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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC485540 1 SC485540 Registered provider: Witherslack Group Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private organisation owns and manages this home. The home provides care for up to seven children who have social or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in January 2021. He is currently absent from the home.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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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: 10 December 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC485540 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/12/2019 Full Outstanding 13/11/2018 Full Outstanding 30/01/2018 Full Outstanding 22/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC485540 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress in all areas of their life. They experience nurturing relationships with staff and these enable them to settle into the routines of the home quickly. This care and support helps children to develop a sense of stability and belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend the on-site school. Their attendance is good and they are achieving good results. A young person who has recently left the home achieved a high number of qualifications and has gained full-time employment. Staff ensured that this success was celebrated in the home. This shows the other children what can be achieved with support. As a result, the children are positive about their education experience and recognise the progress that they have made in school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Transitions into the home are well planned and managed. A risk assessment is put in place before the children are admitted to the home in order to explore potential risks. However, these assessments are generic and not based on an assessment of the individual needs of children already living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are generally healthy. Staff encourage children to eat a balanced diet and to take some exercise, which is often disguised in fun activities, both as extra- curricular activities in school and in the home. The children are all involved in groups, such as football clubs and scouts in the community. These were affected by the most restrictive periods of the COVID-19 pandemic, but in recent weeks these groups have started again. This has meant that children have been able to rekindle friendships made in these groups.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to maintain good relationships with family and friends where appropriate. A family member said, ‘I am always made welcome. I feel moving here is the best thing to happen for [name].’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has regular support from a clinical psychologist and on-site therapist, who regularly involve themselves in the activities in the home and in the community as a way of engaging the children in a positive relationship. This helps children develop a sense of trust with these professionals prior to undertaking work to address any trauma.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have frequent opportunities to discuss with the therapists the issues that matter most to children. Staff are knowledgeable about the effect of trauma on children, and this helps them to respond positively to children’s needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home and garden area are well maintained. Children have clear daily routines and keep their bedrooms clean and tidy. Their bedrooms are personalised and Inspection report for children’s home: SC485540 4 display records of their achievements and hobbies. This encourages children to develop a sense of belonging and pride in themselves.

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

Children say they feel safe living in the home. There are risk assessments, care plans and behaviour support plans in place that detail clear strategies to help staff care for and protect the children.

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

There are clear boundaries and expectations in place in relation to behaviour between children and in the community. Internet safety is a priority and features in all risk assessments where appropriate. Children are not always happy with the boundaries in place but respond over time until they become able to better manage their own emotions and behaviour. This gives clear evidence of progress.

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

The staff are trained in de-escalation techniques and physical restraint to ensure children’s safety and manage behaviour when necessary. Although the use of physical restraint is high at times, staff only use this measure of control for the shortest time possible to protect children, or others, from the immediate risk of harm. The use of restraint reduces over time with individual children as staff develop their skills to support the children, and to help them to find alternative ways to manage their frustrations and anxieties.

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

Staff use sanctions to help children develop a sense of there being a consequence to their actions and behaviour. The use of sanctions is minimal as staff also use key- work sessions to talk about behaviour and consequences. However, where sanctions are given, financial reparation is used most often. However, records show that these are not effective when used repeatedly.

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

Children rarely go missing from the home. However, if they do, the staff follow clear missing-from-home protocols and search for children before reporting them missing. This helps children develop a sense of being cared about and valued by staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is currently absent from the home. Staff are supported and guided by the deputy manager and an operational manager, who was the previous registered manager of the home. This provides the staff with a sense of stability at this time. Furthermore, there is a high turnover of staff in the home, but the commitment of the core staff team has meant this has had little effect on the care given to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Recruitment practice has gaps that could affect the safety of children. A review of staff files shows that these gaps were not the same in each case, but the inconsistency of practice leaves children vulnerable. Inspection report for children’s home: SC485540 5 Staff supervision and team meetings take place regularly. However, records of these meetings are poor and do not demonstrate the opportunity for staff to reflect on practice. Staff identified that this is a gap in their learning and development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Recording in incident files is unclear at times. It is difficult to assess the incident and level of risk clearly. This means that there is a difference in the levels of risk seen in different documents. Discussions with leaders and staff made it clear that this is a recording rather than a practice issue. Inspection report for children’s home: SC485540 6

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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 registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a) (3)(a)(d)) 4 April 2022

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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. In particular, the record should include an assessment against the needs of each child prior to admission. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)  The registered person should have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that any sanctions used to address poor behaviour are restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. In some cases, it will be important for children to make reparation in Inspection report for children’s home: SC485540 7 some form to anyone hurt by their behaviour and the staff in the home should be skilled to support the child to understand this and carry it out. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party

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Recommendations

information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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 for children’s home: SC485540 8

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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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Inspector

Susan Atkinson-Millmoor, Regulatory Inspection Manager Inspection report for children’s home: SC485540 9 regulates and inspects 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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