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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC061158 1 SC061158 Registered provider: Radical Services Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is one of several children’s homes operated by a private company. The home provides care for one child with social or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in 2004. The registered manager left their role in May 2024. A new manager has recently been appointed and has 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 the 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: SC061158 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/08/2023 Full Good 03/08/2021 Full Inadequate 29/05/2019 Full Good 05/12/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC061158 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There have been significant changes in staffing for the child living in the home with the people caring for them and teaching them. While the child has been unsettled, there has been less impact on the child’s emotional well-being than expected. The child has developed some positive relationships with newer staff members in a short time, which has helped to maintain stability.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is a bespoke package of therapeutic education in place for the child. This has increased from seven hours at the time of the last inspection to 25 hours a week before the change in staffing. The child continues to struggle to engage in learning. The staff team uses incentives and supportive discussions to encourage the child’s engagement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has shared their views on education following the change in staffing. The manager is working with professionals and the child’s social worker to advocate for the child to find an alternate provision to better meet their needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work well with the child’s family to involve them in decision-making and support their time together. The child and parents are grateful for the support from the new manager and deputy to involve the family in the child’s life. This has included the family visiting the home and increasing the frequency of telephone contact to reduce the child’s anxiety.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s interests are encouraged by the staff team. The manager has put measures in place, with the input of parents and professionals, to support the child to have a pet. This is encouraging the child to take responsibility and has therapeutic benefits.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are barriers to the child’s socialisation with peers both in and out of school. Attempts have been made to support the child to attend a youth group and to engage with a neighbour’s children. Consideration is being given by the manager to improve this, and the outcomes of specialist assessments will help to understand the child’s needs better.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child shares their views and wishes openly with staff in a variety of ways. Their views are taken seriously and acted on by staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The provider’s own team of psychologists have completed cognitive and mental health assessments with the child. However, it is not clear how the recommendations from the reports are being used to inform care planning or to support staff practice, both at home and at school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s health needs are well met. Staff are attentive to the child’s needs and support the child to attend appointments. The child experiences difficulties with sleep and allergies, but staff do not monitor these to see how they could support Inspection report for children’s home: SC061158 4 improvements. Referrals have been made for specialist assessments for the child for ASD and ADHD.

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

Staff have a good understanding of the child’s background and needs. Staff have planned and unplanned discussions with the child about safety and how to keep themselves safe.

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

Risk assessments identify the risks for the child as being low level. There is a high level of supervision in place for the child, which minimises any potential risks. The manager is conscious of the need to ‘plan for the future’ to promote the child’s independence given their age. There is a transition plan in place to reduce the level of supervision from two to one-to-one to one over the coming months.

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

There have been no episodes where the child has gone missing from the home and no need for staff to use any methods of physical intervention.

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

There is a specific risk assessment in place for the child’s pet and any other pets coming into the home. The therapeutic benefits of engaging with animals are understood and encouraged. The child understands what is expected of them in caring for their cat.

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

Allegations made by the child are taken seriously and handled appropriately with the involvement of the relevant professionals. The manager provides feedback to the child on how they deal with the information, and provides feedback on the outcomes of investigations. A member of staff who had an allegation made against them felt supported by the manager through the process. The manager has identified the need to review allegations to understand any patterns and contributing factors.

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

Staff consistently challenge the child’s use of inappropriate and unkind language. Both the social worker and the child’s parent highlighted the lack of consequences for the child for these behaviours and how this will not prepare them for adulthood. The manager acknowledges that these practices need to be developed to support the child to understand the impact of their behaviours on themselves and on others.

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

The condition of the child’s bedroom can quickly become untidy. While there has been ongoing support for the child, there has been limited progress made. The child has been allowed unsupervised access to cleaning materials which are hazardous and should be stored securely.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The new manager and deputy manager have been proactive in identifying the areas for improvement in the home. They have an established working relationship, which has been positive for the staff who are all relatively new to the home. The managers are Inspection report for children’s home: SC061158 5 enthusiastic and model positive behaviours for staff to follow. Feedback from staff identifies how managers have supported the team to become more unified.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Agency staff were frequently used until recently, which caused uncertainty for the child. The new manager has addressed this by taking on additional permanent staff. This has resulted in improved consistency and stability for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and deputy have developed positive relationships with the child quickly and have a good understanding of their needs. They are considering creative ways to support the child’s needs and have welcomed input from their quality assurance team and from the independent person to develop the care they provide.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager communicates well with the child’s parents. She has taken the time to meet with parents, to understand their views and to involve them in decision-making for the child. The child’s parents and social worker are positive about the changes the new manager has made and how she advocates for the child’s needs. The child’s social worker commended the team on its resilience and how staff have helped the child to feel secure and safe at a time of significant change.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel supported in their roles. One member of staff, who is usually based in another home but who has been working with the child, feels they are valued as part of the team. A newer member of the team highlighted the good-quality information and training she has been given to support her development in the role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings and supervisions are child focused and reflective. They provide opportunities for staff to input into care planning for the child. Team meeting records lack a set template or agenda to ensure that important areas such as safeguarding and health and safety are always covered.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervisions take place regularly and support staff to discuss their well-being and to consider their practice. The manager utilises supervisions to discuss any specific staff training needs with staff and to support staff to become more confident in their decision- making.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Recruitment practices in the home are safe. Inspection report for children’s home: SC061158 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who— understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that staff— protect and promote each child’s welfare; provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background; help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect; help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult; make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give

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Requirement Due date

the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii)(iv)(v)(vi)(ix)) In particular, the registered person must ensure that recommendations made in specialist assessments of the child are used to inform the care being provided so that the child’s specific needs are met. 11 October 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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— 11 October 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC061158 7 help each child to understand how to keep safe; 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 (1) (2)(a)(ii)(d)) In particular, the registered person must ensure that the child is supported to maintain the condition of their bedroom and should not have access to hazardous cleaning materials.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should develop methods to support the child to recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. Any consequences used to address poor behaviour should be restorative in nature. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 46, paragraph 9.38)  The registered person should ensure that staff use monitoring tools to work with the child to understand their day-to-day health needs and conditions around sleep hygiene and allergies. Information collected will support the making of any referrals required to health services. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 34, paragraph 7.10)

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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: SC061158 8

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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: SC061158 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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