Children's Home run by Restorative Social Care Services Ltd in Calderdale

Inspection report for children’s home: 2600259 1 Registered provider: Restorative Social Care Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and managed. It provides care for up to two children aged between seven and 17 years. The home aims to provide a high level of care, support and intervention for children who may experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2021.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 15 November 2021

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2600259 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/11/2021 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: 2600259 3

p.2

improvement to be good

Due to shortfalls in the leadership and management of the home, children’s overall experiences and progress are not consistently good.

p.3

improvement to be good

The home is well decorated and has a spacious garden where children play football together. One child’s bedroom has a boarded window. Despite the glass being on order, the child has been without a window for over two weeks. This does not help the child to feel cared for.

p.3

improvement to be good

The registered manager decided to restrict one child’s access to the communal lounge. This was because staff’s responses to the child’s anxieties and frustrations were ineffective, and they were unable to support and de-escalate the child’s behaviours. This approach to behaviour management does not provide the child with a sense of belonging.

p.3

improvement to be good

On some occasions, measures used to help children learn that their actions have consequences have been overly punitive and ineffective. Some consequences in place do not consider the child’s emotional well-being following difficult times. This is not a nurturing approach towards a child who is sad and is not in line with the home’s statement of purpose.

p.3

improvement to be good

Some records, such as individual key-work sessions, contain stigmatising phrases. One child, who is currently experiencing a difficult time, was told, ‘Good people get good things.’ This supports a negative attitude towards the child and is not helpful for the child should they want to read their records.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff are not supporting the child to develop independence skills outside of the home, which is in the child’s statutory care plan. This does not help the child to develop the skills that prepare them to move on to adult living. This means that the child will struggle to manage daily living tasks when they leave the home.

p.3

improvement to be good

The children are making progress in terms of attending education. This raises children’s aspirations and helps them to think about their future. Staff support children to complete online learning, including training on issues such as substance misuse and exploitation. This helps children to become socially aware.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children take part in therapy sessions and are engaging well. Staff can access psychological support services when they feel that they need additional advice to help children. This approach means that children receive the appropriate care that they need to support their mental health.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children are supported to spend time with family members to maintain important relationships. Staff have an understanding of the children’s immediate and wider Inspection report for children’s home: 2600259 4 family members. Parents feel that they are kept up to date and that there is regular communication.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children’s risk assessments are detailed and provide staff with clear actions to follow when children are at risk of harm. Staff review and update these risk assessments following incidents. This provides staff with up-to-date information which helps them to determine the severity of the risks to children’s safety.

p.4

improvement to be good

Leaders and managers respond quickly to allegations of harm and abuse. These are addressed through a multi-agency approach and in consultation with the designated safeguarding officer. This means that the child is kept safe following any allegation of harm. This reinforces to children that they are listened to and what they say is taken seriously.

p.4

improvement to be good

Physical restraint is used appropriately and in line with regulation. However, some physical restraints could have been avoided if staff better understood the children’s needs and experiences. The wording in some documents implies blame towards the child. This does not promote the child’s resilience and does not reassure them when they are feeling angry or sad.

p.4

improvement to be good

Missing-from-home episodes receive a multi-agency response. Staff clearly record the actions taken to help locate the child as quickly and safely as possible. A follow- up session is held with the child, which helps the child to understand the risks associated with going missing from the home.

p.4

improvement to be good

Professionals and parents all say that children are kept safe while living at the home and that there are no concerns regarding communication.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

This home does not have any suitably qualified staff. Long-standing staff who have been in post for more than two years have still not completed relevant qualifications for their role.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager is new to the home and has built positive relationships with children and staff. Staff speak highly of her commitment to her role and to the home. The registered manager and staff have positive relationships with children, which helps children to learn to trust the adults around them.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff have received specialist training to help them to better understand and care for children with additional needs. This training has not been effective as staff are not able to meet one child’s changing needs. Inspection report for children’s home: 2600259 5 The registered manager does not have sufficient oversight of the service and does not monitor the home effectively. Consequently, the registered manager has failed to act on areas of poor practice that have impacted on children’s overall experiences.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Ofsted is not always notified about serious incidents which occur at the home. This prevents Ofsted from monitoring safeguarding concerns and the actions taken to address these.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff supervision sessions are well documented. These sessions provide staff with learning opportunities and time to discuss the children’s progress and welfare. Staff also use these sessions to reflect on their practice, which helps them to learn new skills to better support the children. Where there are concerns with staff around professional boundaries, leaders and managers act appropriately. In some cases, staff have received final written warnings for their actions.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers advocate on behalf of the children and will professionally challenge others to get what the children deserve. This approach helps to ensure that children receive the extra support that they may need. Inspection report for children’s home: 2600259 6

p.5

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

p.6

Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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. (Regulation 11 (1)(b) (2)(a)(ix)) 11 February 2023

p.6

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—

p.6

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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;

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; 11 February 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2600259 7 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)(f)(h))

p.6

Requirement Due date

No measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (2) may be used in relation to any child.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The following measures may not be used to discipline any child—

p.7

Requirement Due date

imposing a financial penalty, other than a requirement for the payment of a reasonable sum (which may be by instalments) by way of reparation. (Regulation 19 (1) (2)(f)) 11 February 2023

p.7

Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises. (Regulation 21 (b)) 11 February 2023

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

p.7

Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform.

p.7

Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

p.7

Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

p.7

Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

p.7

Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32 (1) (3)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)) 11 February 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2600259 8 The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

p.7

Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 11 February 2023

p.8

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff record information about individual children in a non-stigmatising way. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of children and is homely. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 13.9)

p.8

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: 2600259 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Restorative Social Care Services Limited

p.9

Children’s home details

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

p.9

Inspectors

Gemma McDonnell, Social Care Inspector Cat Clasper, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2600259 10 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.9

Inspectors

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.10

Inspectors

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.10

Inspectors

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

p.10