Children's home run by Raise House Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2592361 1 Registered provider: Raise House Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

A new manager has been appointed and has applied to Ofsted to be registered.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection two children were living at the home.

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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: 2592361 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/03/2024 Full Good 24/05/2022 Full Good 05/05/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2592361 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy living at the home and have access to a wide range of activities. Their views are listened to, and this is evident in children’s meeting minutes and in the records of key-work sessions made by staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff challenge professionals vigorously to ensure that the educational needs of children are met. When one child moved into the home, they had been permanently excluded and were not attending any form of education. As a result of the determination of the manager and staff, this child is now in school and is making good progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are met. Staff are aware of children’s needs and know how to make specific referrals to other specialist services when additional support is required.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have good relationships with staff and feel safe living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff ensure that all records relating to children’s care are kept up to date. Staff ensure that the home’s care plan stays in line with the local authority care plan so that children’s individual needs are met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work alongside children to develop their independence skills. Staff use a supportive approach to help children to move forward and enable them to complete tasks independently.

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

Staff protect children from harm and support them to develop their understanding of risks and their own vulnerabilities.

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

Staff have a good understanding of risk. There have been significant improvements in the staff helping children to better understand the dangers of going missing from the home. This has resulted in a reduction of incidents of children going missing. The manager has ensured that there is a robust system in place so that staff work closely with other agencies to keep children safe.

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

The manager makes sure that reports and notifications are completed within the set time limits. Staff understand the diverse types of risks that children can face, including child sexual exploitation and child criminal exploitation.

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

Children have individual behaviour support plans. These are regularly reviewed and updated after an incident. Staff understand how to apply therapeutic interventions to support children in times of crisis. Staff use a consistent approach to managing Inspection report for children’s home: 2592361 4 behaviour. This helps children to feel safe and to be able to understand the expectations of the home.

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

Staff use a restorative approach to help children to understand the consequences of negative behaviour. This supports children to take responsibilities for their actions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been a number of changes in the management structure. These have resulted in a change to the responsible individual and a change in the home’s management. Leaders and managers have high expectations of their staff and are ambition for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The leadership and management team is introducing new ways of working. This is helping to improve how the home is monitored to ensure that the service delivers the best possible care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The leadership and management team is motivated to give children positive experiences and to support them to reach their full potential in all aspects of their lives. This is evidenced in the progress children have made physically, socially, emotionally and educationally.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers apply critical reflective practice to decision-making about children. They can recognise risk and vulnerabilities. They are honest in terms of their ability to safeguard children. When a decision is made that the placement is not able to meet the needs of a child, managers take swift action to ensure that the child is safely moved to a more suitable placement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is meeting the aims and objectives set out in the statement of purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive inductions and training to support them to care for children. Staff receive good-quality reflective supervision and annual appraisals. However, not all staff have completed their level 3 qualification in residential childcare in the time frame set out in the regulations. Inspection report for children’s home: 2592361 5

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

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)) 31 March 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2592361 6

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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: 2592361 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Raise House Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Riverdale House, 21A High Street, Wheathampstead, St. Albans AL4 8BB

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Inspector

Helen Daniel, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2592361 8 regulates 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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