Children's home run by Restorative Social Care Services Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2692022 1 Registered provider: Restorative Social Care Services LTD.

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home registered in October 2022 and is owned and managed by a private company. The home provides care for up to three children who may experience social or emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2024. He is experienced and suitably qualified.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

p.1

outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

p.1

outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

p.1

outstanding

Date of last inspection: 13 November 2023

p.1

outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2692022 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/11/2023 Full Good 11/01/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2692022 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Three children live at the home. One child has lived here for over a year, a second for nearly 18 months, and a third for nearly two years. The long-term nature of their placements gives children the chance to develop close, nurturing attachments to staff who are also here for the long term. One professional said, ‘The relationship staff have with my young person shows that they really care.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

This security and stability helps children to build trust with the adults looking after them and gives them a sense of permanence and belonging. Children say that they love living at the home and want to stay here until they are 18 years of age. They say that the best things about living here are ‘being listened to’ and ‘having fun’. One parent said that their child is ‘progressing well’ and that the home ‘excels in everything they do.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children benefit from a bespoke model of care that replicates the very best of successful parenting combined with highly professional insight, skill and expertise. As a result, children flourish and make exceptional progress from their starting points.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children enjoy a range of opportunities that enrich their lives, provide shared experiences and embed them in their local community. Children participate in all the things their friends and peers enjoy. For example, they go abroad on holiday and attend large-scale music events. They support their favourite football and rugby teams, go to Boys Brigade, and try new hobbies such as rugby and cycling. One child has achieved their Duke of Edinburgh bronze award.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children spend time on the computer, have their nails and hair done for special occasions and decorate their bedrooms to their own unique tastes. Children are made a fuss of on their birthdays and at other special times of the year.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children receive highly effective therapeutic support from staff, supplemented by direct work from an in-house psychologist. Staff are experts at using opportunities as they arise to help children explore their emotions, to gently focus on specific issues and to help build up resilience and self-esteem.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

These interventions have a significant impact on children’s emotional health and well- being. This is evident in the way children achieve and engage happily in activities, and they sleep and eat well. Improvements in emotional well-being can also be seen in important measures such as a reduction in self-harming behaviours, improvement in relationships with family members and greater maturity in dealing with setbacks.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Each child is engaged in full-time education. Their rate of progress differs due to their individual experiences, but all are provided with excellent support to help them succeed at school. As a result, one child has achieved improved grades across several subject areas, and another has been awarded a ‘junior leadership’ position at school. Inspection report for children’s home: 2692022 4 When barriers to learning arise, staff act as strong advocates to secure alternative learning provision or additional support. The forming of professional relationships with teaching and pastoral staff is a particular strength of the home, the frequent contact and exchange of information being highly effective in keeping children engaged in education.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are encouraged to recognise the importance of a healthy lifestyle. They are supported to enjoy a good diet, to keep active and maintain personal hygiene. These are incorporated into children’s daily routines. Staff work in collaboration with health professionals to ensure that children get the services they need to stay well.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Everything about the physical environment demonstrates to children that they are valued. One professional commented on ‘the homely, warm and welcoming environment where the children are given unconditional positive regard in the care and support offered’.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home is very comfortably furnished, and provides children with plenty of space, both indoors and outside. Fixtures and fittings are of a very high quality and, at the time of the inspection, a bathroom was being replaced and a child was having their bedroom redecorated. Any damage is quickly repaired, and the property is maintained to an exceptionally high standard.

p.4

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

Children say they feel safe at the home. One parent noted that their child ‘is kept safe here’.

p.4

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

Robust safeguarding is routine and embedded in day-to-day practice. The manager and staff understand the risks and vulnerabilities that children face. They respond decisively to any concerns that arise, escalating these to the appropriate professionals if required. Staffing ratios are high, so children receive the supervision and support they need in line with their individual risk assessments and plans.

