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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC475723 1 SC475723

p.1

Witherslack Group Ltd

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The children’s home is privately owned and registered to care for nine children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since January 2017.

p.1

This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged as requires improvement at the last inspection in October 2019.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, Ofsted has received several notifications of significant events that have occurred in the home. Information in the notifications raised concerns regarding the management of children’s behaviour and risks to their safety and well-being. Therefore, a decision was made to conduct a monitoring visit.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The inspectors found evidence that the registered manager and staff have not always taken effective action to keep children safe. For example, when a child raised concerns about staff practice during a physical restraint, this was not acted on or reported to the relevant professionals.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The registered managers oversight of risk management is poor. For example, following an incident where a child had attached a ligature to a door closure mechanism, no action was taken to minimise the risk of this happening again. The child’s risk assessment was not updated and the door mechanism remained in place. Furthermore, insufficient numbers of staff have received specialist training in the use of rescue knives. There are occasions when there are staff on duty who have not received this training, and this fails to safeguard children.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Risk assessments do not contain sufficient details about children’s known vulnerabilities. For example, a concern that two children were involved in a sexual Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC475723 2 relationship with each other was not adequately assessed and no strategies were in place to support staff to manage the relationship safely.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Some risk assessments lacked details about the control measures in place to reduce risk. For example, despite knowing that a child smoked in their bedroom, there was no clear plan in place to ensure that the child did not have access to lighters or matches. This means that staff are not always provided with clear guidance on how to keep children safe.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Staff do not always follow the instructions contained within children’s risk assessments. For example, staff failed to conduct a room search following an incident where a child had self-harmed, despite an instruction to do so written in the child’s risk assessment. This demonstrates that staff lack an understanding of their roles and responsibilities in relation to the protection of children.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The health needs of children are not always responded to effectively. For example, when one child was admitted, she was known to require treatment for a verruca. She also had a number of immunisations outstanding because she had refused to have them. Despite living in the home for over five months, staff were unable to explain if action had been taken to treat her verruca, and no individual work had been completed with her about the importance of attending appointments for immunisations. It is a concern that children’s health needs have not been prioritised, potentially leading to further complications.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The manager’s internal monitoring systems are not sufficiently robust, and a number of shortfalls were identified during the monitoring visit. For example, there have been several occasions where staff have struggled to safely manage children’s behaviours within the home. The manager has failed to use information from these incidents to develop an effective behaviour support plan. This means that staff have had no clear direction which has impacted on their ability to provide a consistent team approach towards caring for children.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The manager has failed to notify Ofsted and other relevant professionals of a number of significant events that have occurred within the home. There has also been a delay in submitting some notifications. This hinders Ofsted’s ability to review the information in a timely way and to ensure that the provider has taken the necessary actions.

p.2

This monitoring visit

A requirement under Regulation 12 has been set at the last two full inspections of this home, in August 2018 and October 2019. The requirement made under Regulation 12 in relation to bullying, and two recommendations made at the last inspection were not considered at this monitoring visit so are repeated, for consideration at the next routine inspection.

p.2

This monitoring visit

As a result of the monitoring visit, Ofsted has issued two compliance notices. Ofsted will continue to monitor the provider closely to ensure that improvements are made. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC475723 3

p.2

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 22/10/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 08/08/2018 Full Good 31/10/2017 Full Good 20/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC475723 4

p.3

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.

p.4

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff—

p.4

Requirement Due date

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;

p.4

Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

p.4

Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

p.4

Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)) * 28/08/2020

p.4

Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

p.4

Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

p.4

Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

p.4

Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

p.4

Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

p.4

Requirement Due date

is instigated; or 28/08/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC475723 5 concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

p.4

Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) * The health and well-being standard is that—

p.5

Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

p.5

Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)) 28/08/2020

p.5

Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

p.5

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.5

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

p.5

Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(h)) 28/08/2020

p.5

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff—

p.5

Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(iv)) 20/12/2019

p.5

Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC475723 6

p.5

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs and should understand the key role they play in the training and development of staff in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’ page 53 paragraph 10.11).

p.6

Recommendations

 When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return to home interview. Homes should take account of the information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect a child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards, page 45, paragraph 9.30) In particular, the manager should challenge the responsible authority when return to home interviews are not offered to young people.

p.6

Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

p.6

Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

p.6

Information about this inspection

Ofsted is aware of the challenges that COVID-19 (coronavirus) is currently posing to those we regulate. During this visit, the inspectors took into consideration the impact of any measures being taken to slow the spread of COVID-19 by the home. This has included the effect these have had on staffing arrangements.

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Witherslack Group Ltd

p.6

Children’s home details

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

p.6

Inspectors

Sophie Thomson, social care inspector Mandy Williams, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC475723 7 to 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.

p.6

Inspectors

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

Inspectors

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7