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

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private organisation and provides care for up to two children with emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in 2017. The registered manager post is currently vacant. A new manager has been appointed and has not yet submitted an application to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

There was one child living at the home at the time of this inspection.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1249264 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/08/2023 Full Good 18/05/2023 Full Inadequate 24/05/2022 Full Good 22/06/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 1249264 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has developed positive relationships with staff which is helping them to enjoy their time with the people who care for them. The child is relaxed in the home and shares their wishes and feelings openly with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child who recently left the home took part in activities they enjoyed with staff. This provided the child with positive memories of their time in the home. While the child’s placement came to an end due to an escalation in concerning behaviours, the child was able to spend time reflecting on their past and their behaviours with the support of staff. This helped the child to see what progress they had made and to consider their goals for the future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child living in the home has made good progress with education from their starting point, however there are some barriers to their engagement. The child’s sleep hygiene is poor and is not well understood by staff. Staff are not consistent in their attempts to support the child to develop a healthier morning routine which means that there are limited opportunities for the child to engage in educational activities to enhance their learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The health needs of the child are well met. Referrals have been made for the child for further support for their diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and to support their emotional wellbeing. The child is supported to attend health appointments and assessments. Staff encourage the child to cook healthy meals and to engage in activities such as boxing and going to the gym.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A child who left the home worked with staff to consider alternative ways to help them to manage their emotions. This led to a significant reduction in self-harming behaviours for the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have worked effectively with the child’s social worker to advocate for a progression in the child’s time spent with their family. The child lives a long way from home and is supported by staff to travel to spend good quality time with their family including attending special family events.

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

The child has lived in the home for several months. They settled into the home well initially however when another child was moved into the home this negatively influenced their behaviour. There was insufficient consideration given by leaders and managers to the risks and potential dynamics between the two children demonstrating the referral process was not robust. Inspection report for children’s home: 1249264 4 The manager took the difficult decision to end the placement to safeguard both children. Feedback from the social worker of the child who left the home confirmed that the team managed new behaviours well and in hindsight a solo placement would have been more appropriate.

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

There are up to date, detailed risk assessments in place which staff understand and follow consistently. As a result, the child has significantly reduced their risk taking behaviours. The child has not been missing from home since moving to the home despite the child having a history of this before. When a child who left the home went missing the staff team took appropriate steps and worked well with agencies such as the child centred policing team to support their safe return.

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

Staff engage children in discussions about their risk-taking behaviours. However, these are more reactive than proactive. Detailed work was undertaken with one child to reflect on what helps them to feel safe and what activities support them to manage their emotions more effectively.

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

Physical restraint is rarely used in the home and when it is its use is necessary and proportionate. However, on one occasion when the manager restrained the child, the follow up actions taken by him were not appropriate. The manager completed a de-brief with the child meaning the child did not have a fair opportunity to raise any concerns about the manager’s actions. The manager did not receive a full de-brief from a more senior manager and he completed an evaluation of the incident himself meaning it was not reviewed robustly or impartially.

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

There have been two minor medication errors which the manager has responded to appropriately, one of which led to a change in the policy to provide greater clarity. Further face to face training for all the staff team is planned to ensure that they are able to safely manage the administration and recording of medication as required.

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

Complaints made by children are taken seriously, there are appropriate steps taken to address concerns and managers encourage restorative work between children and staff members.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The inspection was supported by both the previously registered manager and the new manager who have both had oversight of the home since the last inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The current manager is experienced, enthusiastic and child focused. She is currently completing her induction and has support from the other managers in the organisation, the centralised compliance team, and the responsible individual. She is keen to make improvements to take the home forward.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good oversight of the home with support from an experienced and reflective deputy manager. The manager has escalated her concerns with the placing authority around consistency of family time and to ensure that the child’s voice around Inspection report for children’s home: 1249264 5 care planning is heard. Both managers advocate well for the child and have ensured that the child has access to an independent advocate.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are some gaps in training for new staff w and for additional training identified for all staff to complete. The team are in the process of completing training in ADHD and there is training planned on domestic abuse awareness.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings and supervision take place regularly and are good quality, reflective sessions. Staff are encouraged to reflect on their practice and consider their understanding and gaps in learning. Staff are asked about their wellbeing and there is reflection and follow up from any incidents staff have been involved in. As a result, staff feel well supported by the manager and the team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers are considering new referrals to the home. They have a detailed understanding of the needs of the child already living in the home and the potential impact of a new child moving in. Managers and leaders explained their plans to strengthen the assessment of referrals to ensure that it is more robust.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The review of the quality of care provided to children has been completed. However, it lacks evaluation to identify trends and shortfalls that would assist in driving forward improvements in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 1249264 6

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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, 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.

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well-being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b) (2)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, that staff work with the child and services to understand the child’s sleep hygiene and to make improvements which will in turn benefit other areas such as their education. 31 July 2024

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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— 30 June 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 1249264 7 that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that hazardous structures or items in the garden are maintained and stored safely.

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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 quality of care provided for children;

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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

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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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)(a)(b)(c) (5))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated. 30 September 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when considering new children moving into the home, they take into account the potential impact of risks for the children already living in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should ensure that following any use of restraint, the staff and children involved are debriefed by a manager who was not involved in the incident. A manager carrying out a restraint should be fully debriefed by a more senior manager to ensure there can be a full and fair evaluation of the incident. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36) Inspection report for children’s home: 1249264 8  The registered person should ensure that staff carry out planned and personalised work with children which helps them to understand how to keep themselves safe and

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Recommendations

supports the goals of their care plans. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.9)

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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: 1249264 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Radical Services Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Andrea Foreman, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1249264 10 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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