is still missing from important documents and in the recording of conversations with children and incident reports. Where required actions are noted by therapeutic support services, these have not yet all been implemented to improve the quality of care being provided to children. Inspection report for children's home: 2691235 7

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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

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)(iii)(v)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to ensuring that risk assessments in place for children are up to date and accurate about the risks to children or challenging behaviours that children may display. These should be updated after significant events and include new and emerging behaviours and how the home intends to manage this risk.

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Requirement Due date

This also refers to ensuring that staff understand and know these risks and the actions they should take in response to incidents and risky behaviours, aligned with the relevant plans, such as the missing-from-care protocol for children or the responses to self-injurious behaviours. 2 October 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2691235 8 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

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

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to ensuring that the manager has appropriate oversight of significant events and challenges where staff have not followed protocols. The manager should ensure that learning from incidents is shared with staff and, where appropriate, challenge to staff practice takes place.

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Requirement Due date

This also refers to ensuring that the manager completes the physical intervention training before having oversight of the use of physical intervention as necessary and proportionate.

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Requirement Due date

This also refers to ensuring that the model of care in the home is well embedded in the home's documentation, such as children's plans and risk assessments.

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Requirement Due date

This also refers to ensuring that good communication between the team takes place and that staff are confident in children's structures, boundaries, routines and plans that will provide consistency of care for children. 2 October 2026

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Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected; 2 October 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2691235 9 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 (a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to ensuring that children who do not have a deprivation of liberty order are not prevented from leaving the home, in line with agreed plans for that child.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline, or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child's behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time, and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used, or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and 2 October 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2691235 10 a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to ensuring that records for physical intervention include what was used, for how long, when and where it was used, as well as documentation of the de- escalation techniques, as agreed in children's plans, to avoid the use of physical intervention. Records should also include all the behaviours of significance that occurred during an incident and be accurate.

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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)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that designated fire escapes are risk assessed to mitigate risks from locking these exits, ensure fire evacuation procedures are explained to visitors and ensure that all staff have the necessary means to unlock fire doors. 31 August 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2691235 11

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that where children placed in the home are not participating in education, they should be supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable, structured activities. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 28, paragraph 5.15)  The registered person should ensure that the home takes the initiative in identifying others who must play a part for their children and engage with those relevant people proactively, advocating for the children in their care, including family members, to support children's sense of belonging, identity and consistency of care. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 12, paragraph 2.7)  The registered person should ensure that staff record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way and avoid punitive language. ('Guide to the

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Recommendations

Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,' page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 2691235 12

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Cannon Children Services Ltd

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: 2 Calais Hill, Tyler Hill, Canterbury CT2 9LT

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Inspector

Becki Cornes-Sinclair, Social Care Inspector Sarah Orris, Regulatory Inspection Manager Inspection report for children's home: 2691235 13 regulates and inspects 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 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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Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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