Children's Home run by GAC Family Services Limited in West Northamptonshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2748501 1 Registered provider: GAC Family Services Ltd

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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 privately owned home is registered to provide care for up to 2 children, who may experience social and emotional 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 spoken with.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is managed by a suitably registered manager.

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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: 17 September 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: 2748501 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/09/2025 Full Good 18/12/2024 Full Good 14/03/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2748501 3

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Summary of findings

Children experience warm, nurturing and individualised care from adults, who know them well. Strong relationships help children feel safe, build confidence and make meaningful progress from their starting points. Children benefit from high aspirations, effective advocacy and tailored support that promotes education, emotional wellbeing, independence and positive childhood experiences. Leaders have established a reflective, child-centred culture, where children’s needs drive decision-making. Effective partnership working with families and professionals strengthens support and outcomes. There are some gaps in management oversight, which have not compromised children’s safety or care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide children with warm, nurturing and consistent care that helps them feel valued, safe and supported. They invest time in understanding each child’s history, strengths, vulnerabilities and aspirations, enabling care to be tailored to individual needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff build trusting relationships through patience, empathy and unconditional positive regard. Professionals consistently described the home as a place where relationships are prioritised and where children are given the time and space needed to develop trust. This approach has helped children to develop confidence in adults, express their views openly and accept guidance during periods of difficulty. Children are increasingly able to reflect on their emotions, understand the consequences of their actions and consider safer ways of managing challenges.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making sustained progress in education, emotional wellbeing, independence and preparation for adulthood. Staff provide effective advocacy to ensure that children access opportunities that reflect their individual strengths, interests and aspirations. One child, whose previous educational experiences had been disrupted and negative, has successfully engaged in vocational learning, work experience and further education. Through consistent encouragement and support from staff, the child has developed increased confidence, motivation and belief in their abilities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff also promote practical independence skills, including budgeting, meal preparation, travel training and managing finances.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s identities, relationships and views are respected and promoted. Staff support children to maintain important family relationships, where these are in their best interests and recognise the importance of these connections to children’s emotional wellbeing and sense of identity. Inspection report for children’s home: 2748501 4 Overall, children benefit from a stable and nurturing environment in which they are listened to, encouraged and supported to achieve. The progress made by both children demonstrates the positive impact of the care provided and the effectiveness of staff’s relationship-based approach.

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

Children are cared for by adults, who understand their individual vulnerabilities and recognise the key role that trusting relationships play in keeping children safe. Staff spend time in getting to know children well, so they feel confident to share worries, seek advice and disclose sensitive information. Staff are able to identify emerging concerns at an early stage and respond promptly in a way that is proportionate, compassionate and tailored to the child. They support children to recognise and manage risks well.

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

Safeguarding practice is underpinned by comprehensive risk assessments, individual behaviour support plans and effective multi-agency working that ensures children receive coordinated and consistent support. Staff understand the impact that trauma and adverse childhood experiences can have on children’s development, behaviour and emotional wellbeing. As a result, they respond to behaviour with curiosity, empathy and understanding, seeking to identify and address underlying needs rather than relying on blame or punitive approaches. This approach is contributing to children becoming increasingly able to regulate their emotions.

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

Staff have developed an individualised approach to one child’s vulnerabilities. Direct work is adapted to the child’s level of understanding and includes areas, such as exploitation, healthy relationships and online safety. The trusting relationship between the child and staff has enabled the child to share concerns about potential exploitation and substance misuse. Staff have responded appropriately by sharing information with relevant agencies and strengthening protective arrangements.

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

Professionals described safeguarding practice as proactive, transparent and child centred. Managers communicate effectively with partner agencies, share information promptly and seek advice, when concerns arise. They are prepared to challenge other agencies, when necessary, to secure appropriate and timely support for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager provides compassionate and child-centred leadership that is firmly focused on improving children’s experiences and outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders have created a stable, nurturing environment, where strong relationships, consistency of care and high aspirations are embedded in everyday practice. They demonstrate a detailed understanding of each child’s history, strengths, vulnerabilities and future goals, ensuring that care planning and decision-making are tailored to individual needs and circumstances. Inspection report for children’s home: 2748501 5 Leaders maintain clear oversight of children’s progress and regularly review whether care arrangements continue to meet their needs. As a result, children receive highly personalised care that promotes emotional security, builds resilience and supports sustained progress across all areas of their development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The positive culture is supported by a committed and well-trained staff team. Leaders ensure that staff understand the values that underpin practice and demonstrate warmth, empathy and an understanding of the impact of trauma on children’s development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision, reflective discussions and training provide staff with opportunities to develop their knowledge and consider the effectiveness of their practice. Leaders promote professional curiosity and shared learning, which contributes to staff feeling valued and confident in their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The stability of the staff team also enables children to develop trusting relationships with familiar adults, which has been central to their emotional security and progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders’ monitoring systems are not yet sufficiently robust to ensure that all regulatory requirements are consistently met within required timescales. Some notifications to Ofsted were late, as was a regulation 45 report. While there is no evidence that this impacted on children’s safety or welfare, delays reduce the effectiveness of regulatory oversight and scrutiny. Leaders recognise this shortfall and the need to strengthen monitoring arrangements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Overall, leaders provide effective and child-centred oversight. Their strong advocacy, understanding of children’s needs and commitment to reflective practice have contributed significantly to the positive experiences and progress of children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2748501 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, 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 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.

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Requirement Due date

ensure that statutory notifications and quality assurance reports are completed and submitted within the required timescales. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) and (2)(h)

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that systems are in place to monitor the operation of the home effectively and that all notifications and reviews required by regulations are completed and submitted within statutory timescales. 31/08/2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2748501 7

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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: 2748501 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: GAC FAMILY SERVICES LIMITED

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 29a, The Link, 49 Effra Road, London SW2 1BZ

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Nikki Hives Nicholas Aladejana

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Inspector

Theresa Kambani, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2748501 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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