Children's Home run by Alpine4care Services Ltd in Leicestershire

Inspection report for children's home: 2811750 1 Registered provider: Alpine4care 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 home is privately operated and provides care for up to 2 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

There has been no registered manager since 3 September 2025. A manager was previously appointed, but they left without becoming registered with Ofsted. Leaders made attempts to further recruit to this position. At the time of this inspection, a new manager had been appointed but had not yet started in post.’

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Information about this children's home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home and 2 children have moved out.

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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: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2811750 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/07/2025 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2811750 3

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Summary of findings

The home has not had a registered manager since September 2025. Senior managers have not ensured good oversight of the quality of care provided. Children’s opinions, wishes and feelings are gathered but it is not always clear how these are fully considered in the daily operation of the home.

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Summary of findings

Risk assessments for children do not support staff to identify risks or the actions they should take to keep children safe. Leaders are aware of the shortfalls. However, they have yet to implement strategies to bring about change. Feedback from external professionals was good.

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improvement to be good

The child currently living in the home and staff enjoy a positive and meaningful relationship. Staff demonstrate emotional warmth to the child and the child said that they liked the staff.

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improvement to be good

A child was in the process of transitioning into the home during the inspection. The staff were aware of the child moving in and some planning had taken place, but they had not had access to the child's records and information had not been shared with them. Consequently, staff were not adequately prepared for the arrival of the new child into the home, nor were they sufficiently equipped to meet the child’s needs alongside those of the children already living there.

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improvement to be good

Children do receive support through direct work and informal conversations on a range of important topics including healthy relationships, being safe in the community and advocacy. However, the quality of this support is variable and there is less evidence of actions being followed up.

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improvement to be good

Managers made a plan to ensure that one child was supported to develop independent living skills. However, staff did not follow the plan consistently and managers did not review the effectiveness of the support provided.

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improvement to be good

The children are encouraged to be involved in activities in the home and community. For example, children enjoy playing on the trampoline and going on trips to the seaside.

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improvement to be good

Children's educational attainment requires improvement. Attempts made by staff to encourage the child to engage in educational tasks lack in creativity. Leaders stated that the child is regularly supported to enhance their maths and English skills and to complete worksheets. However, the worksheets could not be located. This does not give confidence that educational activities are built into the child's day to encourage the child Inspection report for children's home: 2811750 4 to learn and develop new skills, and records of such learning activities are kept to show the work undertaken and progress made.

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improvement to be good

The home is well maintained and provides a warm and comfortable environment for children to live in. The child's bedroom is decorated in line with their personal interests and tastes.

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improvement to be good

Children's risk assessments are very lengthy documents. They do not identify children's risks or vulnerabilities. This has an impact on the ability of staff to care for children when they are not aware of important information about keeping children safe. As a result, staff do not have clear guidance about the actions they need to take to manage incidents. This leaves children in a vulnerable position.

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improvement to be good

There have been incidents of children going missing. When this happens, the staff respond quickly. Partnership work with the police is effective and staff work proactively to ensure that children return home quickly and safely. However, staff do not always show curiosity when children return. Records do not evidence that return home interviews have been completed, despite escalation to the local authority. This means that valuable lessons are not learned and this hampers efforts to provide children with the right support.

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improvement to be good

Staff have not put plans in place to help the child to settle at night. The child had said that they struggle at bedtime and the manager recognised that a bedtime routine was needed. While increased television time was agreed in line with the child’s wishes, records did not demonstrate any creative or wider discussions on how the routine could be further developed and if extending television time was effective.

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improvement to be good

Staff did not have plans in place to support a child's health needs. There were no records relating to the child's health. This was not escalated to the relevant agencies to ensure that the correct documentation was received to enable staff to meet the child's health needs.

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improvement to be good

The manager and leaders have ensured that new staff are recruited using safer recruitment processes. This helps to ensure that safe adults support and care for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Instability in management arrangements has contributed to shortfalls in the effectiveness of the leadership of the home and the quality of care provided to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers' monitoring and oversight have been weak. Management oversight is recorded on most documents. However, they do not identify areas of Inspection report for children's home: 2811750 5 improvement for staff. As a result, staff do not receive the support they need to improve their care to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders are not leading the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos described in the statement of purpose. The use of language in records of children's key-work sessions is not restorative or therapeutic. Records do not demonstrate a nurturing approach or response to children. This does not promote their welfare. Leaders said that they are aware of this and it will be addressed through additional training. However, this needs to be embedded in practice to ensure that the home provides all aspects of children's care and that shortfalls are responded to.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There are no assurances that appropriate action is being taken to maintain the standards of care or offer challenge when required. A lack of appropriate quality assurance systems means that the progress of children in this home is not fully understood.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Professional feedback was good. They were positive about the communication that they have with staff. Inspection report for children's home: 2811750 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 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that regular quality assurance and monitoring systems are in place, and outcomes of monitoring is clearly recorded. 7 August 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

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 particularly refers to there being risk assessments and home care plans in place that identify known and potential risk for each child. 7 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children's home; and 7 August 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2811750 7 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;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This relates, in particular, to the registered person being assured that impact risk assessments are robust and that the needs of all children in the home can be met. The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children's home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and

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Requirement Due date

is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home.

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Requirement Due date

If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of—

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person so appointed; and

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Requirement Due date

the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically refers to there being no registered manager in position since September 2025. 7 August 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2811750 8

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that, in line with their individual health plans and the ethos of the home, children are offered advice, support and guidance on health and wellbeing. Staff should have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to help children understand and, where necessary, work to change negative behaviours in key areas of health and wellbeing, such as, but not limited to, nutrition and healthy diet, exercise, mental health, sexual relationships, sexual health, contraception, the use of legal highs, drugs, alcohol and tobacco. (Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards, page 35, paragraph 7.18)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home's policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (Guide to the 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: 2811750 9

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Alpine4care Services Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Office Suite 4, Rumer Hill Business Estate, Rumer Hill Road, Cannock, Staffordshire WS11 0ET

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Inspector

Corline Parker, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2811750 10 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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