Children's Home run by Radical Services Limited in Cumberland

Inspection report for children’s home: SC487549 1 SC487549 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 registered with Ofsted in June 2015 and is part of a group of homes operated by a private company. It provides care for up to four children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The post for a registered manager has been vacant since 3 January 2025. The manager has applied to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, three children were living in 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

Date of last inspection: 20 November 2023

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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: SC487549 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/11/2023 Full Good 14/03/2023 Full Good 17/08/2021 Full Good 04/06/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC487549 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are helped to make trusting relationships by a consistent team of staff who provide nurturing care. Two children have recently moved into the home. One of these moves was well planned, but the other was in an emergency. The manager gathered all the information she could in the emergency, but the child did not have an opportunity to visit the home and begin building relationships before they moved in. Furthermore, the statement of purpose does not include the process for accepting children in an emergency. One child is due to move on from the home and said that they feel ready to move on because of the help and support they have received from staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff see education as being important, and they advocate on behalf of children to ensure that they attend an education provision that meets their needs. When children are not in education, the staff team ensures that daily routines and learning form part of daily activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a wide range of activities together and individually. They are encouraged to join groups and have hobbies, which enables them to develop social skills and have fun.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s views are respected and responded to. Staff encourage children to attend their formal reviews to ensure that their voice is heard by those making decisions about their lives. Children contribute to the decisions about the home’s decor and daily menus. The new care plans enable children to clearly outline their likes and dislikes on a range of subjects, including food preferences and how they like staff to support them when they are feeling upset or angry. This helps children to develop a sense of belonging and positive self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team supports children to stay connected with their family and the people who are important to them. Staff support children’s time spent with their family by transporting them or supervising visits, which helps children to develop family relationships in a safe environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is warm and welcoming. Children’s bedrooms are personalised, offering them a place to feel safe. One child said, ‘I love my bedroom; I have never had one of my own.’ However, there are some repairs outstanding around the home.

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

Children say that they feel safe living at the home and know that staff are available to support them if they feel they cannot manage their own emotions.

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

Care plans and risk assessments are updated regularly and provide clear strategies for staff to follow to help children to keep increasingly safe. The care plans detail children’s Inspection report for children’s home: SC487549 4 needs and how staff, along with the therapy team, can help children to learn to manage their emotions and behaviour. Planned discussions take place with children to help them to manage their feelings about their past experiences.

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

Children’s behaviour is managed through rewards and incentives. The management team reviews incidents to identify any learning that helps to prevent future incidents from occurring. When children go missing from the home, staff follow protocols to ensure that they locate children and return them home as quickly as possible.

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

The organisation’s therapy team helps staff to address the children’s emotional needs and to reflect on their own emotions. This, along with direct work sessions with children, helps to ensure that everyone’s mental health is considered and supported.

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

Children’s physical and mental health is prioritised, and they attend and engage in health appointments supported by staff. Children have their statutory health assessment annually. However, a recommendation identified at one child’s health assessment has not been addressed. As this was a preventative measure, it has not directly affected the health of the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The new manager and deputy manager are suitably experienced and have both worked at the home for a long time. This offers stability for children and the staff team and demonstrates that there are opportunities for progression in the organisation. The staff describe the manager as ‘approachable’ and say that this has helped them to adapt to the change in managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings and staff supervision sessions take place regularly and offer the opportunity for staff to reflect on their own practice and that of others in the team. This helps to create strong team values and consistency of care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team ensures that induction and training are given priority and that all staff have completed their identified training within timescales. This is supported by direct training from the therapy team on the chosen model of care. There have been changes in the team with new staff joining, so understanding of the model is varied. Some members of staff need further training, which is planned to take place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is aware of the home’s strengths and areas for development. She monitors records and practice well and identifies further training where necessary. Inspection report for children’s home: SC487549 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

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. (Regulation 16 (1))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the statement of purpose includes details of the criteria used for the admission of children to the home, including any policies and procedures for emergency admissions. 31 March 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that any repairs and redecoration required in the home are responded to in a timely manner. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff follow up on the recommendations made in health assessments. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 33, paragraph 7.3)

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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: SC487549 6

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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

Sue Atkinson Millmoor, Ofsted Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC487549 7 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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