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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC061158 1 SC061158

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Radical Services Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is one of a number of children’s homes operated by a private company. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation to one child who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since October 2009.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit took place off site and included a virtual tour of the home. The child currently living in the home was spoken to during the visit. The focus of the visit was to ensure that children are kept safe and to monitor the progress made since the last inspection on 29 May 2019.

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This monitoring visit

The home is welcoming and homely. It is suitably decorated and furnished throughout. The child living in the home is included in decisions about furnishings and décor. She helped to decorate her bedroom and it reflects her interests and tastes.

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This monitoring visit

The child has made significant progress. She benefits from strong, positive relationships with staff who understand her. Consistent boundaries and routines are in place that help her to feel safe and secure. The child says she knows she is safe, and that staff care about her. She said, ‘I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.’

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This monitoring visit

Staff understand the child’s vulnerabilities and risks. Working closely with the organisation’s therapy team, they have introduced strategies that help the child to understand her emotions and to take age-appropriate risks as safely as possible.

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This monitoring visit

Safeguarding incidents are well managed. The team has access to detailed risk and behaviour management plans that are consistently implemented and regularly Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC061158 2 reviewed. The number of safeguarding incidents has dramatically reduced, and the team has been able to divert the child from behaviours which are harmful.

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This monitoring visit

Professionals around the child are highly positive about the care she is receiving. Her social worker said: ‘She is much happier, looks physically better, is in a much more structured routine, is accessing full-time education, and is more positive about herself and her life in general.’ When raised, any issues around miscommunication have been quickly addressed and resolved. The team supports the child to attend meetings and appointments. It does not provide reports for review meetings, and this is something that would further strengthen how the child’s progress and views are shared.

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This monitoring visit

Health needs are understood. The child has access to specialist support, as required. Hygiene practices in relation to COVID-19 (coronavirus) are clear and followed by everyone in the home. When the child contracted COVID-19, appropriate measures were put in place to ensure she received consistent care while also minimising the risk to others.

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This monitoring visit

Staff help the child to keep in touch with people who are important to her through face-to-face visits and phone calls. They support her to make positive relationship choices and talk through any issues that are affecting her.

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This monitoring visit

The team works closely with the child’s education provider to promote her attendance and achievements. She is supported to attend school full time and has clear goals for the future. Staff also provide the child with opportunities for her to pursue her interests and to develop life skills.

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This monitoring visit

The home is managed by an experienced manager. He has clear oversight of the home and provides leadership and guidance to the team. A requirement has been raised, as following a review of the home’s statement of purpose, the manager did not update Ofsted, as required by regulation.

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This monitoring visit

The team is stable and consistent. It feels supported, and it benefits from a detailed induction, regular supervision and team meetings. There is a clear training programme in place. However, not all staff have completed the training that has been identified for them to safely care for the child living in the home, and a requirement has been raised.

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This monitoring visit

The home is due to undergo a period of transition as there are identified staffing changes. The manager is working closely with the team around the child to plan a smooth transition and minimise the impact of any changes on the child.

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This monitoring visit

The requirements and recommendation made at the previous inspection have been met as the manager has improved practice around missing incidents, physical interventions and reviewing risk assessments. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC061158 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 29/05/2019 Full Good 05/12/2018 Full Good 16/08/2017 Full Good 22/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC061158 4

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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

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child.

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Requirement Due date

This relates to staff having access to relevant training, including ligature training to support children who may display self-injurious behaviours. 30/04/2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should provide written representations to meetings as part of the care planning process to ensure children’s views, wishes, feelings and expectations are shared. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 23, paragraph 4.14) Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC061158 5

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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: Radical Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 The Calls, Leeds LS2 7JU

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Matthew McFadzean

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Inspector

Caroline Bertram, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC061158 6 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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