A children’s home operated by Real Housewives of Cheshire star Ampika Pickston has been ordered to shut down permanently due to concerns over the quality of care provided. Moss Farm Children’s Home in Altrincham, managed by Ms Pickston’s firm AP Care Homes Limited, had previously been closed, but an appeal to maintain its registration was lodged.
However, the appeal has been rejected by a judge following a tribunal. Led by Judge Siobahn Goodrich, the investigation concluded that there was a “significant” risk of “harm to the health, well-being, and safety” of the children residing at the home.
An Ofsted investigation revealed an incident where a child went “missing from the home” and subsequently “made an allegation of sexual assault”, with unclear and undocumented actions taken to safeguard the child. As a result, the panel decided that the care home should “no longer be authorised to carry on the regulated activity”.
The home, registered with Ofsted in June 2023, was intended to provide care and accommodation for up to four children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. Inspectors also found a high turnover of managers at the home, who reportedly voiced concerns about policies to Ms Pickston. Ofsted also pointed out a “problematic approach to staff” from Ms Pickston.
The body alleged that this had “overruled management decisions and demanded statements in support of her wild and unanchored views regarding Ofsted”.
In the damning report, it was disclosed that “the Home’s arrangements for protecting children from harm were not effective” and that children were left “at continuing risk of harm”.
Despite these issues, the report did acknowledge 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 taken to dismiss 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.”
Following the verdict, Ampika Pickston expressed she was “heartbroken” by the Ofsted result and claimed that the watchdog had “bullied” staff members into providing negative statements. She vowed to produce a documentary about her experience.
In a YouTube video statement on May 26, Pickston exclaimed: “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.”