Children's Home run by Radical Services Limited in Westmorland and Furness

Inspection report children’s home: SC061158 1 SC061158 Registered provider: Radical 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

The home is privately run and is registered for one young person who has emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/08/2017 Full Good 22/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC061158 2 21/12/2016 Full Good 18/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC061158 3

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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

A responsible individual must have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated. (Regulation 26 (7)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, this refers to ensuring the registered manager is provided with regular professional supervision. 14/02/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)) 14/02/2019

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (5)) 14/02/2019

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

the placing authorities of children. (Regulation 44 (7)(a)(e)) 14/02/2019

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Recommendations

 When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30) Inspection report children’s home: SC061158 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person at this home shares excellent relationships with the registered manager and the staff team. He is treated with respect and is consistently consulted about his care arrangements. He has achieved good stability and a real sense of belonging in this home. He told the inspector, ‘They are like my second family. I have been able to build trust in staff and I’m well cared for.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home provides a nurturing and supportive environment for the young person. Rules and boundaries are well understood by the young person and mostly adhered to with some occasional challenge. This has provided the young person with a positive foundation from which to grow and develop. One professional noted, ‘He craves structure now, and consistency. He has grown and self-confidence and self-esteem. His self-care skills have improved, and he takes pride in his appearance.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote a healthy lifestyle, encouraging energetic activities such as walking, fishing and rock-climbing. Included in this is the importance of a well-balanced and nutritious diet. In staff promoting this, the young person has experimented, trying foods he has not previously eaten. He has also learned some cooking skills to promote his independence. The young person has responded to staff advice and has managed to considerably reduce his smoking habit. This helps him to avoid the likelihood of long- term health problems known to be caused by smoking.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person is central to his placement planning. His inclusion in this process has been significant in building trusting relationships with staff. He has regular and frequent opportunities to make his views, wishes and feelings known. This allows him to influence his care and support. Consequently, he is more resilient and can acknowledge the times when he sometimes makes poor choices.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Having not been engaged in education prior to his placement, the young person has made very good progress in his learning since coming to this home. Understanding his learning style, staff have worked closely with an alternative education provider to involve the young person in some meaningful education. This bespoke education package is helping him attain the skills and qualifications that will help him access a college place in engineering. More importantly, he is enjoying education. His tutor commented, ‘He’s knuckled down and worked hard. He is really proud of his achievements.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home aims to offer access to a wide variety of interests and activities that will appeal to any young person who lives at the home. For the young person currently placed, this has included encouraging his interest in rap music. He has recorded his own rapping in a sound studio and shared this with his family. Being able to show his talent in this music form gives him some further identity and confidence. He now has an alternative and more acceptable way to voice his anger and frustration in being a young person in care. Inspection report children’s home: SC061158 5

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

The young person said he feels safe and well protected by staff. Risk-taking behaviours, such as substance misuse and aggressive outbursts, have significantly reduced. The quality of his relationships with staff has facilitated good opportunities to reflect on his behaviour and the choices he makes.

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

Staff are guided by comprehensive risk assessments and care plans that are regularly reviewed and updated. Risk assessments are shared with the young person to ensure that he can contribute his own views and understand adults’ concerns. These provide staff with a thorough understanding of the strategies that reduce and negate risk. They also help the young person understand how he can stay safe.

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

The young person has achieved a good insight from his many discussions with staff and is able to identify how this planned support has helped him. He said, ‘I’m a kid that’s had no rules. I’ve never had boundaries. I could do what I want. I cope better with rules and boundaries. This has been the best 14 months for me. They have really helped me.’

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

Staff identify progress in his behaviour, which was of concern prior to him coming to the home. For instance, there has been a considerable reduction in substance misuse and fewer instances of aggressive and destructive behaviour.

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

Staff receive good training opportunities in safeguarding and child protection matters. They also take part in behaviour management training to maintain their skill in dealing with challenging behaviour. Staff use humour and a range of other de-escalation and distraction techniques, avoiding the need for physical intervention. This keeps the young person safe from the possibility of further harm.

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

There have been a few occasions when the young person has gone missing from school and the home. On each occasion staff have acted promptly, following the young person, and only reporting him missing when out of sight. On each occasion, staff have continued to search until he is safely located and returned to the home. During inspection, it was noted that independent return interviews are not routinely occurring within the statutory timescale. This is contrary to good practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is qualified and has been in position since October 2009. He has considerable experience of working with young people in residential care and is committed to ensuring that young people achieve the best outcomes possible. The registered manager is supported by a dedicated and consistent staff team. They share his determination to provide a high standard of care, helping young people to reach their full potential.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel well supported by the registered manager. They are regularly supervised and have frequent opportunities to reflect on the young person’s progress during staff meetings. Staff training is well organised, with needs being identified during supervision Inspection report children’s home: SC061158 6 and annual appraisal processes. Because of this, staff feel confident in their role, having the skill and knowledge required to meet the needs of the young person placed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Internal and external monitoring processes are good. The independent person’s monitoring reports provide rigorous and impartial assessment of the home. The registered manager keeps Ofsted and other relevant parties informed of any incidents that occur. However, monitoring reports and notifications have not consistently reached Ofsted within the agreed timescales. Such delays have reduced the home’s transparency with Ofsted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the home’s last full inspection, a new responsible individual has been appointed. Prior to this appointment, the registered manager had not been receiving regular supervision to support him in his role. Because of this, the registered manager has not had suitable opportunity to reflect on his own practice and how this may have hindered progress of other management tasks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home works in good partnership with the placing authority, other professionals and family members. Feedback received during the inspection process, about staff and their commitment to the young person, was extremely positive.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children’s home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

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 children’s home: SC061158 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Radical Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Rouse House, 2 Wyther Lane, Leeds LS5 3BT

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Inspector

Gillian Walters, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC061158 8 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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