Social care · Social care assurance visit
Children's Home run by Radical Services Limited in Westmorland and Furness
Summary
Andrea Foreman (lead), Anna Belshaw
What we read, and from where
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- Group verified
Radical Services Limited
- Inspection date verified
5 Feb 2025
- Inspectors verified
Andrea Foreman, Anna Belshaw
- Name on report verified
SC476083
- URN verified
SC476083
Deep dive
What this report says
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Tone of the report
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Reads more critically than most reports of this type.
How the report reads, start to finish
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Strengths
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No standout praise found.
Concerns
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No strong criticism found.
Next steps
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- In particular, the registered person is to ensure that urgent repairs or improvements are carried out to prevent the risk of harm to children or others. 31 March 2025 p.4
- The registered person should support staff to gain an understanding of children’s specific needs in a timely way. p.4
- This should involve the use of professional input and/or research where there are delays with sourcing formal training. p.4
- Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC476083 5 p.4
Anatomy of the report
How the report is built, against others of the same type and grade.
- Pages
- 6
- Words of findings
- 219
- shorter than usual (typical 479)
- Reading level
- Fairly hard
- Flesch 52, typical 47
- Average sentence
- 16 words
- Next steps
- 4
- typical 4
- Hedged sentences
- 0%
- “some”, “not always”, “most”…
Where the words go
Full report text
Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC476083 1 SC476083
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Registered provider: Radical Services Limited
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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 three children with social and emotional difficulties.
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Information about this children’s home
The home registered with Ofsted in 2015. The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2024.
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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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Information about this children’s home
Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good
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Information about this children’s home
Enforcement action since last inspection: none
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Information about this inspection
At this inspection, the inspectors evaluated:
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Information about this inspection
the care of children the safety of children the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC476083 2
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Findings from the inspection
We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.
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Findings from the inspection
One child has moved in and out of the home since the last inspection. The child’s move into the home was supported by detailed handovers from the previous carers. The child expressed a wish to move closer to their home area, which the provider was able to facilitate with another of their homes.
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Findings from the inspection
The child living in the home has developed positive relationships with staff. The home is warm and welcoming. The child has personalised their bedroom and a dedicated space has been created to help with the child with their studies. The child is making progress with their education and has expressed a wish to remain in the home until they have completed their GCSEs.
p.2
Findings from the inspection
There have been few safeguarding concerns in the home. Staff understand the risks to children and use the strategies set out in detailed risk assessments to reduce risks. Appropriate referrals have been made to ensure that any risks to children are supported by the most appropriate agencies. Work with children to help them understand risk is well planned and staff use creative resources to support children’s understanding.
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Findings from the inspection
An allegation made by a child was investigated thoroughly by the manager. The child was supported to share their views and wishes and was kept informed by the manager.
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Findings from the inspection
Staff supported one child with their specific health needs in a sensitive way. The manager made attempts to identify suitable training to support staff. However, this was not actioned before the child moved out.
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Findings from the inspection
There is a new management team in place, whose members have high aspirations for children and the team. They have developed the team to have a mix of experienced staff and others with relevant skills. Staff have opportunities to increase their skills and knowledge through training and spending time working in other homes. Staff receive support and are encouraged to reflect on their practice regularly.
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Findings from the inspection
The manager has considered the possible risks from the neighbouring workshops and takes this into account when considering referrals to the home. The measures put in place to improve the boundary between the home and the workshops is not sufficient to reduce the risks it poses.
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Findings from the inspection
All except one of the requirements and recommendations made in the last inspection have been fully addressed. The requirement has been restated. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC476083 3
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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement
21/05/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 24/05/2023 Full Inadequate 28/06/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/10/2021 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC476083 4
p.3
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 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—
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Requirement Due date
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) (d))
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Requirement Due date
In particular, the registered person is to ensure that urgent repairs or improvements are carried out to prevent the risk of harm to children or others. 31 March 2025
p.4
Recommendations
The registered person should support staff to gain an understanding of children’s specific needs in a timely way. This should involve the use of professional input and/or research where there are delays with sourcing formal training. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.5). Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC476083 5
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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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Children’s home details
Registered manager: Charlotte Stainton-Stevens
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Inspectors
Andrea Foreman, Social Care Inspector Anna Belshaw, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC476083 6 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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Inspectors
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Inspectors
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 .
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Inspectors
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Inspectors
T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted
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