Children's home run by Witherslack Group Limited

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2483720 1

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Witherslack Group Ltd

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home offers care for up to seven children. These children may have faced adverse childhood experiences, resulting in trauma.

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Information about this children’s home

The current manager has been in post since March 2020. She has a qualification in leadership and management at level 5 and has applied to be the registered manager.

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring inspection was conducted in response to information received by Ofsted. This visit raised concerns about the safety of children and the ability of staff to manage children’s complex needs. The inspector found significant shortfalls in the protection of children and the leadership and management of the home.

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This monitoring visit

As a result, Ofsted made the decision to suspend the registration of the children’s home. In addition, Ofsted has issued compliance notices under regulation 6, regulation 12, regulation 13 and regulation 14.

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This monitoring visit

The children’s home is co-located with one of the provider’s other children’s homes. Leaders, managers and staff of the two homes do not consistently share information about the risks and vulnerabilities of the children in their individual homes. Despite this, children from both homes are permitted and encouraged to spend time together with an adjoining garden gate kept open to allow the children to freely come and go. Managers have failed to consider the risks that children may present to one another or to ensure that adequate supervision arrangements are in place. This clearly demonstrates that children are not being safeguarded effectively.

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This monitoring visit

Managers do not fully assess how the needs of new children can be safely met alongside the children who reside in the provider’s co-located home. This ill- Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2483720 2 considered planning has resulted in a number of challenging incidents involving children from both homes.

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This monitoring visit

Managers and staff have failed to support children with their personal care needs despite this being an identified need when they were admitted to the home. Children do not receive individualised care which considers their background. Social workers told the inspector that they have repeatedly raised concerns about the standard of care provided to children and that this has not improved. The inspector observed one child to have matted hair that had not been treated with culturally appropriate products. This young person was not dressed appropriately for the weather and had not been supported with her personal hygiene needs. As a result, children are not treated with dignity and respect, and their welfare is not promoted.

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This monitoring visit

One child’s bedroom smelled strongly of urine. The room was not hygienic and there were soiled clothes and sanitary ware on the floor of the bedroom. Additionally, there was blood and faeces smeared in the bedroom and the en-suite bathroom. The inspector also found that several toilets in children’s bedrooms were broken and dirty. Children are not provided with a clean and suitable space to sleep.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders, managers and staff have not provided children with the standard of care as detailed within the home’s statement of purpose. Inspectors found the home to be chaotic and not conducive to providing the therapeutic environment required by some children living in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have admitted children to the home who are known to present a risk to other children without having a comprehensive strategy of how to manage both the individual child and their impact on the children who already live in the home. This poor quality of leadership, absence of comprehensive risk analysis and lack of effective planning has resulted in children not being safeguarded effectively and has had a negative impact on their experiences.

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This monitoring visit

Impact risk assessments do not show how the needs of new children can be safely met alongside the children who are already resident. For example, some children respond well to a calm and settled environment. However, managers have continued to admit children with a range of complex behavioural needs. This has resulted in a number of challenging incidents in the home. Social workers told the inspectors that some children have become unsettled and display new challenging and risk-taking behaviours. These include incidents of going missing, allegations of inappropriate sexualised behaviours and heightened behaviours which necessitate restraint.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have not ensured that staff working in the home have understood their roles and responsibilities in respect of the children they care for. Additionally, staff have not undertaken training to meet children’s specific and complex needs. This means that children do not receive the support they need.

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This monitoring visit

Staff fail to consistently follow the guidance set out in children’s behaviour plans. For example, one child, due to historical experiences, has a phobia and serious fear of Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2483720 3 male staff. During incidents where the child’s behaviour becomes challenging the presence of male staff causes an escalation in the child’s distress and his behaviour may worsen. However, the inspector found that male staff have been directly involved in restraining this child on several occasions. The manager has failed to identify and act to remedy this. This means that this child is not being safeguarded or cared for effectively and consequently is exposed to harm when it could be avoided.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers do not have effective systems in place to review the care provided to children. For example, managers’ reviews of restraint records and incidents of self-harm lack professional curiosity and are of variable quality. Consequently, managers do not adequately review the care children receive and children do not make progress in this home.

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This monitoring visit

There is an insufficient number of staff to meet children’s needs. Seven children live in this children’s home; two of whom require one-to-one supervision from staff. This means that the remaining five children are supervised by three staff. Consequently, when children need additional support from staff, this cannot always be provided. Incidents escalate unnecessarily, and children do not receive the level of care they need.

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This monitoring visit

Children told the inspectors that they have been bullied while living in the home. Managers and staff have undertaken some direct work with children to address this, however this is reactive and lacks follow up. This means that for some children living in the home, they do not receive the support they need to address their behaviour and consider the impact of their behaviour on others.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have failed to keep an up-to-date record of children who have moved into the home. The inspector found that details were missing on a number of records and some information was incorrect.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 19/12/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 10/07/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2483720 4

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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

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare; treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child.

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Requirement Due date

Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(viii)(c)(i)) * 06/09/2020

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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 06/09/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2483720 5 positive responses to other children and adults. Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c)) The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

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

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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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm;

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly.

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Requirement Due date

Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e)) * 06/09/2020

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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—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

promotes their welfare. 06/09/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2483720 6 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(d)(f)(h)) * The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

If the registered provider is an organisation, the organisation must ensure that the responsible individual undertakes such continuing professional development as is necessary to ensure that the responsible individual has the skills needed for supervising the management of the home. Regulation 29 (2)) 06/09/2020

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home. The registered person must— maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4; ensure that the records are kept up to date. Regulation 37 (1)(2)(a)(b)) 06/09/2020

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2483720 7

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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.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

Ofsted is aware of the challenges that COVID-19 (coronavirus) is currently posing to those it regulates. 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. 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.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Witherslack Group Ltd

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspectors

Annemarie Parker, social care inspector Gareth Leckey, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2483720 8 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.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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