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 several children’s homes operated by a private company. The home provides care and accommodation for one child.

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This monitoring visit

This home was judged to be inadequate at the last full inspection on 3 August 2021. Significant shortfalls were identified in several areas.

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This monitoring visit

Most of the staff team had left following an organisational restructure. This resulted in the child becoming very unsettled because he was not being provided with continuity of care. He did not know, or trust, most of the staff who were caring for him.

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This monitoring visit

Staff did not have the right skills to manage the child’s distressed behaviour. This led to shortfalls in protecting the child from harm.

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This monitoring visit

The child’s health, education, social and emotional needs were not being met.

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This monitoring visit

Management arrangements for the home had also changed. The home’s acting manager, who was not registered with Ofsted, was not providing the correct leadership and support. This resulted in shortfalls in most managerial areas.

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This monitoring visit

Ten requirements were made, and two compliance notices were issued under regulations 12 and 13.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection visit in August 2021, the provider made the decision to serve notice on the child in placement. This was due to the provider accepting that they could not meet the child’s needs. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC061158 2 The provider confirmed they had not yet completed all the required actions as stated in the compliance notices served on 6 August 2021 because they had not recruited a suitable manager and staff team.

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This monitoring visit

The provider made the decision to close the home when the child was discharged. This was confirmed in an e-mail to Claire Deary, regulatory inspection manager, from senior area manager for the organisation Amanda Quinn on 16 September 2021.

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This monitoring visit

Conditions on the registration were added to include the provider must inform the Chief Inspector of their intention to accommodate children at the home at least 3 months before any child is accommodated.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 03/08/2021 Full Inadequate 29/05/2019 Full Good 05/12/2018 Full Good 16/08/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 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

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, that staff should use appropriate and respectful language. 17 September

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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 the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. 17 September Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC061158 4 (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, that the home provides a welcoming and homely environment and is individualised and personalised in line with children’s views, wishes and feelings.

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, that the registered person liaises with the virtual head to make arrangements for the child to be in education 17 September

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Requirement Due date

The enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff help each child to—

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Requirement Due date

develop the child's interests and hobbies;

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Requirement Due date

participate in activities that the child enjoys and which meet and expand the child's interests and preferences; and

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Requirement Due date

make a positive contribution to the home and the wider community; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to a range of activities that enable the child to pursue the child's interests and hobbies. (Regulation 9 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii) and (b)) 17 September

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met; 17 September Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC061158 5 children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles. (Regulation 10(a)(b)(c)) The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

meet each child's behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child's relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child's behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child's age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children's previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11(1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(i)(v)(ix)(xi)) 17 September

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Requirement Due date

*The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child's relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; 17 September Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC061158 6 have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person

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Requirement Due date

that the home's day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child's health. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

*The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children's home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home's statement of purpose;

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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

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home's workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(c)(d)(e)(h)) 17 September

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which— 17 September Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC061158 7 include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (36(1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37(1)(2)(a)(b)) 17 September

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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, Calls Wharf, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS2 7JU

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Children's home details

Responsible individual: Matthew McFadzean

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Inspector

Charlie Bamber, social care inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC061158 8 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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