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

Inspection report children’s home: SC475710 1 SC475710 Registered provider: Witherslack Group 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

The home is run by a private organisation and is registered for the care and accommodation of up to eight children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The registered manager has been registered since 2015.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious failures that mean children and young people are not protected and their welfare is not promoted.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: 5 December 2017

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC475710 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/12/2017 Full Outstanding 07/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 13/10/2016 Full Outstanding 23/02/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC475710 3

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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 positive relationship standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on an understanding about acceptable behaviour. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff— help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful relationships. understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children. (Regulation 11(2)(a)(vi) and (ix)) In particular, to provide children with clear boundaries and clear guidance around relationships and physical contact with adults. 19/08/2018

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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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff— understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12(2)(a)(v) and (b)) In particular, that the registered manager should provide clear and comprehensive guidance around bedtime and night time routines and around the use of any therapeutic technique involving physical contact. To monitor this and to ensure that all procedures and guidance is complied with at 19/08/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC475710 4 all times. *The leadership and management standard is that the

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Requirement Due date

registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 13(2)(a)) In particular, to ensure that staff are good role models at all times to children when they are involved in physical contact and when they are involved in one-to-one working so as to keep them safe. 19/08/2018

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The period since the previous inspection has been unsettling for some of the children and young people. This is because of the current safeguarding issues. These relate to allegations made against staff by young people and also to some significant lapses in safeguarding practice. However, in other ways many of the children and young people have made progress in areas of their lives. Most of the children and young people continue to make good progress at school, with several doing very well. Some of the older young people have enjoyed valuable work experience placements. The staff have supported many of the children and young people to improve their relationships with their families. The children and young people have been well supported by the therapy team and many have made progress with their emotional and well-being needs. The home has good resources for leisure activities. The staff encourage the children

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

and young people to be adventurous and outgoing and to participate in a wide range of activities outside of the home. Overall, although progress has been made by many of the children and young people, the concerns about their experiences of living in the home remain. The blurring of boundaries, the number of serious allegations and the consequences of these issues have created uncertainties, unhappiness and worries for the children. Inspection report children’s home: SC475710 5

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

There have been lapses in the care of the children and young people around bedtime routines and night time routines. Guidance for staff has not been as clear as it should have been, and staff care practices have at times been poor. Staff have spent time alone in children’s bedrooms with the door closed and some staff have undertaken lone work at night when they should not have done. At the time of the inspection, two male workers were suspended from duty at the home following allegations being made against them of a safeguarding nature. A third worker had been suspended, but had resigned his post just prior to the inspection. Three children and young people have made serious allegations against two of these workers. One worker was suspended following an alleged incident outside of work. Investigations into these allegations are all ongoing, but the inspector has taken account of these incidents in reaching the judgement. These allegations involve

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

grooming, inappropriate behaviour and inappropriate touching. There have also been two child protection investigations following allegations made by children and young people against peers in the home. One of these investigations is still ongoing. The outcome of the other investigation was inconclusive. The children and young people are being appropriately supported by staff. The inspector was also concerned about the manner in which a new therapeutic practice was introduced to the staff. This technique, known as ‘back story’, involves staff touching the backs of children and young people at bedtime while telling a story in order to relax them ready for sleep. The staff were given insufficient training and insufficient guidance in the use of this technique. On occasion, they have used it inappropriately and have failed to correctly record the use of it at times. There were also concerns passed to the inspector by external professionals who have

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

visited the home of there being inappropriate boundaries around physical contact between staff and children and young people. These concerns have created a blurring of boundaries around relationships and around physical contact between staff and children. They have directly led to an environment where the allegations have been made.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager is experienced and appropriately qualified. However, this has not prevented poor safeguarding practice from happening on a number of occasions. There has been a failure in the monitoring of care practices as well as a lack of sufficient training and guidance for staff. The management team has made efforts to address the current safeguarding issues. It has dealt with and reported all the allegations appropriately. Prior to the inspection, the team had started to address the issue of producing clearer guidance for staff. The team had also stopped the use of the therapeutic work until further training and guidance is available. The registered manager works closely with the staff at the learning centre, which is Inspection report children’s home: SC475710 6 on-site, and with the team of employed therapists, and this is more positive. The registered manager has provided regular supervision and training for staff and

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

they say that they feel supported by him. However, there have been significant failures which have allowed the poor practice to happen. The registered manager has overseen a lot of good work with the children and young people, but the current safeguarding concerns clearly overshadow this.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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.

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Information about this inspection

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’. Inspection report children’s home: SC475710 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Witherslack Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Witherslack Group, Lupton Tower, Lupton, Carnforth LA6 2PR

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Marcia McLoughlin

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Inspector

Colin Imrie, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC475710 8 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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