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 is operated by a private provider. It offers care for up to 4 children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2025.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 12 February 2025

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be 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

12/02/2025 Full Good 20/11/2023 Full Good 14/03/2023 Full Good 17/08/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC487549 3

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improvement to be good

The child living in the home has not consistently received an adequate standard of care from the staff team. The conduct of some staff members has contributed to incidents when the child has been in crisis. A reoccurring pattern of significant incidents has emerged, linked to weaknesses in leadership and management and staff practice.

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improvement to be good

Positive relationships have developed between some core staff members and the child. However, not all staff consistently offer the child a warm or empathetic approach. This inconsistency affects the overall quality and continuity of care provided.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not always respond consistently to the child’s complex needs and behaviours. On some occasions, staff have needed support from the police to help manage incidents. A recent fire-related incident was not managed as effectively as it could have been, and there is limited evidence that learning from this incident has been fully embedded into practice. When existing strategies were proving ineffective, there was a delay in reviewing and adapting the approach. These shortfalls have affected the quality of support provided and contributed to instability for the child, who subsequently moved from the home to ensure that their needs could be met safely elsewhere.

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improvement to be good

Risks associated with one child’s missing-from-home episodes and self-injurious behaviours were not sufficiently considered alongside the vulnerabilities of the other child living in the home. Likewise, the younger child’s history of self-harm should have prompted greater caution given the older child’s known risk of influencing others. These factors were not fully assessed, resulting in a placement decision that inadequately prioritised the safety and welfare of both children. As a result, the children had to be cared for separately until one child’s notice period ended and they moved on from the home.

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improvement to be good

Since the staff have been caring for one child, relationships have improved and the child is settled with the adults caring for them. The child likes to participate in fun activities and learning opportunities. Staff use the relationship developed with the child to encourage participation.

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improvement to be good

Staff take a proactive approach to family time. They ensure that arrangements are well organised, communication is clear, and practical support is in place so the child can enjoy meaningful, positive time with the people who matter most to them. The focus strengthens important relationships for the child. Inspection report for children’s home: SC487549 4

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improvement to be good

When children go missing from the home, they are exposed to potential risks. One child’s placing authority assessed them as being at risk of harm due to the frequency and nature of the missing-from-home episodes. Although staff made efforts to search the local area and respond to incidents, protective measures were not always implemented consistently or with the level of effectiveness required to reduce risk. Delays in securing approval for additional safety measures, such as door alarms and tamper-proof restrictors, limited the staff’s ability to respond to the known and escalating concerns.

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improvement to be good

Regulation 40 notifications are not always submitted following incidents that are accepted to be serious. This reduces the regulator’s ability to maintain effective oversight and limits opportunities for external scrutiny.

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improvement to be good

The local authority designated officer (LADO) is not consistently consulted when children raise concerns about staff practice or behaviour. This limits independent oversight and reduces some opportunities for early intervention. In addition, planning to support staff when their practice falls below expected standards is not always sufficiently robust. As a result, shortfalls are not addressed promptly, and opportunities to enhance the quality of care are delayed.

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improvement to be good

The home has several areas of practice that would benefit from further strengthening to ensure that children experience consistently safe and well-maintained surroundings. Some aspects of the environment require more timely action to minimise risks. For example, the damaged shed windows with broken acrylic glass have not yet been made safe, despite the potential hazard this presents. This is particularly important given one child’s known vulnerabilities, including self-injury and the use of sharp objects.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

A qualified manager is in post and is familiar with the child. The manager makes efforts to support the child. However, shortfalls in staff practice are not always identified or addressed, which affects the overall quality of the care provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager does not consistently evaluate or learn from serious incidents. As a result, similar situations have reoccurred, and staff responses have continued to be ineffective. This lack of reflective practice limits the team’s ability to improve safeguarding arrangements and ensure the children’s safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager cannot be assured that all staff understand what actions they should take in an emergency. On occasions, staff have not followed the basic procedures to safeguard children, including contacting emergency services and health advice lines. These shortfalls place children at increased risk and do not demonstrate that staff have the confidence to respond effectively to safeguarding concerns. Inspection report for children’s home: SC487549 5 Team meetings take place regularly; however, they lack meaningful challenge and critical reflection. Serious incidents are not explored or reviewed in sufficient depth, and opportunities to consider changes to practice are consistently missed. This limits staff learning and contributes to repeated shortfalls in safeguarding practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders, managers and staff do not consistently identify or manage risks. Staff do not demonstrate that they have a sufficient understanding of their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe. Children’s risk assessments do not consistently inform practice, and some strategies are unclear on the actions that staff are required to take to minimise and manage risks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff are not provided with additional specialist training to meet children’s individual needs. This includes areas such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and managing sexualised behaviours. As a result, not all staff have the knowledge and confidence to respond effectively to children’s complex needs. In addition, one member of staff, who has worked in the home for over four years, has still not achieved the required qualification.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff have access to regular supervision sessions. However, the quality of these sessions is variable. On occasions, managers have failed to use supervision to discuss care practices or to address areas of concern in practice. This is a missed opportunity to improve the quality of care. Inspection report for children’s home: SC487549 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 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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must consult the LADO when concerns arise about staff conduct.

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, the registered person must ensure that the risk of children going missing from home is reduced by taking adequate safeguarding measures, including ensuring that alarms and window restrictors are fit for purpose.

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Requirement Due date

Furthermore, the registered person must ensure that the home environment is safe and free of hazards, particularly when it poses a specific risk to children. 27 April 2026

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

mutual respect and trust; 27 April 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC487549 7 an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff—

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Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or Inspection report for children’s home: SC487549 8 potentially violent behaviour by children;

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Requirement Due date

understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; and

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(x)(xi)(xii)(xiii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the staff caring for children are able to manage their behavioural needs without relying on calling the police for support.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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 children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person should only accept referrals if they are confident that staff have the skills to meet the individual and group needs of the children. 27 April 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; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the 27 April 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC487549 9 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 work as a team where appropriate;

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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

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that incidents are evaluated and any learning is shared with the staff team.

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, the registered person must ensure that all staff follow policies and procedures designed to keep children safe.

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Requirement Due date

Furthermore, the registered person must ensure that any risks identified are assessed, controlled and updated to reflect any changing or emerging risks.

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each permanent appointment of an employee is subject to the satisfactory completion of a period of probation; and

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Requirement Due date

provide each employee with a job description outlining the employee’s responsibilities.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must operate a disciplinary procedure which, in particular—

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Requirement Due date

provides for the suspension from work of an employee if necessary in the interests of the safety or welfare of children; and

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Requirement Due date

provides that the failure on the part of an employee to report an incident of abuse, or suspected abuse, whether past or present, in relation to a child to the appropriate person is a ground on which disciplinary proceedings may be instituted. 27 April 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC487549 10 For the purposes of this regulation, "the appropriate person" is the registered person, an officer of HMCI, an officer of the local authority in whose area the home is located or a police officer. (Regulation 33 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(b) (3))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff supervision is used and developed to help identify practice issues and concerns and manage them.

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, the registered person must ensure that staff are trained to meet the specific individual needs of the children.

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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 involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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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—

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 27 April 2026

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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 11

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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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Inspectors

James Meeks, Social Care Inspector Hannah Longdon, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC487549 12 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

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Inspectors

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