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 Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a private organisation. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to eight children and young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The experienced and qualified manager registered with Ofsted in November 2014.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/08/2018 Full Good 04/07/2018 Full Inadequate 05/12/2017 Full Outstanding 07/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC475710 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people make clear progress from their starting points. They continue to live in the home for a long time. They build positive relationships with their carers, many of whom they have known for several years. Children and young people are confident in their surroundings and refer to the home as ‘their home’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people make progress with their education. They attend school every day and as a result, their academic attainment improves. Because of the focus on education, children and young people who move into the home develop good school attendance. For some, this is evidence of significant progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people are generally healthy. They attend routine and urgent health appointments. Some children have been to the dentist for the first time in many years. Those who have long-term medical conditions see an improvement in their health. Because of the care that members of staff provide, children and young people are increasingly well and are learning the importance of good health routines.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

An experienced mental health professional provides advice to members of staff about the children and young people. This improves the knowledge and skills of the staff team. Members of staff develop insight into the difficulties of the children and young people and improve their understanding about how to respond to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The wishes and feelings of children and young people are sought regularly. For example, as well as helping to devise menus and activities, they contribute to the children’s and young people’s guide and take part in recruitment events. As a result, children and young people learn that they have a voice and can influence their world.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people take part in a wide range of activities, including going on holiday. Several children and young people are in sports teams. Others enjoy hobbies away from the home. Some children and young people are working during the summer holidays. These activities are good for their physical and emotional well-being. Children and young people are developing their social skills and positive memories of living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Members of staff help children and young people to spend time with their families safely, including when they live a long way from the home. This supports the identity of children and young people, even when there are safeguarding issues.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most children and young people move on from this home after good planning and positive engagement with other professionals. Members of staff listen to the views of children and young people about moving from the home. On one occasion, the transition plans for a young person lacked clarity and did not consider the range of potential difficulties that the young person may face. Inspection report children’s home: SC475710 3

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

Children and young people are generally safe and feel safe. Members of staff use individualised risk assessments to identify concerns and to plan appropriate strategies. Children and young people told the inspector that they feel safer now than they did at the previous inspection. They feel confident that they can speak to any member of staff if they have any concerns and that appropriate action will be taken.

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

Children and young people are not involved in criminal activity. They do not have significant issues with substance misuse. They are not currently involved in exploitative relationships. Members of staff carry out educational work with children and young people about these and other issues and arrange specific support if necessary. Because of this work, children and young people know more about the risks that they might encounter and who to ask for help.

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

Children and young people rarely go missing from the home. When they do, members of staff follow the correct procedures, including going out to look for them. Children and young people always speak to an independent person on their return to the home. Because of the approach of members of staff, children and young people learn that their carers worry about them and will do what they can to keep them safe.

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

Members of staff use their positive relationships with children and young people to encourage good behaviour. The home uses a model of behaviour management that the children and young people accept. As a result, children and young people are becoming increasingly settled and the number of significant incidents is reducing.

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

When members of staff intervene physically to keep children and young people safe, they follow the correct procedures. The child or young person always speaks to a senior member of staff about their experiences. There is significant emphasis on helping the child or young person and member of staff to understand the impact on each other of the intervention.

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

Members of staff know the importance of professional boundaries with the children and young people. There have been no concerns about safeguarding or unprofessional practice since the last inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have taken steps to address the issues that were a concern in previous inspections. All requirements made at that time are met. New processes have been introduced to ensure that members of staff always safeguard children and young people in their care. No further concerns have been raised.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has improved his understanding about the impact of the home’s culture on children and young people. The registered manager should continue to increase their knowledge and skills of this subject. This should include ongoing development with the staff team. Inspection report children’s home: SC475710 4 Members of staff told the inspector that supervision sessions are more effective than they were. For example, sessions always include safeguarding issues and opportunity for reflection. As a result of these improvements, children and young people are looked after by staff who are providing them with safer care that meets their individual needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All members of staff, including leaders and managers, attend training events that help them to meet the needs of children and young people. Most training is face-to-face, which members of staff value more than online training. All members of staff are appropriately qualified or will be within required timescales. Children and young people are looked after by carers who have the knowledge to meet their needs to a high standard.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers take effective action against members of staff who place children and young people at risk of harm. Action taken is proportionate and swift. This means that children and young people are protected from the time that concerns are raised.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

New members of staff begin working in the home after their suitability has been confirmed by safe recruitment practices. This includes the required induction and training. Because of the approach to recruitment, all new members of staff have performed well and contribute to the safeguarding culture in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager knows the strengths and weaknesses of the home and has effective monitoring systems that identify gaps in practice. The views of children and young people, professionals, family members and members of staff are sought and acted on. Because of the efforts made by the registered manager, children and young people are safe and they continue to make progress. Inspection report children’s home: SC475710 5

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Recommendations

 Staff must help each child to prepare for any moves from the home, whether they are returning home, moving to another placement or adult care, or to live independently. This includes supporting the child to develop emotional and mental resilience to cope without the home’s support and, where the child is moving to live independently, practical skills such as cooking, housework, budgeting and personal self-care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.27) In particular, the registered person should ensure that any plans to move children and young people to another placement are made on the basis of assessment of needs and abilities. Any child or young person should only move on after successfully completing appropriate independence skills work.  The registered person is responsible for leading a team which provides high quality care for all children living in the home. They must lead and manage the

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Recommendations

home in a way that delivers the ethos, outcomes and approach set out in the home’s Statement of Purpose. They should also play a key role in shaping the ethos of the home through developing a culture of high aspiration for children which is demonstrated through the care, resources and opportunities offered to the children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.4) In particular, leaders and managers should improve their skills and knowledge about the impact of the culture and ethos of group living on children and young people.

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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 6

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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

Jane Titley: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC475710 7 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 in care, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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