Services we provide

Ofsted registration of a new children’s home or a residential family centre can often be a daunting and complex process, particularly, if you are new to the sector.  The registration process normally takes up to 16 weeks (once planning permission has been obtained).  RLS Consultancy Services can provide a full registration service, which includes: 

• Assisting with planning
• Developing and reviewing your paperwork including statement of purpose, policies and procedure.
• Advice and support with recruitment including Manager and Responsible Individual
• Support in completing of Ofsted’s registration application
• Property audit – is the property fit for purpose
• Assist in developing and reviewing policies and procedures
• Advice and support with the Fit Person’s Interview

When a children’s home finds itself in the unfortunate position of being issued with an Ofsted compliance notice (s) and/or restriction, we can provide valuable advice and support to help your home get through this difficult period, by:

• Developing an action plan to meet the compliance notices
• Supporting the management team in implementation change/progress of the action plan
• Supporting management in dialogue with the inspector
• Providing pre-inspection quality assurance audits
• Providing on-going expertise on Ofsted inspection framework, regulations and quality standards

We can provide an Independent Person to carry out a one-off unannounced quality assurance visit and report (in line with Regulation 44); including a Safeguarding Audit.  Providers tend to use our services prior to Ofsted registration or Ofsted inspection

Our monitoring visits and reports, will generally include:

• Observations of day-to-day practice
• Review of key files, documents, policies and procedures
• Review of staff files, quality of supervisions and team meetings
• Discussions/meeting with young people, staff, management and other professionals
• Audit of premises including health and safety requirements
• Review of regulation 44 reporting and previous Ofsted inspection reports

We are also able to provide a monthly Independent Regulation 44 visitor.

In line with ‘Statutory guidance on children who run away or go missing from home or care’, we can provide Independent Return Interviewers to meet with children and young people within 72 hours of their return home.  ​The interview provides an opportunity to hear about why child/young person went missing and to understand the risks and issues faced while they were missing.

RLS Consultancy Services can offer Independent Investigations, undertaking disciplinaries, mediation and independent complaint investigations. Our consultants have many years of experience of undertaking such work, and have valuable insight into HR processes and procedures within the children’s home and education sectors.

We help to develop and implement an effective marketing programme, which not only delivers brand awareness, but increases customer numbers and improves the bottom line.  We can also boast your current marketing campaigns by more effective and sustained targeting.  In addition, we have extensive links with LA commissioning teams.  Are you getting the right referrals for your business, if not we can certainly assist in driving the business to you.

We can provide direct one to one regular supervision of manager and/or responsible individual, in-line with Ofsted requirements.  We are also able to provide on-going mentoring and coaching for new home managers and responsible individuals and can include regular telephone support and monitoring. 

Training catered to residential family centres and the children's home sector, delivered by experts with many years experience within the sector.