Children's Home run by Witherslack Group Limited in Wakefield

Inspection report for children’s home: 2494551 1 Registered provider: Witherslack Group Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a private company. It provides care for up to seven children who may have experienced emotional and/or social difficulties and/or have learning disabilities. Five children were living in the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 2021.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 17 January 2022

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2494551 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/01/2022 Full Good 27/11/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 01/05/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2494551 3

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improvement to be good

Children’s day-to-day experiences vary. Children have gone through a period of instability due to several experienced staff leaving the home. New staff have joined the home. This has led to an increase of incidents because new staff have not known and understood the children well. Senior managers have identified this and have sourced additional support to ensure that children’s welfare remains central to the running of the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff actively promote and support children’s education. When children have not been in school for a long time, they are supported to return in a structured way. Good support for children’s education has helped them to make consistent progress from their starting points. This ensures that children achieve positive educational outcomes.

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improvement to be good

Children’s health needs are well promoted by staff. They can access the physical and mental health services they need. Staff create a nurturing environment in the home. They encourage children to have meals together. These meals are nutritious and freshly prepared.

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improvement to be good

Children enjoy participating in a variety of social activities. Some children have joined swimming and horse riding clubs. Others love listening to music, gaming and taking part in other activities in the home. Staff ensure that they take photos of these occasions to build positive memories for children of their time living in the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the importance of maintaining family relationships. They ensure that the children see their families and friends. This helps children to maintain a strong bond and positive cultural identity.

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improvement to be good

Children live in a pleasant and homely environment that provides ample space for them to live and relax in. The children’s bedrooms are tailored to suit their preferences. The physical conditions of the home help children to feel valued, which is good for their self-esteem.

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improvement to be good

Staff’s care of the children is not delivered in a consistently safe way. Despite risk assessments and behaviour management plans being in place, some staff have not followed this guidance. As a result of staff’s inconsistencies, there were two serious incidents where children were not safeguarded effectively. This shortfall does not promote the welfare and safety of children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2494551 4 Children have been physically held by the staff to prevent injury to themselves or others. There has been a high level of physical restraints since the last inspection. Following a restraint, the staff and children, including any child who has witnessed the incident, have the opportunity to talk about their experience. However, on occasion, the recording of the restraints is not always accurate. These discrepancies do not provide a clear picture of what has taken place.

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improvement to be good

There are many occasions when the manager has not evaluated whether physical restraint has been necessary to keep children safe. This does not ensure that the measures used have been fair and proportionate.

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improvement to be good

Staff ensure that they follow appropriate protocols when children go missing from home. They work closely with local police teams, social workers and families to quickly locate children. Staff ensure that children receive independent return home interviews. In addition, staff have discussions with children to help them reflect on their actions. This helps staff to understand potential risks to children when they are away from home and supports them take action to manage and reduce these.

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improvement to be good

Allegation management is strong. Prompt action is taken to ensure that the well- being of children is safeguarded. The manager has a good working relationship with the local authority designated officer and the children’s social workers. This helps to keep children safe.

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good

The registered manager has resigned and is in the process of de-registering with Ofsted. Senior managers have appointed an interim manager to support the team while they recruit to the post.

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good

Not all staff have received appropriate supervision and guidance in line with company timescales and policy. Large gaps in the supervisory processes have weakened managerial oversight and guidance given to staff. This shortfall means that managers are unable to quickly identify poor practice. This is detrimental to children’s progress.

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good

The manager does not always respond promptly to recommendations made by the independent person. The failure to act quickly to address the recommendations affects the ability to drive forward improvements in the home.

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good

The manager has failed to notify Ofsted of one serious incident that placed a child at risk of harm. This prevented Ofsted from ensuring that management oversight of the incident had taken place to prevent harm to a child.

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good

Staff either hold a relevant qualification for their role or are enrolled to complete this qualification in the required period. All staff have completed the mandatory training and additional training linked to the individual needs of the children. Staff benefit Inspection report for children’s home: 2494551 5 from regular team meetings. These meetings are used as an opportunity to share learning. This helps to ensure that outcomes for children are positive. Inspection report for children’s home: 2494551 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, 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 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

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

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

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(v)(vii)(b)) 20 January 2023

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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

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’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; and 20 January 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2494551 7 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)(e)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)(c)) 20 January 2023

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Requirement Due date

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—

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(vii)) 20 January 2023

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 20 January 2023

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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: 2494551 8

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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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Inspectors

Evelyn Chafota, Social Care Inspector (lead) Carol Jagger, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2494551 9 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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