Children's home run by Witherslack Group Limited in Westmorland and Furness

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness . This home continues to be well managed and led by an experienced and suitably qualified registered manager. He is effective in motivating and supporting his staff team to provide a high quality of care to the young people residing at the home. The home is spacious, well furnished and extremely well maintained. It provides a very comfortable, nurturing and homely environment that enables young people to achieve stability and to develop a good sense of belonging. Young people speak highly of the home and staff, identifying extremely supportive relationships with staff that make them feel safe and well cared for. One young person said, ‘It is really good living here. All young people in this home get on with certain members of staff; they all get on with most. I have a better

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

relationship with (Name). I can talk to him if I have any problems.’ Another young person said, ‘I am still happy here. I really like the staff; they are nice. They make you feel welcome and happy. They listen and they go out of their way to get things for us.’ Two requirements were made at the home’s last full inspection in January 2016. These have both been suitably addressed, further strengthening the effectiveness of leadership and management arrangements. This includes the implementation of a new system to ensure that all relevant parties are successfully notified, in accordance with regulation, when young people are admitted and discharged from the home. The registered manager identifies this new system as further supporting the good and already established relationships that the home has with many local professionals and organisations. The registered manager has also reasonably improved his internal monitoring

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

process to ensure that critical evaluation results from his findings. This has enabled the home to achieve a clearer view of its strengths and successfully identify priorities for further development and action. This activity supports the good external monitoring arrangements that exist to promote the home’s continuous improvement. In addition, one recommendation resulted from the last inspection. This has led to the home increasing its consultation with young people, to include their views when assessing staff professional development. Young people participate by completing short feedback forms that enable them to provide their opinions and views specifically on the quality of care and support that they receive from their key workers. This provides an additional opportunity for young people to have their say and to have their views heard, as well as informing the annual staff appraisal process. Young people enjoy a good range of activities that provide good fun, excitement

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

and positive physical exercise that promotes their health and emotional well-being. These activities include go-karting, football, biking and theatre trips that some young people say that they have really enjoyed. Young people have experienced a very settled period since the last inspection. There have not been any new admissions or young people discharged from the home to unsettle their routines. They continue to make good progress in all areas of their development, in relation to their starting points. The home continues to maintain good communication and contact with young people’s families. This ensures that family members are appropriately involved in young people’s lives and kept up to date with their progress.

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Information about this children's home

 The home is registered to care for up to seven young people.  This children’s home is operated by a private organisation.  The home provides care and accommodation for young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

25/03/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection, we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the ‘Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection’.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference that adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after. This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service 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 guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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