Moss Farm Children’s Home in Altrincham, Cheshire, was run by Real Housewives of Cheshire star Ampika Pickston and her company AP Care Homes Limited, but it’s been forced to close
A children’s home operated by a television personality has been shut down due to concerns over the quality of care provided.
Moss Farm Children’s Home, managed by Real Housewives of Cheshire star Ampika Pickston and her firm AP Care Homes Limited, has been ordered to cease operations permanently.
The Altrincham-based care home had previously been closed, but an appeal was lodged to maintain its registration. However, Ms Pickston’s appeal has now been rejected by a judge. Judge Siobahn Goodrich and a panel concluded at a first-tier tribunal that there was a “significant” risk of “harm to the health, well-being, and safety” of the children residing at the home.
The Ofsted investigation into the home revealed an incident where a child had gone “missing from the home” and subsequently “made an allegation of sexual assault” The report noted: “The action taken in response to this to safeguard the child was unclear and undocumented.”
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In light of the report’s findings, the panel decided that the care home should “no longer be authorised to carry on the regulated activity”.
The home, which registered with Ofsted in June 2023, was established “to provide care and accommodation for up to four children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.”
The Mirror has reached out to the carehome for comment.
Inspectors also discovered a high turnover of managers at the home, who reportedly voiced concerns about policies to Ms Pickston.
Ofsted also highlighted a “problematic approach to staff” from Ms Pickston.
The agency claimed that this had “overruled management decisions and demanded statements in support of her wild and unanchored views regarding views regarding Ofsted”.
In the scathing report, it was revealed how “the Home’s arrangements for protecting children from harm were not effective” and that children were left “at continuing risk of harm”.
Despite these concerns, the report did concede that the home was “high end in terms of facilities”, and that “in terms of comfort the view could be easily reached that any child would be lucky to live there”.
However, the decision was made to reject Ms Pickston’s appeal and revoke the home’s registration.
The report concluded: “In our view the risk of harm to the health, well-being and safety of children who may come to live at the Home is significant and has been amply demonstrated by objective consideration of the experiences of many of the children who have lived there.”
After the ruling, Ampika Pickston said she was “heartbroken” by the Ofsted outcome and alleged that the watchdog had “bullied” members of staff into giving negative statements and promised to make a documentary about her ordeal.
In a video statement posted on YouTube, May 26, Pickston said: “My registration was granted on July 1 2023 to become a registered children’s home. Within four months of the home becoming operational, Ofsted inspectors had placed a notice to close my home down.
“There had been no police investigations, criminal activity, medical notes, LADO reports that have led to anyone’s DBS being of concern, no social worker or CAMHS supporting evidence to show that any harm has happened to a child while residing at AP Care Homes.”