p.4

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

The quality of the relationships between children and staff is key to children becoming safer during their time at the home. Staff treat children with dignity and respect, and with warmth and affection. Children’s positive behaviour is recognised and rewarded. Staff are skilled in using a variety of de-escalation strategies to help children manage their emotions. They do not give up on children when things get difficult, but take a restorative approach to respond to negative behaviours.

p.4

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

As a result, children generally choose to behave well and comply with house rules, such as going to bed on time. Children respond to compromise and negotiation, and overall get on well with each other. Some members of staff have never had to use physical holds as a means of managing behaviour. However, staff continue to receive the required training to ensure that, if physical holds are used, these are used safely, for the minimum amount of time and documented in line with regulations. Inspection report for children’s home: 2692022 5 Specific risks are managed exceptionally well. As a result, children choose not to run away from the home. They comply with plans to keep them safe, such as handing in their phones at the end of the day. Children take on board the support and advice of staff about issues such as self-harm.

p.4

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

Children are not involved in bullying, criminal activity, drug use or radicalisation. Staff are innovative in finding ways to help children to keep themselves safe, using online resources. For instance, staff explore important issues with children, such as informed consent.

p.5

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

Children are encouraged to use technology safely and appropriately so that they do not miss out on opportunities to maintain contact with family and friends. Decisive action is taken, however, when children put themselves at risk through inappropriate use of technology. When this arises, staff work effectively with safeguarding agencies to implement plans to reduce such risks.

p.5

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

Children are further protected because of the highly effective professional relationships with safeguarding professionals. One social worker commented on the ‘excellent communication’ with staff, describing staff as ‘going over and above’ in their endeavours to manage and reduce risks to children.

p.5

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

Strong safeguarding practice covers all aspects of children’s lives. Recruitment practice is thorough, the management of health and safety issues is effective, and staff ensure that children can spend time with their families safely. The regular, visible and welcome presence in the home of senior management, independent visitors and other professionals also provides valuable oversight of children’s safety and well-being.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children benefit from the strong leadership and management of the home. The manager ensures that the home achieves the aims and objectives of the statement of purpose to ‘create a home that the child or young person can identify with as a safe, family unit, through permanent, consistent, and child-centred care’.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager understands the strengths and challenges of the home and works creatively to provide the best possible care to the children. He has high expectations of staff, who consistently exceed the standards set for them. Staff morale is high, with staff describing their team as ‘resilient’ and ‘supportive’. Staff commented that, ‘Management are supportive and reflective and also put a lot of focus on staff development.’

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager recognises individual potential and provides opportunities for individuals to rapidly advance their careers. This encourages staff to stay with the company, which in turn is a massive benefit to children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2692022 6 Investment in staff in terms of supervision, training and development is a significant strength of the home. An extensive training programme ensures that children are looked after by adults who are confident in their role, with bespoke training provided to meet children’s specific needs. A good deal of informal learning is undertaken, with the manager using resources such as Ofsted webinars to draw on the regulator’s information, expertise and inspection framework.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The monitoring and review of the home’s activities and the impact of staff intervention is highly effective in improving outcomes for children. There is a strong commitment to continual improvement, a willingness to learn and ask, ‘What could we do better?’

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children are a part of this process, with their views on their care and other matters, such as the content of the children’s guide, taken into account. Monitoring is further enhanced by the visible presence in the home of senior management, who provide additional layers of scrutiny. This helps to give the manager a holistic view of the home’s performance.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager demonstrates highly productive engagement with external agencies and families. He is a very strong advocate for children and will confidently challenge other professionals if they are failing to deliver a child’s care plan. However, all professionals highlighted the excellent communication with the manager and staff, who they feel demonstrate an absolute focus on the experience of children and commitment to them. Inspection report for children’s home: 2692022 7

p.6

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: 2692022 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Restorative Social Care Services LTD.

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Restorative Social Care Services, 8 Victoria Street, Greetland, Halifax HX4 8DF

p.8

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Christopher Kershaw

p.8

Inspector

Stella Henderson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2692022 9 and inspects 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 Inspection report for children’s home: 2692022 10

p.9