Children's Home run by Protea Care Limited in North Northamptonshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2495371 1 Registered provider: Protea Care 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 owned and operated by a private provider. It is registered to care for up to 2 children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is led by a registered manager.

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Information about this children’s home

There were 2 children were living at the home at the time of the inspection. Both children were spoken with during 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2495371 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/05/2025 Full Good 27/08/2024 Full Good 25/07/2023 Full Good 04/05/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2495371 3

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Summary of findings

The children experience nurturing relationships with the staff caring for them. The staff understand the children’s individual needs very well. Children have experienced stability living in the home for a significant period and this has helped them make progress. Staff promote positive family relationships, support children in sharing their views and celebrate their achievements. Children’s progress is recognised by families and professionals, who speak positively about the care provided by the manager and staff. The manager provides supportive leadership, maintains good oversight of children’s progress and works well with partner agencies. One area for further development is ensuring that any changes to care practice that are identified through learning are monitored and reviewed to assess implementation and effectiveness.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home, and one child has moved in. Children have lived at the home for a significant period. This has provided them with stability and consistency in their care routines. This stable environment has supported one child to successfully transition to semi-independent living. This is good progress. The children report being happy living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The move for the child who left the home was well planned. The child was actively involved in the planning for the move and this made the transition smoother. The manager continues to maintain contact with the child, who visits the home regularly and speaks positively about her experience of living there. The child described her time at the home as, ‘An amazing experience.’ She said that she had learned a lot about keeping herself safe and understood what to do if she was in danger.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home provides a warm, welcoming and well-maintained environment for children. Children’s bedrooms are personalised and reflect their individual identities, with family photographs and their interests and hobbies on display. The garden area is currently under development, and several rubbish bags were left in a small section accessible to children. Although temporary, it detracts from the overall presentation of the outdoor environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff speak positively about the children and consistently celebrate their achievements. The therapeutic model is well embedded in practice and supports staff in responding effectively, when children become upset. Staff demonstrate a good understanding of each child’s individual needs and adapt their approaches to care practice accordingly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported in maintaining meaningful and enduring relationships with people, who are important to them. Staff place value on family relationships and work closely with family members. This supports positive relationships and helps the children Inspection report for children’s home: 2495371 4 maintain a sense of identity and belonging. One family member said she was grateful to the staff, who supported her time with the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff undertake both planned and unplanned key-work sessions with children. These sessions are purposeful and address issues that are relevant to the children’s current experiences and needs. Feedback from professionals and family members comment on the good progress children have made. One family member said, ‘They (child) are happy there, they are coming on leaps and bounds.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to share their views and contribute to decisions about how the home is run through weekly house meetings. They were able to identify trusted members of staff they could approach if they had any worries or concerns. A house ‘grumble book’ was available in the lounge area for children to record any worries or concerns that children may have. One child had reported a worry in February 2026. The child said that was satisfactorily addressed. However, this was not removed from the book or any updating completed. Removing resolved concerns would provide clearer evidence of follow up and support oversight for any themes or patterns reported by children.

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

Children are safeguarded effectively. Staff verbalise a good understanding of safeguarding practice and respond appropriately to identified risks for children.

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

Physical intervention is rare and only undertaken, when necessary, to keep children safe. Records show that interventions are proportionate and used as a last resort. The recording is clear and includes effective management oversight. Children and staff are spoken with after the incidents to capture their views and provide them the opportunity to share if they had any concerns.

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

When a medication error occurred, staff followed safeguarding procedures appropriately to minimise any potential risk to the child. The manager responded promptly by undertaking reflective discussions with the staff involved. These discussions explored the reasons for the error and identified measures to prevent recurrence. Relevant training was subsequently completed. However, the manager’s oversight was not sufficiently robust. While no further errors occurred, record inaccuracies were not identified or addressed. This indicates that managers do not consistently assess the effectiveness of actions taken to improve this area.

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

Staff have a good understanding of the risks identified for children. They can consider the potential impact of these risks on children’s futures and provide support tailored to their individual needs and circumstances.

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

Recruitment processes are thorough and help to ensure that staff working with children are suitable for their roles. The responsible individual maintains effective oversight of Inspection report for children’s home: 2495371 5 recruitment activity and provides appropriate scrutiny to ensure that safer recruitment practices are followed.

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

Staff come from diverse backgrounds and bring a variety of skills, knowledge and experiences that benefit children living in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff speak proudly about the progress and achievements children have made. Children receive consistent praise and encouragement from adults, who demonstrate genuine warmth, care and commitment to their wellbeing. This helps the children to develop positive self-esteem and confidence.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A parent’s complaint about their child’s care was addressed appropriately and sensitively. The manager took prompt action to address the concerns, including arranging key-work sessions with the child and implementing innovative support strategies.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision that is reflective, child-focused and of good quality. Supervision records demonstrate meaningful discussion about children’s experiences, progress and support needs, alongside consideration of staff development and individual learning requirements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff describe their colleagues as supportive and speak positively about their experiences of working in the home. They value the guidance and encouragement provided by the manager and report feeling well supported in their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager collaborates with the external professionals involved in children’s care. Regular updates are provided to ensure professionals remain informed about children’s progress, achievements and emerging needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a clear vision for the continued development of the home. She demonstrates ambition for the children and has a good understanding of their individual plans and future aspirations. She can identify the support children require to achieve positive outcomes and progress successfully towards their next steps.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Independent visitor reports are received regularly and include feedback from professionals and family members. However, these reports would be strengthened by consistently capturing children’s views, wishes and feelings about living in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a good understanding of the strengths, skills and development needs of the staff team. Workforce planning is thoughtful and informed by the individual needs of children. Effective arrangements are in place to support new staff as they develop their knowledge and confidence within the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2495371 6 The manager maintains a strong presence within the home and has developed positive relationships with children. This contributes to effective oversight of practice and ensures she has a good understanding of children’s lived experiences and their progress. Inspection report for children’s home: 2495371 7

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Recommendation

 The registered person is responsible for ensuring that all staff consistently follow the home’s policies and procedures for the benefit of the children in the home’s care. Everyone working at the home must understand their roles and responsibilities and what they are authorised to decide on their own initiative. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.20’)

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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: 2495371 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Protea Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Howard Roth & Co, 317 Horn Lane, London W3 0BU

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Inspector

Sarah Tilbury, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2495371 9 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 children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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