Children's Home run by A Wilderness Way Limited in Northumberland

Inspection report children’s home: SC474894 1 SC474894 Registered provider: A Wilderness Way 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 provides accommodation for up to three children or young people. The primary focus is to work with young females who may be at risk of exploitation and who may present with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is operated by a private company. The registered manager has been registered since 2018.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 24 to 25 September 2018

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 15 January 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC474894 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/01/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 04/07/2017 Full Good 31/01/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 02/08/2016 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: SC474894 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, the 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 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— help each child to understand how to keep safe; have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; and take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)) 24/10/2018

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (‘the independent person’s report’) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether— children are effectively safeguarded; and the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to— HMCI. (Regulation 44 (4)(a)(b) and (7)(a)) 31/10/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)) 24/10/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC474894 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s care plans are individualised. The plans assist staff in following agreed goals and specifically provide stability in children’s lives. The level of nurturing and positivity demonstrated by staff is good. The staff provide consistent care messages which focus on maintaining good progress in all aspects of children’s development. Close supervision and engagement with children quickly encourages the development of trusting relationships. Each individual child has three key workers, which enables staff to provide the best possible level of support in terms of focused and consistent care. Parents, families and professionals are pivotal to the overall care and sharing of information. All children are in some form of education and staff engage with educational professionals to ensure that progress is maintained. When children have not attended, or not attended consistently, prior to arrival at the home, they are quickly established in

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

local schools that meet their individual needs. Steps are positive in establishing routines when it comes to education. Children, staff and professionals positively work together to provide a flexible approach to attendance. Any blips in attendance by children are sensitively addressed and they are supported to move forward with support. This approach helps children to prepare for their future and strengthens their emotional resilience. The children are supported in their health needs. The staff work with a range of health providers, generic and specialist, to ensure that children’s physical and emotional health needs are met. The children’s understanding of healthier lifestyles, including the importance of healthy eating and oral hygiene, enhances their feelings of self-worth and self-esteem as they take pride in themselves. The children are encouraged to take part in a variety of activities, such as camping,

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

horse-riding and practical interests like cooking. Independence is supported by carrying out general household tasks, preparing meals individually and for groups, and maintaining their own laundry and bedrooms to an acceptable level of cleanliness. This helps children to develop core skills which prepare them for their future. Children are encouraged and supported to make changes in their lives. Attendance at children’s reviews is expected and positive support enables the children to confidently express their views and opinions. One child said about her looked after review: ‘It went well; it was really positive. If you say nothing, they don’t know what you want.’ She had prepared her own review with support from her key worker. This support enabled the child’s voice to be heard. This promotes confidence and a sense of control for children in their lives. Transitions are managed very effectively to and from the home. A key worker for one

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

child had completed a memory book for her and gave her a glass jar full of positive messages to read at any time. The staff also provided a survival kit based on things the staff knew she may turn to when she is feeling low or stressed. This is individual knowledge about children that the staff have developed through close working, very Inspection report children’s home: SC474894 5 supportive, nurturing relationships. The children leave with positive memories and strengthened emotional resilience. Children are supported in maintaining positive contact with their families. The staff work proactively with relevant local authorities to ensure that contact is supported. Accommodation is sourced locally, and transport is provided by staff to enable the children who are placed a significant distance from home to spend quality time with their families. Children are also supported to have overnight contact in these arrangements,

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

which supports their well-being and promotes their sense of identity.

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

The staff team has a wealth of knowledge and experience in meeting the specific needs of the children placed. High levels of supervision by staff and consistent positive parenting messages enable the children to feel safe. Boundaries and expectations are explained to children daily, which helps them to settle quickly. The response is notable in the significant reduction in missing from care episodes. Risk assessments and well-written behavioural support plans are individualised and effectively address known vulnerabilities associated with child sexual exploitation. The staff work collaboratively with local and national police forces in gathering intelligence and sharing of key information. This maintains a high level of supportive care that promotes children’s safety and enables recovery in a safe environment, emotionally and physically. Children are helped to regain confidence and make safe, informed choices associated

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

with everyday living. Staff provide opportunities for children to develop trust and to enjoy time in the community, either with a member of staff, on their own or with friends. This time can be spent attending a local gym, which is encouraged, to enable the children to benefit from a health and fitness perspective as well as build trust and a sense of well-being. A social worker noted that this also supports one particular child to gain respect and promotes her development and maturity, something that she struggled with in a previous placement. Children are placed from a variety of towns and cities, and cultural differences are apparent. The staff support awareness and management of conflicts between children proactively. It was recorded by the inspector that children had been brought together by staff in a controlled, safe environment in the home to discuss their differences. Management of this situation helped children develop their overall awareness of others,

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

but positively reinforced respect in each other and of their cultural differences. One incident of behaviour displayed by a child resulted in a rare moment of inconsistency in adhering to boundaries and expectations in the home. A member of staff left the home, due to hours worked, while a child was not settled. Decision-making was not reliant entirely on staff management in terms of de-escalation and the police had to be called. The home quickly settled thereafter; however, during that moment, staff’s practice did not promote children’s safety. This has been noted and identified as a learning experience by management. Inspection report children’s home: SC474894 6

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is very experienced and is engaged in achieving the necessary qualification. She is supported by able deputies and a strong senior leadership team. Together, they have high aspirations for children and ensure that the ethos of the home is based on positivity and a desire to maximise each child’s potential to achieve positive outcomes. The manager works collaboratively with external professionals and families to enhance her thorough understanding of the needs of the children and how to meet them. Information is recorded and shared with professionals as part of agreed care planning and management of risk. Care plans are updated, and challenges are appropriately made to ensure that progress is always forward thinking. The staff team is provided with a comprehensive training programme that involves a highly effective, focused aspect on current vulnerabilities of the children placed. This

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

level of knowledge enhances the skills and awareness of a highly competent team. Supervision is thorough and supportive. Team meetings are routinely used to discuss individual needs of children and used as an opportunity to enhance reflective case discussion as a group. This supports overall team ownership and expectations in terms of level of practice. A member of staff said: ‘The staff team knows the girls inside out. The team is diverse; everyone checks in with each other constantly while on shift. They care for each other and know each other’s strengths. There is a therapeutic ethos as opposed to a specific therapeutic model which underpins the way the children’s home cares for the children.’ Morale is good, which supports a healthy working environment that ultimately enables children to flourish. The manager uses internal and external monitoring procedures and detailed evaluative reports to identify areas for development to build on the home’s strengths. However,

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

reports are not routinely sent to HMCI. Additionally, revisions to the home’s statement of purpose are not sent to HMCI within the expected timescales. The physical environment is maintained to a high standard, both internally and externally. Children are provided with a warm and homely environment. Individuality is apparent in the decoration of bedrooms and throughout the decor of the home. There have been three requirements made at this inspection. Inspection report children’s home: SC474894 7

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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: SC474894 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: A Wilderness Way Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Manor House, Brisco, Carlisle CA4 0QS

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Inspector

Michael Dack: social care inspector Jane Titley: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC474894 9 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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