Children's home run by Restorative Social Care Services Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1263673 1

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Restorative Social Care Services Ltd

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is a privately run children’s home. It provides care and accommodation for up to three children, aged between eight and 17 years. The current admission criteria specify that the home can provide care for children who may display social, emotional and/or behavioural difficulties, and who require a medium- to long-term placement. The home also considers placements for children who may have mild learning difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is suitably qualified and experienced and has been registered since June 2018.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was undertaken to address specific concerns that were notified to Ofsted, in relation to the home’s matching, care planning and safeguarding practices. Due to the restrictions in place because of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, the visit was undertaken remotely with systems in place to gather the information required.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted last visited the home in February 2020, when it was judged as good.

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This monitoring visit

Children living at the home said that they feel supported and well cared for. One child described it as ‘not like a care home… more like a home’. This means that children have developed trusting relationships with the staff and have a sense of permanence and belonging.

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This monitoring visit

Careful planning and matching were evident in relation to the placement of children. Planning and matching consider each of the children’s needs, vulnerabilities and risks. The matching of children is informed by good multi-agency consultation and communication. This ensures that strategies are put in place to mitigate all of the assessed risks. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1263673 2 The children’s risk assessments are well documented, and child centred. Specialist support is on hand to guide staff in their day-to-day practice. This helps staff to respond more effectively, and enables them to better protect the children.

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This monitoring visit

Staff training is up to date and, when needed, bespoke training is commissioned for the staff team. This has helped them to recognise and respond more effectively to children’s identified risks.

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This monitoring visit

Children are involved in the development of their care plans, and scale their level of need against each aspect of their care. Care plans set out agreed actions with the child in order to address how these needs and risks will be met. This helps the children to make more informed and better choices.

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This monitoring visit

Communication with children’s social workers and other professionals is good. Weekly update reports and any incidents of concern are shared, and there is a real sense of a ‘team around the child’ approach. This collaborative approach provides better support and guidance for the children.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s missing-from-home incident reports are really detailed, and there is clear reflection and learning. These reports evidence the efforts that staff make to locate children through area searches and contact with their friends and family. However, there is some evidence of delay in reporting children missing to the police. This is not good practice and may result in children being at greater risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

Most regulation 40 notifications following a significant event are submitted to Ofsted in accordance with agreed timescales. However, on two occasions Ofsted has not received a notification relating to a safeguarding concern. This means that the regulator was unaware of these significant incidents. A recommendation has been made to address this shortfall.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 04/02/2020 Full Good 04/09/2018 Full Good 09/01/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1263673 3

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Recommendations

 The registered person should notify Ofsted and other relevant persons if one of the situations specified in regulation 40(4)(a)–(d) occurs, or if there is an incident relating to the protection, safeguarding or welfare of a child living in the home which the registered person considers to be serious (40(4)(e)). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.10)  The registered person should specify the procedures to be followed, and the roles and responsibilities of staff, when a child is missing from care or away from the home without permission, and how staff should support the child on return to the home In particular, children should be reported missing at the earliest opportunity to avoid any delay in ascertaining their whereabouts.(‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.28).

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Restorative Social Care Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Restorative Social Care Services Ltd, 8 Victoria Street, Greetland, Halifax HX4 8DF

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Inspectors

Cath Sikakana, Social Care Inspector Brian Wood, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1263673 4 to 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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