Children's home run by Restorative Social Care Services Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1252095 1

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Restorative Social Care Services Limited

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care for up to two children with emotional and social difficulties.

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This monitoring visit

Following the full inspection on 14 and 15 February 2023, this home was judged to be inadequate because of significant shortfalls in the help and protection of children and the leadership and management of the home. Ofsted issued five requirements. The purpose of this monitoring visit was to assess the progress made to meet these requirements.

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This monitoring visit

The inspector concluded from this monitoring visit that leaders and managers have made progress to address the requirements made at the last inspection. These requirements relate to the protection of children, children’s education, partnership working with other agencies and professionals, the use of monitoring and surveillance in the home, and the manager’s quality of care review. Managers have a development plan in place to continue to improve on these areas of practice.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home and another child has moved in. Two children are in the home and are being supported with their individual needs.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual and the manager have addressed the safeguarding concerns. Staff now carry out regular checks on children when they spend time in their bedrooms to ensure that they are safe. Managers supported staff to reflect on their practice during team meetings, and to consider the potential consequences of not checking on children’s welfare.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have provided staff with additional training around safeguarding and their responsibilities for protecting children from harm. Case file records for children now Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1252095 2 include more-specific details to determine if a child is safe, and include the actions for staff to follow. The manager has now introduced a referral form for addressing allegations. This will help to ensure that all relevant professionals are informed of safeguarding matters. These positive changes have recently been introduced and cannot yet be fully assessed. They will be reviewed again at the next inspection.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has started to address concerns around routines in the home and how these support children’s education and learning. For example, the school placement for one child took a lengthy period to arrange. While waiting, the child has accessed online learning, and staff have arranged educational activities.

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This monitoring visit

The process for children being discharged from the home is under review. Previously, delays in planning moves for children have affected preparation work. The manager is working with placing authorities to ensure that decisions about children’s moves are timely. These improvements are in their infancy and can not yet be fully assessed.

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This monitoring visit

The manager recognises that his review of the quality of care provided by the home lacks consultation with children. He is currently considering other means of seeking children’s views, including child-friendly feedback forms, but this work has not yet been completed.

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This monitoring visit

Bedroom door alarms are no longer used for all children. The manager determines if this restriction is necessary for a child based on the known risks. However, the rationale behind this decision, or details of when this decision will be reviewed, is not clear in the children’s risk assessments.

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This monitoring visit

There are now snacks available in the kitchen. Crisps and other items are in a cupboard. The children can help themselves. Allowing children to make choices gives them some independence and freedom.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 14/02/2023 Full Inadequate 22/02/2022 Full Good 29/05/2019 Full Good 09/05/2018 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1252095 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 with the given timescales.

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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

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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies; and

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)) 25 April 2023

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant 25 April 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1252095 4 plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c))

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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— that staff—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iv)(x)) 25 April 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

the system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(b) (5)) 25 April 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)) 25 April 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1252095 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. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1252095 6

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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: 8 Victoria street, Greetland, Halifax, West Yorkshire HX4 8DF

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Christopher Kershaw

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Inspector

Miriam Dolman, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1252095 7 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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