Children's Home run by Witherslack Group Limited in Darlington

Inspection report children’s home: 1159763 1 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 seven children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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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: 20 November 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1159763 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/11/2018 Full Outstanding 09/01/2018 Full Outstanding 27/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 27/04/2016 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: 1159763 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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— mutual respect and trust; an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and positive responses to other children and adults. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same. (Regulation 11(1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(x)) 17/12/2019

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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— assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)(vii)) 17/12/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes— within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person 17/12/2019 Inspection report children’s home: 1159763 4 or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35(3)(a)(c))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people live in a spacious home with multiple areas for solo and group activities. Some areas of the home have been redecorated with the input of children and young people. In response to children and young people expressing their views, there are also plans for further developments. This demonstrates that children and young people are consulted, which makes them feel respected and valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people make progress. They all attend the school which is on the same site as the home. Children and young people have their needs identified and appropriate plans are in place to support their development. For some, it is the support they have received to develop positive relationships that is evidence of significant progress from their starting points.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people take part in a broad range of activities in the local and wider area. Projects include raising money for charity to benefit the community. Children and young people are learning about the world around them, which helps them to develop a sense of their own identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people are encouraged to lead healthy lives. The manager shares information with her team about specific diagnoses so that children and young people’s health needs can be understood.

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

Children and young people are learning about being safe. They receive key-working sessions on topics such as online safety, to help them develop skills to keep themselves safe. Children and young people are helped to recognise the signs of bullying. Sanctions Inspection report children’s home: 1159763 5 are imposed when bullying occurs, to help children and young people understand that bullying in the home is not tolerated. These boundaries are important because they help children and young people to feel safe.

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

The risk assessments in place do not always capture all known areas of vulnerability. This has not had a direct impact on children and young people. However, if all key information is not included in assessments, it is not possible to ensure that all risks to children and young people are understood.

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

Restraint is used appropriately when it is necessary to keep children, young people and others safe. There have been times when the views of children and young people have not been sought after the use of restraint. This means that some incidents are not fully evaluated, which is a missed opportunity to learn how to further help and protect children and young people.

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

There have been no safeguarding concerns. However, the manager must ensure that all staff are familiar with the home’s child protection policies. Safeguarding practice needs to be clearly understood to ensure that in the event of a safeguarding concern, children and young people would be supported appropriately.

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

The inspector observed that children and young people were relaxed and confident with staff. There are effective links with external agencies, such as the police. It is the cooperative/collaborative nature of these relationships that helps to ensure that children and young people are protected.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been many changes to the staffing of this home, including the manager and members of the care team. The manager has identified areas that she wishes to improve, which include taking a different approach to behaviour management. She has begun to lead her team to drive improvement forward.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is respected by her staff, who share her vision to embed nurture into the lives of the children and young people. One parent described her as ‘a breath of fresh air’. The manager and her team consult children and young people regularly and use this information to improve the care that they provide. This approach shows children and young people that they are involved in decisions, which gives them a sense of control.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager can clearly identify areas for development. There is good evidence of practice being challenged and of her guiding and supporting staff in team meetings. Staff do not always receive supervision regularly. This is a missed opportunity for the manager to address practice and support her team.

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Information about this inspection

Inspection report children’s home: 1159763 6 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: 1159763 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

Paula Kelly: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1159763 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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