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

Inspection report children’s home: 2642423 1 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 operated by a private company. The home provides care for up to 3 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in January 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 3 children were living at the home and spoke to the inspector.

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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 children’s home: 2642423 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/03/2025 Full Good 05/02/2024 Full Good 07/03/2023 Full Good 14/12/2021 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 2642423 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager ensures that there is robust planning for children moving in and out of the home. Recently, one child has moved in and another child successfully moved out after living in the home for 18 months. During their stay, the child made progress and staff supported them to move back to their home area so they could be near to their family. The child continues to maintain contact with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two children have lived at the home for over 3 years and receive good quality individual- ised care that meets their needs. They have made progress in many aspects of their lives. Staff create a nurturing environment that helps children to build positive relation- ships with staff. As a result, children develop a sense of permanence and belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff actively support children’s health needs. The company’s therapist provides individ- ual support to children and they advise staff on meeting children’s emotional health needs. Staff have regular discussions with children about health-related topics, including the importance of sleep, healthy relationships, personal hygiene and healthy eating. However, staff have not continued to educate one child about the risks of misusing can- nabis. This lack of support is not helping the child to make safer or more positive choices.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to overcome barriers to learning. For the older children who have completed formal education, one is now working part time and another has started an apprenticeship in hospitality. The child who recently moved in is struggling to attend school consistently. Despite this, the manager ensures that the child has a clear struc- ture to their day by completing both formal and informal learning when they are not in school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children spend time with people who are important to them. Staff are committed to en- suring that family time takes place regularly, no matter the distance. Communication be- tween staff and parents is strong. Staff support families to rebuild relationships so they can spend good-quality time together.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote children’s interests and introduce them to new experiences. Children enjoy activities such as bike riding, fishing, go karting, shopping trips and cinema outings. Chil- dren also choose to spend time with friends which is helping them to develop their social skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff develop children’s age-appropriate life skills. Older children manage a weekly budget to plan, shop and cook their meals. One child has recently started driving les- sons. This support helps children build the skills needed for future independence. Inspection report children’s home: 2642423 4

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

Children said that they feel safe in the home and can identify trusted adults they would go to with any worries. Children stated that the staff listen to them and would act on any concern they had. There have been no complaints.

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

Staff have a good understanding of each child’s needs and vulnerabilities and take ap- propriate action to address these. The manager completes robust risk management plans, which are regularly updated to ensure that staff have the most current infor- mation to keep children safe. Staff use age-appropriate discussions to help children un- derstand their vulnerabilities and how their behaviour influences their safety. As a result, children are learning to make safer choices.

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

The manager works closely with professionals to meet children’s needs. One child who recently moved into the home, has presented unexpected complexities that have placed them and others at risk. These needs were not known to professionals before the child moved in. The manager continues to work with the local authority to identify a more suitable placement and she is ensuring that any move is planned and positive for the child.

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

Staff respond promptly and effectively when children go missing from home. They ac- tively search, maintain clear communication with safeguarding agencies, and support children to return quickly and safely. On their return, the manager ensures that the child can speak with an independent person so they can share their views.

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

When significant incidents, allegations, or concerns about staff practice arise, the manager acts swiftly to protect children. They work closely with safeguarding agencies, ensure that full investigations take place, and address any shortfalls in practice. However, the manager does not ensure that the regulator is consistently notified .

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

The home environment is welcoming and bright. The manager continues to make im- provements, including new carpets in the lounge and stairs and new flooring in the kitchen. Some areas, however, still require attention due to wear and tear, such as re- painting interior doors and walls and replacing the carpet in one child’s bedroom. Staff need to implement a routine to help one child maintain a tidy room and ensure sufficient storage for their belongings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is experienced, child-centred and has high aspirations for children. She has a good understanding of the children needs and is currently completing her management qualification. She is supported by a newly appointed deputy manager who has pro- gressed internally and she shares the same aspirations for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that she has robust systems in place to monitor the day-to- day practice and the progress children are making. She recently completed a quality review of children’s care, which included feedback from children and professionals. However, Inspection report children’s home: 2642423 5 she has not gathered feedback from parents or staff which limits her full oversight on the quality of care provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A stable and long-standing staff team provides children with consistency. Many staff have worked at the home for several years and remain committed to making a positive difference. Staff speak positively about their roles and the support they receive from both the management and wider team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that staff receive a comprehensive induction and training pro- gramme before starting work at the home, followed by ongoing learning opportunities. Staff have completed specialist training. However, the manager has not ensured that all staff have received required training in areas such as missing-from-home, which is nec- essary to meet one child’s identified needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager holds regular, practice-focused supervision sessions that give staff mean- ingful opportunities to reflect on their practice. She places a strong emphasis on staff de- velopment and acts as a positive role model for the team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Regular staff meetings allow staff to share knowledge and experience. The manager uses these meetings to create practice scenarios linked to specific issues, enabling her to understand staffs’ knowledge and identify further training needs. This approach strengthens consistency in practice and helps keep children safe. Inspection report children’s home: 2642423 6

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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 notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being in- volved in or subject to,

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there.

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child — is instigated; or concludes (in which case, the notification must include the out- come of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the regis- tered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that significant incidents are notified to Ofsted. 19 May 2026

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires, and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential;

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the regis- tered person to— 19 May 2026 Inspection report children’s home: 2642423 7 lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications, and skills to meet the needs of each child.

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous im- provements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff have received training on missing from home procedures, so they have the required knowledge and understanding to meet the needs of the children.

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met.

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the regis- tered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans.

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the op- tions that are available in relation to the child’s health and well- being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and under- standing.

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the pur- pose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well-being. 19 May 2026 Inspection report children’s home: 2642423 8 (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children are educated on the effects and dangers of taking drugs. To give them the appropriate knowledge so they can make positive health lifestyle choices.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they have a system in place which allows them to monitor the matters set out in the regulations at least every six months. This should include feedback from parents and staff. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 64, paragraph 15.2).

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is maintained and damage is quickly identified and repaired. Such has repainting of interior doors and walls and a carpet replacing in one child’s bedroom. (‘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 establish a routine to clean all children’s bedrooms regularly and provide storage to store children’s belongings appropriately. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.20).

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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 children’s home: 2642423 9

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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

Simon Jones, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2642423 10 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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