Children's Home run by 5ab Care Ltd in North Northamptonshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2838345 1 Registered provider: 5ab Care Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned. It is registered to provide care for up to 4 children with emotional and social difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

There were 2 children living at the home at the time of the inspection. The children contributed to the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is led by a registered manager.

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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

Date of last inspection: 4 November 2025

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2838345 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/11/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2838345 3

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Summary of findings

There have been considerable changes at this home since the last inspection. Two children have moved in and two children have left. Some children’s time at the home ended prematurely, one owing to difficulties managing a child’s behaviour and risks and the other following a safeguarding concern. There has been progress for some children. However, children’s experiences have been affected by the manager’s decisions regarding staffing arrangements and admissions to the home. There has been reflection and learning. The responsible individual is aware of the improvements required to ensure that children are cared for safely.

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improvement to be good

Good relationships between staff and children are established quickly. One child, who has since left the home, developed a greater sense of acceptance and an ability to form loving relationships. Another child, who previously struggled to build and maintain relationships, has made considerable progress in this area. A family member commented, ‘He is happy there and has developed positive relationships with staff.’

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improvement to be good

Children’s care plans contain the required detail to support the staff in caring for them. They are written from the child’s perspective. They help staff to understand all aspects of the child’s life and the care and support required to meet their needs. They include the child’s wishes, likes and dislikes. Arrangements for children’s time with family members are well supported by staff and the manager. The children’s health needs are recognised, including their mental health. Children also have an ‘All about me’ record, which is a daily log of their wishes and discussions with staff.

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improvement to be good

The children’s experience of living at the home has been significantly affected by a serious safeguarding concern. Improvement is required in decision-making about admissions to the home, as the needs of children already living there have not always been fully considered when new children move in.

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improvement to be good

Learning for children who are not attending school has improved. There are planners for home education and learning. However, there is still limited provision for one child. The manager is actively involved in attempts to access more education for this child.

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improvement to be good

Staff spend time with children on a regular basis in individual key-work sessions specific to their needs. These sessions have included discussing the reasons a child goes missing from the home, and independence skills, for example, opening a bank account. Inspection report for children’s home: 2838345 4

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improvement to be good

There has been a serious safeguarding concern at the home. The manager has not always provided appropriate staffing at night. Although this has been responded to now with additional staff it has had a significant impact on children at the home. A detailed learning review has identified areas that require improvement. This includes decision- making to keep children safe and decisions around the admission of children to the home.

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improvement to be good

Children’s risk assessments are clearly written and detailed. They help staff to understand the individual risks and vulnerabilities of children and how to respond to mitigate the risks. There are additional behaviour support plans. These identify how staff can help a child when they are angry or upset. Staff are trained in de-escalation and crisis management. Physical intervention is only used when required to keep a child or others safe. Records of incidents are thorough and reviewed by a manager for learning.

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improvement to be good

When children go missing from the home, staff respond appropriately. However, on one occasion, staff did not follow the terms of a legal order to keep a child safe. Consequently, the child went missing. This led to an incident in the community. Staff are not always proactive in recognising the signs that a child is preparing to go missing.

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improvement to be good

One child has been impacted by the behaviour of another towards them. Staff have recognised this and supported the child. The other child has been helped to see the impact of their actions on others. There has been mediation between the children and incidents of bullying have reduced.

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improvement to be good

The manager responds appropriately to any allegations and complaints from children. They are taken seriously. Safeguarding professionals are involved as required. Records are comprehensive and children are informed of the outcome.

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improvement to be good

Staff help children to manage difficult emotions in different ways when they engage in harmful behaviours or have harmful thoughts. The provider also has a psychotherapist who can support children with their mental health. They are currently building relationships with children in the home.

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

The manager and staff speak warmly and positively about the children. They want the children to succeed and make progress. The manager promotes a child-centred ethos.

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

Decisions made by the manager have not always led to desired outcomes in relation to impact assessing and safeguarding. This is most apparent with the safeguarding concern that led to a child leaving the home. However, there has been a lot of reflection and learning following this incident.

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

The manager follows safe recruitment practice for staff joining the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2838345 5 Staff have one-to-one supervision sessions with a manager or team leader. However, some staff have not had regular supervision in line with the home’s workforce development plan. A new member of staff has only had 2 sessions in a 4-month period. As a result, staff are not receiving the help and guidance needed to develop their practice. It also limits their opportunity to discuss their wellbeing through this formal process.

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

Team meetings take place monthly. They discuss the children and their needs and progress. However, actions identified have not always been followed through. This included an action for the following meeting, when staff knowledge of behaviour management techniques was not refreshed.

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

A range of quality assurance processes are used by the manager to monitor the care provided to children. They include daily and weekly checks and a comprehensive monthly audit. She spends time talking with children and observing staff practice.

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

The manager feels extremely well supported by the responsible individual and by a manager from another of the provider’s homes. She describes the support as exceptional. This includes weekly visits to the home by the responsible individual and regular supervision, which is both reflective and challenging. This ensures that the manager is helped to continue to develop their practice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2838345 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

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)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that there is appropriate staffing at night to keep children safe. 30 September 2026

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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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(v))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that staff recognise and react to signs that a child may go missing. Also, that staff respond in line with a deprivation of liberty order to keep children safe. 30 September 2026

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 14 (1)(b)) 30 September 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2838345 7 This particularly refers to ensuring that all aspects of risk, and the impact on other children, are fully explored by the manager to inform decisions about children moving into the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to supervision of staff taking place in line with the home’s policy of regular supervision. This is especially important for staff who are new to the home. 30 September 2026

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Recommendation

 Children’s home staff should take every step to make sure that individual children are not subject to discrimination, marginalisation or bullying from their peers by virtue of their gender, religion, ethnicity, cultural and linguistic background, sexual identity, mental health, disability or for any other reason. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.12)

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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: 2838345 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Devonshire Business Centre, Unit 27 Works Road, Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire SG6 1GJ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Sanjeevan Theara

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Inspector

Shaun Caplis, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2838345 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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