Children's home run by Restorative Social Care Services Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 1252095 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 run by a private organisation. It provides care for up to two children who experience social and emotional difficulties. At the time of this inspection, two children were living in the home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2022.

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 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: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1252095 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/05/2023 Full Good 14/02/2023 Full Inadequate 22/02/2022 Full Good 29/05/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1252095 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff spend quality time with the children in the home. This helps the children to develop close relationships with staff and have a sense of belonging. The children are confident to share their views and opinions with staff. One child said that they want to remain living in the home until they become an adult. One child’s social worker was positive about how a child settled in the home quickly because of the encouraging support offered by staff.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work alongside the children to ensure that their health needs are met. Staff encourage the children to access health services and make healthy lifestyle choices. Children are aware that emotional well-being support is available if they need it. The staff work with relevant professionals to consider different options that could best meet children’s emotional needs.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work hard to encourage children have positive care routines. Staff understand the importance of education for children and ensure that children have suitable arrangements. Incentives are used to acknowledge good attendance at school. The manager is currently working with professionals to secure suitable education for one child who recently moved into the home. In the meantime, staff support the child to access home tuition and are creative in providing the child with alternative learning opportunities.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children engage in activities which help them to develop their independence skills, such as cooking, cleaning and money management. Children enjoy various pastimes, such as cadets, listening to music and visiting local attractions. Staff support the children to spend time with their families and promote any cultural and identity needs children have.

p.3

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

The children can talk with staff about any concerns they have. Children know how to make a complaint and have access to a ‘grumble box’ if they wish to share any worries. The children are aware that they can access advocacy support. The support offered by staff assists the children to feel safe and know they have trusted adults to talk to.

p.3

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

Staff support children to help them understand their emotions and feelings. The staff are skilled at using de-escalation techniques to help defuse situations before they happen, and they use incentives and rewards to support positive behaviours. The children are supported to understand risks, such as self-injurious behaviour, bullying and online safety. This helps children to make informed choices and keep themselves safe.

p.3

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

If staff physically hold children to keep them safe, this is done as a last resort and when distraction and de-escalation techniques have been unsuccessful. Staff spend time Inspection report for children’s home: 1252095 4 talking with children after any incidents to understand what happened and why. This helps children and staff to reflect on events and discuss ways that future incidents can be avoided.

p.3

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

When children go missing from the home, staff respond appropriately. Staff actively look for children and speak with them on their return home. This helps staff to understand why children went missing and gives them an opportunity to talk to children about the dangers of doing so.

p.4

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

Most staff understand the associated risks for the children. Risk assessments and plans are detailed and highlight actions that staff should take to reduce risks. However, recent incidents have not been accurately recorded and some important information about children’s health needs is missing from children’s records. This means that staff do not have the required information about children’s risks and actions needed to mitigate these risks. The manager made immediate plans to address this.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by a qualified and experienced manager. There have been several recent changes in the staff team. Staff say that they feel supported by leaders and managers at the home and are forming and bonding as a team.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager understands how the home operates and has monitoring and reviewing systems in place that support his oversight of the quality of care provided. Team meetings take place regularly and are well attended. The meetings support staff to discuss children’s needs and review the home’s policies and procedures. New staff have detailed inductions to working in the home and spend time shadowing colleagues and getting to know the children’s needs.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager understands children’s care plans and supports staff to implement them to help children achieve and make progress. Professionals and children’s families have positive working relationships with staff and are updated regularly and after any significant events.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home environment is maintained to an acceptable standard. The manager ensured that a possible ligature risk in the home was rectified during the inspection.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have allowed staff to work in the home who are not physically able to fully support children in line with their care plans. One member of staff was unable to physically intervene when necessary to keep everyone safe. The manager had to be called in to help, and ultimately the police were called. This could have been avoided if staff had been able to intervene effectively before the incident escalated.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has effective links with the children’s local authority designated officers and shares relevant information. However, on one occasion, leaders and managers have not appropriately shared information regarding staff conduct. This practice is not in line with the home’s policies and procedures. Inspection report for children’s home: 1252095 5 The manager has not ensured that new staff receive supervision in line with the home’s policy. Some new staff were not aware of the home’s whistle-blowing procedures. This means that staff do not have all the necessary support and information to provide consistent and safe care to children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has carried out a review of the quality of care provided for the children but has not fully considered the opinions of children and significant others. This means that the manager has not ensured that the children’s feedback has been included in improving the quality of the care they receive. Inspection report for children’s home: 1252095 6

p.5

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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;

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

p.6

Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(vii))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that risk assessments address all known risks that may affect children and record clear strategies on how those risks can be managed, including any actions required by staff. Staff must be physically well and able to fulfil their roles. In addition, ensure that all staff understand the home’s safeguarding and escalation policies. 14 June 2024

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— 14 June 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 1252095 7 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.7

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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(f))

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must consult with the local authority designated officer around staff practice and ensure that staff offer children support in line with their care plans. New members of staff must receive supervision in line with the home’s statement of purpose. The views of children and significant others must be included in the quality of care review.

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: 1252095 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Restorative Social Care Services Limited.

p.8

Children’s home details

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

p.8

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Christopher Kershaw

p.8

Inspector

Gina Lightfoot, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1252095 9 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