It’s another positive Ofsted judgement with Bridge House good in all areas

Bridge House, one of our Restorative residential homes where we care for looked after children, and where three young people live, has recently been judged as good, by Ofsted, in all three of the inspection areas. Bridge House is managed by Chris Godridge, one of Restorative’s registered managers for whom this is his first inspection.

Dave Copping, Residential Service Manager, says, “The three areas the inspectors look at are: overall experiences and progress of the young people, how well young people are protected, and the effectiveness of us, as managers and leaders. We are really pleased to have attracted the judgement of good in all three of these areas. Chris has done really well with his first inspection”.

The Ofsted inspection took place over two days, on the 11th and 12th January, with inspectors talking to Chris, other senior management, support staff and the children and young people who live at Bridge House.

The inspectors noted how the children have positive experiences living at the home and how staff take them out on lots of different activities, including, walking, to theme parks and to the cinema. But also, that the staff are positive role models for the children, enabling the children to be able to build trust and positive attachments with adults.

Where children struggle in school, Ofsted noted Restorative’s multi-agency approach by holding meetings with education providers, social workers and staff, to discuss children’s plans. This means that the children’s plans are able to be flexible according to their needs, which means they do much better in school.
Other positive comments include the good routine of the children, that they are supported with a balanced diet and journey of independence, with children able to independently travel on public transport.

“We are particularly pleased that we were noted for our culture of aspiration and achievement for children and staff at Bridge House. This means children get the highest standard of care, which all children deserve,” says Chris.

Ofsted commented on how senior management are respected by staff and professionals and how they create a culture where children are supported to aim high and succeed in life.