Children's home run by Restorative Social Care Services Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2528634 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 who may experience social and emotional difficulties. There are currently three children living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 1 August 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 good

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: 2 November 2022

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2528634 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/11/2022 Full Good 02/02/2022 Full Good 20/11/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2528634 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have trusting relationships with staff, whom they seek out for guidance and support when they need it. One child said she ‘loves’ living in the home and that staff are ‘really nice’. The children are affectionate and tactile with the staff, which is reciprocated and instigated by children for comfort and reassurance.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who come to live in the home and those who move on are supported well. Their transitions are planned extensively taking into account their individual needs and are completed at a pace to suit them. The registered manager has challenged appropriately when she feels transitions are not at the pace suited to the child or when this does not meet their needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff comprehensively understand the children and their additional needs. Staff know how each child likes to receive information and how they process it. Staff are patient and will spend time discussing issues with a child in an age-appropriate way that aids children’s understanding and meets their communication style.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged and supported to develop or maintain relationships with people who are important to them. The staff facilitate this when needed and work with professionals so this can happen in a safe way. Family members and friends visit the home to see the children and know that they are welcome by staff. One family member said: ‘Staff look after me when I visit, and I know [name of child] is really happy living in the home.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have independence books that are individual to their age and ability. They are encouraged to complete tasks in line with their care plans. This means children are ready to move on when the time comes, and they have the appropriate skills to do so successfully.

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

Each child has a detailed and individual risk assessment. These are thorough documents which consider known risks and anticipate others. Staff have a good knowledge of these documents, which are regularly updated so that the information contained in them is always relevant.

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

Children do not go missing from this home. If this were to happen, staff know what they should do and how to follow children’s missing-from-care protocols. Even though this is not a current risk, the staff ensure that each child has accurate information recorded so that they would have the best chance of locating a child promptly should they go missing from the home.

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

The use of physical interventions in the home is rare and is always used as a last resort. When this has happened, the correct procedures have been followed, Inspection report for children’s home: 2528634 4 ensuring that staff and the child remain safe and well both during and after a hold has happened. Both children and staff are spoken with afterwards to learn how to avoid a reoccurrence.

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

The home has an up-to-date fire risk assessment and regular checks are undertaken to ensure that fire equipment is safe to use. However, during the inspection several fire doors would not close properly and several fire doors were propped open. There was also garden furniture partially blocking a means of escape outside. Prompt action was taken by the registered manager to address these issues at the time.

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

There are incidents of self-harm in the home. When these happen, they are handled sensitively, with therapeutic advice being sought so that staff can support the child appropriately. However, one incident has not been followed up with enough rigour. Assumptions were made by staff rather than discussions with the child to ascertain what happened. This could have left the child vulnerable to further harm at that time.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is well thought of by other professionals and by the staff. She communicates effectively and is supportive of her staff, the children and their families. She is child-focused and wants to help the children succeed and grow. She has loving and warm relationships with all the children in her care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has a good understanding of the plans for the children and works with professionals to ensure that they progress appropriately and do not drift. She will advocate for the children should she feel professionals are not doing enough or they are not listening to the children’s wishes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and deputy manager work well together. They recognise the strengths and areas for development within the home. They are proactive to collect the wishes and feelings of the children and act upon anything that the children need. This relationship ensured that the home functions effectively and did not impact the children recently when the registered manager had to take an unforeseen period of leave.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has general oversight of the home and there are systems in place to monitor documentation. However, there are several areas where this has not happened or has not been completely effective. In one instance, this has led to a significant delay in a matter being investigated which could have placed a child at risk of harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager ensures that any bespoke training staff require to meet the individual needs of the children is made available. However, there are three staff completing the required diploma in residential childcare who have exceeded the timescale for completion in accordance with the regulation. Another staff member does not hold an equivalent qualification and has now also exceeded this timescale. Inspection report for children’s home: 2528634 5 The responsible individual has agreed to change how they monitor staff progress in this area to ensure completion within the required timescales. Inspection report for children’s home: 2528634 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within 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

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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, staff should always ensure that they take effective action when concerned about the welfare of a child. 22 December Inspection report for children’s home: 2528634 7 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

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager should ensure that they have sufficient oversight of all areas of staff practice in the home. 22 December

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(a) applies to the home—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, all fire doors should be able to close securely in their frames. Fire doors must also not be propped open and means of escape routes should not be partially blocked. 22 December

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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—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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; or 22 December Inspection report for children’s home: 2528634 8 in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may defer the relevant date if the individual—

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Requirement Due date

does not work, or has not worked, in a care role in a home for a prolonged period; or

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Requirement Due date

works, or has worked, in a care role in a home on a part- time basis. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b) (6)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, all staff must complete the relevant qualification within the time limit specified.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered manager must ensure that any equivalent qualifications meet those set out in relevant guidance.

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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: 2528634 9

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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 HX4 8DF

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Inspector

Gail McGann, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2528634 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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