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 .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the last inspection, two requirements and three recommendations were raised to improve practice. Both requirements and all but one of the recommendations have been addressed. This shows that managers and staff learn from inspection and implement changes to help young people to make progress.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home’s education champion has taken steps to meet with school teachers to discuss young people’s progress. As a result, she is better placed to understand the content of school reports and is able to share this with managers and other staff. This enables staff to understand how well young people are doing academically and which areas they need additional support in. Staff support young people’s learning at home. For example, they are supporting one young person to learn to understand money, and they are helping another young person with their reading. This helps young people to reach their potential.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Improved recording and monitoring systems ensure that managers have better oversight of the training and development needs of staff. Training files now contain documentary evidence to show that staff have completed their level 3 qualification in caring for children and young people. More staff have completed training on e- safety and the safe administration of medication. Plans outline the training priorities for the year ahead. As a result, managers provide sufficient training opportunities to help staff to keep up to date with the skills and knowledge they need to meet the needs of young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

A new format for recording young people’s risk assessments has been implemented. As a result, these documents are now easy for staff to understand and follow, which helps to safeguard young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff work hard to listen to young people. They take time to talk to young people and to understand their worries and wishes. Furthermore, staff act on young people’s wishes and feelings and are good advocates for them. For example, one young person wants to return to his home area to live. Managers have met with the placing authority and taken the young person’s views into account. A new contact plan has been devised which will help towards shaping the young person’s next steps. Another young person has chosen where she wants to live when she moves on to semi-independence. Her new home is in the area where she wants to be and so she is happy with this outcome. Listening to young people helps them to feel valued and allows young people to forge trusting relationships with staff.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people live in a warm environment and they are supported by staff who genuinely care. This helps young people to make progress in different aspects of their development. For example, one young person is becoming more confident in expressing his wants and needs and will now say when he is not happy with something. Social workers report positively on the care provided to young people. One social worker said: ‘The atmosphere whenever you come in is just wonderful. It is all natural. X loves it here – he is relaxed and coming on in leaps and bounds.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff manage young people’s challenging behaviour well. They implement consequences that are fair and proportionate. This enables young people to understand how their behaviour impacts on themselves and others. It is rare that physical intervention is required and there has been just one restraint since the last inspection. The manager ensures that debriefs with the people involved are carried out to ensure that restraint practice is safe.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people occasionally go missing from home. Staff respond quickly and take action to ensure that young people are located and return safely. One young person went missing for an extended period of time recently. Managers and staff liaised effectively with the placing authority and the police. This collaborative working helped to achieve a positive outcome. Good planning for the young person’s return ensured that he was welcomed home appropriately. He continues to receive good support to minimise the risk of reoccurrence.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff work hard to settle young people in when they first arrive at the home and young people say that they have been made to feel welcome. Staff also support young people with their transition on from the home. They take them to visit their new accommodation and have meetings with relevant professionals to review young people’s individual needs in preparation for their next steps.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This inspection highlighted shortfalls in some aspects of care planning. Managers and staff have not familiarised themselves with the information available about a young person who is new to the home. Furthermore, some of the background information contained in this young person’s records lacks sufficient detail. This makes it difficult fully to understand and evaluate the level of risk that this young person may pose to himself and others. As a result, managers and staff have not fully prepared for the arrival of this young person and cannot evidence that they have chased up outstanding information. This does not fully promote the welfare and safety of young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Initiatives to promote healthy eating and healthy lifestyles that were being implemented at the time of the last inspection have not progressed quickly enough. Some young people’s health is at risk because of their eating patterns, and robust action is necessary to address this. The efforts made by some staff are not being consistently applied by everyone and this undermines any progress that is being made. In addition, staff have not arranged a dental appointment for one young person within the timescale outlined in his plan, or supported another young person to attend the dental hospital for follow up treatment. A requirement is raised to ensure that staff take action to meet the health needs of all young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The quality of external monitoring reports is variable. For example, reports contain some good evaluation of the home’s function and its ability to promote young people’s welfare. However, one report contained factual inaccuracies and did not clearly explain a safeguarding concern. In addition, the visitor does not regularly seek the views of professionals, and when appropriate, young people’s parents. This dilutes the quality of independent monitoring and is an area identified for improvement.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home is largely maintained to a good standard, providing a comfortable physical environment for young people to live in. Some young people individualise their rooms to reflect their personality and interests, whereas other young people require more support to help them to manage this. The ventilation in one young person’s ensuite bathroom needs attention to minimise the effect of condensation. A recommendation is raised so that consistently good standards are maintained in all young people’s bedrooms.

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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 who have emotional and/or behaviour difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 22/11/2016 Full Good 14/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 05/01/2016 Full Good 25/03/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person(s) meets 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

In order to meet the health and well-being standard, the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

(1)(a) the health and well-being needs of children are met.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, that young people are provided with support to maintain a healthy lifestyle and access necessary dental treatment. 14/04/2017

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the care planning standard, the registered person must ensure that children—

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Requirement Due date

(1)(a) receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that clarification of pre-placement information is sought, when necessary, from the placing authority and that managers and staff fully understand the known risks of each young person admitted to the home. 14/04/2017

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff meet children’s basic day-to-day needs and physical necessities in the way that a good parent would, recognising that many children in residential care have experienced environments in which these needs have not been consistently met. Doing so is an important aspect of demonstrating that the staff care for the child and value them as an individual. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7) Specifically, in relation to staff supporting young people, when necessary, to maintain their bedrooms and ensuring that there is adequate ventilation in young people’s bathrooms to avoid damage caused by condensation.

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the independent person makes a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph, 15.5)

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Recommendations

In particular, that reports accurately reflect missing episodes, any safeguarding incidents are clearly explained and more consistent efforts are made to contact professionals and, when appropriate, young people’s parents to seek their views about the home.

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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. Whenever 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 0300 123 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, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for children looked after 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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