Children's home run by Restorative Social Care Services Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2646995 1 Registered provider: Restorative Social Care Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a private organisation. It provides care for up to three children, aged from 15 to 17 years on admission, who may have experienced social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Staff working in the home prepare children for their move on to independent living.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 20 June 2022.

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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 outstanding

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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: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2646995 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from staff teaching them the care and independence skills required for adulthood. Leaders and managers have maximised this learning through the careful planning and layout of the home. The children are assessed and helped by staff who work at the child’s individual pace. Children are provided with encouragement and direction when required. As a result, and because of the good- quality care that they receive from staff, all children are making good progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager assesses children’s suitability and needs by spending time getting to know them before they move into the home. This helps children to develop important relationships and understand the ethos of the home. Children settle quicky with ambition to progress to the semi-independent accommodation which is located next door to the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff prepare children well for moving out of the home. Two children have moved out in a planned way after completing their preparation for independence programme. The registered manager liaises appropriately to share information with new providers and provides outreach support which helps children to settle quickly and smoothly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend appropriate education. This is promoted by staff, who communicate well with the education provider. The provider’s business leader says that staff are solution-focused and show high levels of commitment, which helps children to engage and succeed in their education and learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are registered with appropriate health services. Staff promote specialist services so that children receive the advice that they need to reduce risks associated with poor sexual health or substance misuse.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff reward children for their achievements and accomplishments, such as receiving dental treatment which they may have previously avoided. Staff recognise that children respond well to rewards such as pamper box items or items for their bedrooms. This improves children’s self-esteem and they become increasingly invested in living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff seek children’s views in regularly held house meetings and consultations. The registered manager acts in response to children’s formal requests. Despite these systems, children have made requests for more internet access or for a larger bed which they say are not acknowledged by staff or the registered manager. The registered manager does not always respond as clearly as he could to children’s voices nor help them to understand why he has made certain decisions. Inspection report for children’s home: 2646995 3

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

Children are happy and settled living in the home. Consequently, levels of risk they may be exposed to reduce. There have been no significant safeguarding concerns since registration in June 2022. The staff have also not required the support of the police to manage children’s behaviour in the home.

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

The registered manager directs staff to carry out room searches when they are concerned about a child having items which they could use to place themselves or others at risk. Therefore, staff are working together to safeguard children.

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

Staff develop relationships with children, which helps them to manage behaviour. Staff use de-escalation techniques effectively when children appear unsettled. This keeps children safe without staff needing to physically intervene.

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

Staff manage children’s inappropriate behaviours by using consequences. The registered manager oversees and monitors all consequences. Children have a good understanding of the house rules, and the reduction in inappropriate behaviour highlights that they are learning from these consequences.

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

On the small number of occasions when children have gone missing, staff have responded appropriately to locate them and encourage them to quickly return home. This includes liaising with relevant agencies and families when children have not returned home when they should have.

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

The registered manager prepares detailed assessments which clearly identify the risk issues for individual children as well as the other children in the home. Staff are provided with clear strategies on how to manage children’s risks and behaviours. Consequently, staff understand risks children are exposed to well. They communicate fluidly as a team and promote consistency to plan the children’s care.

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

Children engage in regular key-work sessions with staff which help them explore risks, including from substance misuse, relationships and financial exploitation. This helps children to learn strategies and make informed choices to keep themselves safe.

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

Leaders and managers ensure that appropriate safe recruitment checks are sought for staff who come to work at the home. The registered manager reviews and monitors the progress of staff during their probation period. The manager provides the staff with induction training that supports them to develop the skills required to support and care for children living in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has the highest aspirations for the children and staff in the home. His excellent leadership skills give staff clear direction and the ambition to help children achieve the best possible outcomes. Inspection report for children’s home: 2646995 4 Staff speak positively about working at this home. All staff feel supported by leaders and managers, which encourages them to learn and fulfil their roles to the highest standard. One new member of staff spoke about the registered manager joining her to search for a child who had not returned home. This reinforces to the staff that the registered manager prioritises effective safeguarding decisions. The manager ensures that staff are skilled and safe to carry out their duties to care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is appropriately qualified, and care staff have or are working towards and beyond the current level of qualification required.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff receive training which gives them the skills to care for the specific needs of the children living in the home. The registered manager ensures that training is delivered from professionals who have the appropriate knowledge and expertise. Staff speak highly of the training delivered by the local substance misuse service. Leaders and managers are proactive in providing additional training, using webinars from a variety of experts and organisations. Therefore, staff access training at the time which is right and appropriate for their learning needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff receive regular supervision where actions from their previous supervision sessions are reviewed. This promotes progress for children and the personal development of staff. New staff are reviewed, and their performance is assessed at regular intervals during their probation period. This ensures that staff receive the support and direction that they need to progress in their roles. Leaders express interest in staff’s well-being, and they describe leaders and managers as being proactive in helping staff professionally and personally. Staff receive positive feedback for their work. This helps staff to feel listened to, valued and respected.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager meets regularly with the staff. The manager uses team meetings to explore the development of the home. For example, the registered manager has identified, from completing the six-monthly review of care, that children’s voices need to be better captured in the home’s recording. The manager has used a recent team meeting to collectively explore how to improve opportunities for hearing and recording the voice of the child. Staff respond well to this type of direction from the registered manager, and they act promptly and enthusiastically to develop their practice and the quality of care that children experience.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager shares learning from attendance at children’s social care forums to reinforce good practice. He has implemented clear guidance for how staff should respond to finding drugs or items that could be used as weapons in the house. He uses team meetings as an opportunity to cascade this learning to staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager maintains monitoring and review systems which help him to track children’s progress. He uses this information effectively to escalate requests to children’s placing authorities when needed. This ensures that children have the relevant statutory documents or funding needed to support their progress at the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2646995 5 A family member and several professionals spoken to report excellent levels of communication and commitment from the registered manager and the staff team. Children are described as being happy and receiving excellent care planning throughout their journey while living in this home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2646995 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should balance the wishes of the child against what they judge to be in the best interests of the child and reach a reasonable view about the best way forward in the interests of all. The reasons for reaching any decision will need to be carefully explained to and understood by the child or children concerned. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.9)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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 for children’s home: 2646995 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Restorative Social Care Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 8 Victoria Street, Greetland, Halifax, West Yorkshire HX4 8DF

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Inspector

Joanna Warburton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2646995 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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