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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC061158 1 SC061158 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

This home is operated by a private provider. It provides care for one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2026.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living in this home, and they spoke with the inspector.

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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: 10 September 2024

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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 children’s home: SC061158 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/09/2024 Full Good 01/08/2023 Full Good 03/08/2021 Full Inadequate 29/05/2019 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC061158 3

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Summary of findings

The child living in the home is making some progress. This includes staff working to support their education and their relationships with people who are important to them. However, this progress has been undermined by a number of instances of staff not responding in line with the child’s plans, when managing risks the child faces. Furthermore, managers have not ensured that staffing of the home is consistent and robust. This has affected the child’s ability to build positive and trusting relationships with many of the staff who care for them.

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improvement to be good

There have been significant staffing changes since the child has moved to the home. Although the child has some positive relationships with staff, inconsistency in staffing has affected the strength of these relationships. The child has on numerous occasions been cared for by new staff, who they do not know, and managers have not implemented an effective plan to increase consistency in staffing. While the child is mainly positive about living in the home, they raise concerns about often being cared for by staff, who they do not know.

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improvement to be good

The child’s bedroom has not always been maintained to an appropriate standard. While there is a plan in place to support the child with this, staff have not always followed it, and the condition of the child’s bedroom has, at times, deteriorated. Additionally, there are other areas in the home and garden that require maintenance to ensure that the child lives in a positive environment.

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improvement to be good

The child is helped to make progress in their education. Staff have helped the child to overcome barriers to education when there has not been provision available in the local area. This helps to ensure that the child receives education that meets their needs, while providing the opportunity to make new friendships and to socialise.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the importance of play. This helps the child to feel safe and able to learn in ways that are suited to their needs. Staff encourage the child to access positive activities and help to ensure their time is appropriately occupied.

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improvement to be good

The child knows how to make a complaint or to raise any worries that they may have. Staff have supported the child to make complaints about external agencies, when the child has been unhappy with their responses. The child has the support of an independent advocate, which helps to ensure their wishes and feelings are heard.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children when they move to and from the home. Before the child moved to the home a comprehensive plan was put in place. This included the child being able to Inspection report children’s home: SC061158 4 meet staff and start to build relationships with them. When children leave the home, they are supported with a clear plan, and this helps them be prepared for their moves and start to settle into their new homes.

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improvement to be good

There have been a number of incidents of the child being missing from home. Staff responses to these incidents are inconsistent. On some occasions, they have been proactive in looking for the child and notifying relevant agencies and professionals. However, the child is not always reported missing from home promptly and staff are not always clear about what free time the child can have, particularly at times of increased risk. While, overall, there has been a clear reduction in missing incidents, inconsistent responses when incidents do occur have affected the safety of the child.

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improvement to be good

The child was restrained by a staff member, who was not appropriately trained, and a more experienced staff member failed to challenge this. Staff had also failed to effectively de-escalate the situation before this occurred. Furthermore, staff did not record the incident as a restraint, meaning it was unclear for managers exactly what interventions had been used. While the manager identified this concern and took clear actions in response, this incident was a poor experience for the child and affected their relationships with staff.

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improvement to be good

The manager ensures that detailed risk management plans are in place that include clear strategies for staff to support the child. However, staff do not always follow these plans, and information relating to the safeguarding of children is not always shared appropriately. The manager has effective oversight of staff practice and responds appropriately when shortfalls are identified. Nevertheless, the identified shortfalls demonstrate that safeguarding practice has not always been consistent.

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improvement to be good

The manager completes debriefs with staff following significant incidents. These are comprehensive and trauma responsive discussions that help staff reflect on how they have managed incidents and how practice can be improved.

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improvement to be good

Staff and children have support from a therapeutic practitioner, who supports with case formulation, interventions and therapy. This intervention helps staff to have a different perspective about the child’s needs and understand these better.

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

Managers have not always ensured that staff working with the child are aware of the information they need to care for them safely. They do not provide time for new staff working with the child to familiarise themselves with the child’s plans. Furthermore, managers have not fully considered whether staffing levels are suitable to meet the child’s needs and enable staff to have flexibility in how they respond to different situations. Inspection report children’s home: SC061158 5 The manager has a clear vision for the home and consistently encourages staff to respond to the child in line with the home’s model of care. The manager has built a positive and trusting relationship with the child, and ensures that language used is child centred, and that staff understand behaviour in the context of the child’s lived experiences. This helps staff to remain focused on the child’s needs during times when the child is feeling distressed.

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

The manager builds positive relationships with external professionals and the child’s family members. Communication between the manager, family and professionals consistently describe the manager as therapeutic and child centred in her approach. These strong working relationships help to create a positive and collaborative network around the child, ensuring that everyone involved in their care works together to meet their needs.

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

When staff supervision sessions and team meetings take place, these are thorough and comprehensive. They provide a space for staff to reflect on their practice and discuss how to improve the experiences of the child. However, team meetings and supervisions are sometimes missed due to challenges with staff shortages. This means the opportunities which are provided are not as frequent as they could be, limiting the amount of learning and support that staff are provided with.

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

The home’s statement of purpose contains factual inaccuracies. This means that stakeholders and placing authorities do not have an up to date and accurate understanding of how the provider cares for their child. Inspection report children’s home: SC061158 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, 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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2) (a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, staff must understand and follow agreed procedures when children are experiencing emotional upset or are missing from home. 25 September 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 promotes their welfare. 25 September 2026 Inspection report children’s home: SC061158 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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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;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that only appropriately trained staff are involved in incidents of restraint, that there are sufficient staff to meet the needs of children, that staff are provided with the information they need to meet the needs of children and that staffing of the home helps provide continuity of care for children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure; 25 September 2026 Inspection report children’s home: SC061158 8 a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(b) (2) (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must ensure that children live in an environment that is clean, hygienic and well maintained. 25 September 2026

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction;

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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 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.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees— 25 September 2026 Inspection report children’s home: SC061158 9 receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (1)(a) (2) (4)(b))

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Recommendations

 The manager should develop and keep under review the "Statement of Purpose" (regulation 16 and schedule 1) and ensure that it remains child-focused, and provides accurate information about how the home provides individualised care to meet the Quality Standards for the children in their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.5)

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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’. The inspection started on 4 August 2026. An inspector returned on 2 September 2026 to gather additional evidence in line with Ofsted inspections and visits: deferring, pausing and gathering additional evidence policy. Inspection report children’s home: SC061158 10

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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

Shaun Martin, Social Care Inspector Joe Matkar-Cox, Social Care Regulatory Inspection Manager Inspection report children’s home: SC061158 11 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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Inspectors

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