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

Inspection report for children’s home: 1249264 1 Registered provider: Radical Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a private organisation. It is registered to provide care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post has been vacant since January 2023. A new interim manager was appointed in August 2023. They are yet to apply to be registered with Ofsted.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

One child was living at the home at the time of this inspection and the inspector spoke to the child.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

p.1

Enforcement action since last inspection:

Following a full inspection on 18 May 2023, a decision was made to restrict admissions to the home. A monitoring visit took place on 27 June 2023 and a case review was held. The concerns that led to the restriction of accommodation were no longer evident and the notice of restriction was allowed to expire. Inspection report for children’s home: 1249264 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/05/2023 Full Inadequate 24/05/2022 Full Good 22/06/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 28/04/2021 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 1249264 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, the staff team has been stable. This has led to consistency for the child. This has supported the child to develop positive relationships, which were evident throughout the inspection. Staff and the child have enjoyed a number of days out and activities together, such as hill walking, going to fairgrounds, swimming and yoga.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff provide the child with individualised care. The child’s plans are understood and followed by staff. The manager advocates on behalf of the child to ensure that their needs are met and that they receive consistent care. The manager and staff talk with positive regard for the child and have aspirations for the child’s future.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff listen to the child’s views, wishes and feelings. This helps the child to feel a sense of value and belonging. The manager ensures that the child’s wishes are actioned and are central to the child’s care planning. The child’s social worker told the inspector that the care provided to the child was good.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is in good health and most of their health needs are met; however, the child should be registered with a dentist, and should receive a looked after children’s annual health assessment. This would guide the manager and staff to support the child to address any areas of concern.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has finished their formal schooling; however, the manager has secured funding to support the child with their English and mathematics throughout the school holidays. The child is working with education tutors daily to enhance their knowledge, ready to resit exams.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is supported to keep in touch with and see people who are important to them. Plans are in motion for the child to move closer to home. This supports the child to maintain their sense of identity and belonging.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has recently been redecorated and furnished to a good standard. The child is encouraged to have a choice in the decoration of their home and bedroom so they can personalise their own space. The child said, ‘I will miss my bedroom when I leave, I love it.’ The child has a pet rabbit, and the staff support them to care for it well.

p.3

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

There has been one safeguarding concern since the last inspection. This has been managed well. The manager worked closely with the local authority, police and a specialist mental health service to compile a safety plan for the child. The child’s social worker told the inspector that they felt the incident was managed well, they Inspection report for children’s home: 1249264 4 had no concerns in terms of staff’s safeguarding practice and they are regularly kept updated about the child.

p.3

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

The three-stage risk-management plan for the child is regularly reviewed and updated and is understood and followed by staff. The plan provides staff with direction around how to reduce and manage any risks to help keep the child safe.

p.4

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

Staff are trained in physical intervention and de-escalation techniques. Physical intervention is used as a last resort. Staff are able to use effective de-escalation strategies, so they have not had to physically intervene to keep the child safe.

p.4

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

It is rare that the child goes missing from the home. When they do, staff search for the child and follow the child’s protocol. The child is welcomed back into the home and offered an independent return home interview. However, this should be completed within 72 hours of the child returning to the home.

p.4

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

Staff talk to the child to help the child understand their thoughts and feelings. They also help the child to reflect on any incidents or risk-taking behaviours. The manager takes appropriate action and communicates effectively with other professionals to ensure that the child is safe living in the home.

p.4

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

The staff understand and are confident in following procedures to protect the child. The staff complete training around safeguarding and additional training around risks such as self-harm, child sexual exploitation, county lines and online safety. However, they would benefit from receiving training around substance misuse.

p.4

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

The home is set in a beautiful location with plenty of space inside and out. The home is clean, tidy, in good repair and free from hazards.

p.4

good

The home is currently undergoing a change in management. There has not been a registered manager in post since January 2023.

p.4

good

A new manager has been in post since the beginning of August 2023 and is currently receiving a handover from the interim manager. The new manager holds the relevant management qualification and experience to manage a children’s home and will be applying to register with Ofsted.

p.4

good

Staff receive regular reflective supervision, appraisals and training in line with procedures. This allows the manager and staff to reflect on their practice to ensure that they continue to meet the needs of the child. A staff member told the inspector that they feel able to express any concerns and share ideas and feel supported and valued by the management team. Inspection report for children’s home: 1249264 5 A recent review of the premises by the manager lacked up-to-date feedback from safeguarding partners to inform the risk assessment to ensure that the home’s location remains suitable and safe.

p.4

good

The manager recently completed a review of the quality of care; however, this was not evaluative and did not provide analysis regarding the care provided to the children living in the home at the time. The report would benefit from feedback from the child, parents, staff, professionals and stakeholders.

p.5

good

The manager understands the service’s strengths and areas for development. She has a development plan that focuses on improving the care for the child. The manager’s monitoring system helps her track patterns, trends and progress. The quality tracker allows her to capture any shortfalls as they arise so that she can take swift action to address them.

p.5

good

The manager has not met two of the 13 requirements from the previous inspection. These two requirements have been restated. Inspection report for children’s home: 1249264 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, The 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 health and well-being standard is that—

p.6

Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

p.6

Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(i)) This requirement is restated.

p.6

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to children being registered with a dentist and having a looked after children’s annual health assessment. 24 September

p.6

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.

p.6

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—

p.6

Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

p.6

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. 24 September Inspection report for children’s home: 1249264 7 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)(a)(b)(c) (5)) This requirement is restated.

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to help children understand, and where necessary work to change, negative behaviours in key areas of health and well-being such as, but not limited to, nutrition and healthy diet, exercise, mental health, sexual relationships, sexual health, contraception and use of legal highs, drugs, alcohol and tobacco. This is specifically in relation to staff receiving training around substance misuse. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.18)  Statutory guidance on children who run away or go missing from home or care sets out the steps local authorities and their partners should take to prevent children from going missing and to protect them when they do go missing. Children’s homes should have regard to the relevant aspects of this guidance. Specifically, ensure that return home interviews take place within 72 hours.

p.7

Recommendations

(‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.25)  When establishing the home, the registered person must ensure that it is suitably located so that children are safeguarded effectively and can access services to meet needs identified in their relevant plans (see regulations 12(2)(c)). Under regulation 46, the registered person should review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home at least once a year. The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing these. Providers should refer to the non-statutory advice about the location assessment process: Children’s homes regulation amendments 2014: Advice for children’s homes providers on new duties under regulations that came into effect in January and April 2014. The registered person should seek feedback from safeguarding partners to inform the

p.7

Recommendations

review of premises. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)

p.7

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: 1249264 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Radical Services Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

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

p.8

Inspector

Julie Elder, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1249264 9 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.8

Inspector

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.9

Inspector

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

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9