Children's home run by Witherslack Group Limited

Assurance visit report: SC475703 1 SC475703

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Information about this children’s home

The purpose of this home is to provide a therapeutically managed facility to meet the nurturing, management, social, emotional and moral needs of up to eight young people aged eight to 18 years, who are unable to live in a family context.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a suitably qualified and experienced registered manager in post.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: 22 August 2018

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: Outstanding

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Information about this visit

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), Ofsted suspended all routine inspections in March 2020. As part of a phased return to routine inspection, we are undertaking assurance visits to children’s social care services that are inspected under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF).

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Information about this visit

At these visits, inspectors evaluate the extent to which:

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Information about this visit

 children are well cared for  children are safe  leaders and managers are exercising strong leadership. This visit was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000, following the published guidance for assurance visits.

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Information about this visit

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills is leading Ofsted’s work into how England’s social care system has delivered child-centred practice and care within the context of the restrictions placed on society during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Findings from the visit

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit. Assurance visit report: SC475703 2

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The care of children

Staff show great commitment to children. This is especially in relation to supporting them through the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff stayed in local holiday cottages while the home was in lockdown due to a positive COVID-19 test. This meant that they could provide continuity of care. Children thus experienced minimal disruption.

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The care of children

All children attend the local education provision owned by the same company. They were able to continue their education throughout the lockdown because the school stayed open. Again, this meant minimal disruption to their education. There is good joined-up working between the school and the home. This was evident at the visit to the home, with one child being brought home earlier than the others to help him have a smooth transition.

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The care of children

Relationships between children are not always positive. Some children said that they did not get along with any of the other children in the home. This is in part due to the large cohort of children living at the home. It is also partially due to the restrictions imposed due to COVID-19. This has meant fewer opportunities for children to leave the site for activities and to visit their families and friends.

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The care of children

Contact with children’s families has been promoted throughout the pandemic. However, one family member requested digital face-to-face contact, which was not facilitated promptly due to a software issue.

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The care of children

Children have many ways of expressing their views, wishes and feeling. They are listened to and responded to appropriately. Children were observed to have warm and easy relationships with staff, including the manager.

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The care of children

The home meets children’s emotional and mental health needs through the provision of therapeutic support. Specialist advice and training is sought where this may improve staff’s understanding of certain conditions.

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The safety of children

Children have been kept safe throughout the pandemic. Robust risk assessment is evident in relation to safeguarding children from the risks posed by COVID-19.

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The safety of children

Safeguarding incidents are rare. Levels of restrictive intervention are low and there have been no missing-from-home incidents. The few incidents that have occurred have been dealt with swiftly and appropriately. Relevant professionals have been informed and involved.

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The safety of children

The manager maintains good oversight of all safeguarding issues and incidents. Information is evaluated on a monthly basis in key areas. This helps to identify patterns, trends or triggers. Analysis of trends is an area of particular strength. Assurance visit report: SC475703 3 Risk assessments and related documents are clear, detailed and contemporary. Staff spoken to were confident that they could identify and manage children’s risks. Restrictive practice reduction plans illustrate a proactive approach to risk management.

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The safety of children

Staff were able to say how they ensured consistency relating to the implementation of rules and boundaries. Some children expressed frustration that rules were not applied equally. However, there is evidence to show why certain rules apply to individual children, which relate to their behaviour and specific risks.

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The safety of children

Staff were observed to respond to two incidents of escalated behaviour confidently, quickly and effectively. This means that children know that staff will take effective action to manage their behaviour and keep them safe.

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Leaders and managers

The manager has worked hard throughout the pandemic, coping with staff shortages and a child testing positive for COVID-19. She has managed the home effectively, efficiently and calmly throughout.

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Leaders and managers

Staff feel well supported. They get access to appropriate training and regular supervision and support. Senior managers are frequently present in the home and also support staff on an ad-hoc basis.

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Leaders and managers

As well as managing a large and busy home, the manager maintains positive relationships with the children. Children were observed to ask for her time, affection and attention, which she gave freely.

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Leaders and managers

Standards of recording are high, and records are well organised. The manager has good monitoring and evaluation systems in place to ensure that documents are completed to a high standard. Children’s voices are captured through records, which shows how they are listened and responded to.

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Leaders and managers

Managers have maintained stability and consistency throughout a very testing time. They have kept staff and children as safe as possible and have ensured that children are kept informed and aware of how the pandemic affects them.

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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. Assurance visit report: SC475703 4

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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—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11(1)(a)(b)(c) and (2)(b)) 06/11/2020

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

that, subject to regulation 22 (contact and access to communications), contact between each child and the child’s parents, relatives and friends, is promoted in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) and (2)(d)) 06/11/2020 Assurance visit report: SC475703 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Witherslack Group Ltd

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Charlie Bamber, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: SC475703 6 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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