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

Inspection report children‟s home: SC475715 1 SC475715 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 operated by a private company. The home provides care for up to seven children who have social, emotional and mental health difficulties. The manager registered with Ofsted on 29 July 2015 and is appropriately qualified.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 24 to 25 September 2019

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 29 January 2019

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: N/A Inspection report children‟s home: SC475715 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/01/2019 Full Outstanding 24/07/2017 Full Outstanding 03/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 22/11/2016 Full Good Inspection report children‟s home: SC475715 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

Achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans, with particular regard to taking blood pressure. (Regulation 10 (2)(a)(i)) 01/11/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)) 01/11/2019

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children make excellent progress in all aspects of their lives. Several professionals, including placing social workers, speak very highly of the manager and staff and the quality of care provided.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff work tirelessly to ensure that children have access to the most appropriate education. Staff communicate extremely effectively with school staff. This provides a consistent approach and enables children to excel in their learning. A social worker stated: ‘The key worker has been nothing but child-focused and relentlessly advocating on his behalf.’ Older children have clear goals and ambitions. For example, one child has sat his GCSEs a year early but is keen to sit them again to achieve an even higher mark.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The improvement in the emotional and physical well-being of children is outstanding. Children new to the care experience settle quickly, living in a home with nurturing staff who provide excellent care. Some children are not yet ready for formalised in-house therapeutic support. In such instances, staff ensure that children experience warm, loving relationships in the home and provide opportunities for children to share their feelings with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children enjoy new activities and experiences. Some had never been out to the cinema Inspection report children‟s home: SC475715 4 or engaged in community activities before coming to this home. Now, they attend boxing gymnasium, banger car racing, fire cadets and swimming. Active leisure pursuits not only help children to improve their physical health but also provide opportunities to socialise and make friends. Staff work hard to ensure that children can cope with the emotional impact of meeting with their families. This has enabled such meetings to be far more positive experiences for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Care planning is excellent. Staff understand the individual, complex needs of each child. Children contribute to their plans by identifying their aspirations, how they are going to achieve these, what help they may need and the progress they have made so far. A social worker stated: ‘It is very rare to find staff so clued up on the individual child. The placement plan is fantastic and so child-focused.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children meet with staff regularly to share their views. The manager responds to decisions made during individual discussions, ensuring that children know that their views are listened to. This means that they are able to influence the quality of care that is being provided. An independent reviewing officer said, ‘The staff are brilliant, absolutely fabulous and really go the extra mile. They are professional and support the children and young people to participate in their children looked after reviews.’ This makes children feel listened to and valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff know the children extremely well. Introductions to the home are exceptionally well planned. For example, staff visited a child in their current placement numerous times, taking him out to a theme park and local attractions. Children’s routines and care needs are fully explored during this period and these then translate into very detailed care plans, risk assessments and behavioural management plans. This ensures that children’s care and support are delivered consistently. A social worker commented: ‘Staff bend over backwards to accommodate the needs of the children.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

An oversight in the recording in the home’s admission and discharge book led to three entries not having the required information. However, this has no impact on the safety and well-being of children in the home.

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

Risk assessment and risk management processes are of the highest quality. Staff understand the complex needs and behaviours of children. Excellent work with other professionals ensures that strategies to reduce risks are consistent, detailed and highly effective. Staff work with children to explore their decision-making and the consequences of their decisions. This has resulted in a dramatic reduction in the number of consequences for poor behaviour being issued in the home.

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

The manager and staff consistently role model and promote effective, positive behaviour and interaction with others. Good manners are seen as important and this helps the children and young people to develop an exceedingly strong sense of how to treat others. Many of the children can display challenging behaviour. This is exceptionally well managed because staff implement detailed behaviour management plans that are Inspection report children‟s home: SC475715 5 consistent with those used at school. Although physical intervention is occasionally used, this is always as a last resort and is appropriate. Prompt managerial oversight and excellent analysis of all such incidents ensure that any learning to improve practice is highlighted.

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

The emotional well-being of the children is given the highest priority. The staff are well trained and have a thorough understanding of the children’s needs. The staff use a number of useful resources to help and support the children. These resources are effective and accessible, ensuring that the children have fun while developing self- esteem and resilience. One area of development was a need to increase staff awareness around taking a child’s blood pressure, which is a requirement of his medication. The manager contacted the school nurse during the inspection and training was arranged for staff for later in the week.

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

The number of episodes of going missing from the home is decreasing. Four episodes of going missing were noted since the last inspection. The staff team is aware of the risks to children when they are away from home and staff make meticulous efforts to minimise such risks. The staff team makes sure that the children are aware of what they will do in each circumstance to improve safety. This means that consistent messages are given to the children, helping to reinforce the need to keep safe and make good choices.

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

The staff have a clear understanding of the impact of early childhood experiences on the ability to develop and maintain healthy relationships. They are dedicated to developing protective relationships with the children. Staff display genuine affection and warmth, ensuring that the children are safe, secure and happy in their home. Children welcome the staff bringing in their dogs to the home. They take them for walks and learn to care for the pets. A favourite is Simba who likes nothing more than to be curled up at the feet of children while they are relaxed and watching television.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has vast experience in a range of senior roles. He is supported by an excellent deputy, team leaders and the company’s responsible individual. This combination ensures that there is high-quality leadership in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff team brings a wealth of varied experiences and diverse skills from a range of childcare, prison and youth work backgrounds. Excellent work with professionals from other organisations, such as an independent guardian, therapeutic workers and school staff, provides further support for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff enjoy a range of training opportunities. These include online courses, group training and extensive courses in topics such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Managerial supervision is complemented by peer supervision, giving staff more time to explore topics relevant to the needs of children. Team meetings provide opportunities for sharing good practice, leading to consistent approaches to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Partnership working is excellent. Staff and managers work exceptionally well with Inspection report children‟s home: SC475715 6 parents, carers, social workers and other professionals. Communication is excellent. Social workers are provided with a detailed written report each month so that they know what their child has done. Social workers speak very highly of the staff and the managers and quote examples of how working together has improved the lives of children and families.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is innovative and encourages this in his staff team. He clearly uses wide- ranging research to inform practice and to help the staff to develop and learn more about the work and the needs of the individual children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager, deputies and staff team work relentlessly to promote positive outcomes for all the children. They fully recognise the value of developing the children’s confidence, self-esteem and resilience. They provide an environment in the home in which the children can thrive and achieve.

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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: SC475715 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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Inspector

Elaine Clare: social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC475715 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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