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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC475710 1 SC475710 Registered provider: Witherslack Group Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a private provider. It is registered to provide care for up to eight children who may have emotional and/or social difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The current manager is qualified and registered with Ofsted on 24 April 2020.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Six of the eight children who were living in the home during the inspection were observed and/or spoken to by the inspector.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

p.1

outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

p.1

outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

p.1

outstanding

Date of last inspection: 30 November 2021

p.1

outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC475710 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/11/2021 Full Good 30/07/2019 Full Good 21/08/2018 Full Good 04/07/2018 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: SC475710 3

p.2

outstanding

The children have made exceptional progress in all aspects of their lives because of the care that they receive. One professional said the change in [name of child] was ‘immense’, while another said, ‘The home has given [name of child] a secure base to be able to grow and develop.’ A social worker said, ‘I cannot speak highly enough of the staff and all they have done for [name of child].’

p.3

outstanding

Children are supported particularly well by the staff when they move into the home. The manager identifies creative ways to obtain information about the child, such as by observing them in school, to ensure they can meet the child’s needs. They are equally creative at identifying ways to build positive relationships when a child moves into the home, such as by providing a welcome pack with items that the staff have identified the child likes.

p.3

outstanding

The children have strong and trusting relationships with the staff. Staff are affectionate towards the children, which helps them to feel genuinely cared about. One child said that staff ‘are family’ and that they will stay in touch with the staff when they move on to live independently. Staff reduced the anxiety of another child who was due to attend a concert by visiting the venue the day prior to the event with them. This allowed the child to feel safe enough to attend. Children see the staff as their valued support network.

p.3

outstanding

The staff positively encourage the children to identify their individual skills and talents. The staff and manager then provide the children with the opportunities to access these activities and events that support these individual skills and talents. One child has reached the national finals in a science contest, while another performed a reading at a local library. This supports the children to develop their own identity and helps them to build their confidence and self-esteem.

p.3

outstanding

Staff actively encourage the children to participate in the local community. One child attends the Cadets, another child helps to collect litter and another child acts as a ‘book fairy’, leaving books around the local park for other children to find and read. The staff also help the children to actively support local charities. They do this through fundraising activities such as participating in the Junior Great North Run, donating unwanted toys to a local nursery, donating unwanted clothes to a local cancer trust and donating food to a local food bank. This contributes towards children’s sense of belonging. This ethos has resulted in no children going missing from the home.

p.3

outstanding

Children make remarkable progress with their education. Children’s attendance has improved significantly from their starting points. The manager identifies education establishments to support the children relative to their needs, including in the short Inspection report for children’s home: SC475710 4 term while a permanent provision is secured. This helps the children to maintain their routines and continue with their learning. Children who were not previously believed to be capable of achieving GCSEs have done so with the support of the staff, enabling them to attend college courses to support them to access their chosen career path.

p.3

outstanding

The manager provides professionals who visit the home with a list of the child’s likes and dislikes and topics to avoid that may act as triggers and upset the child. This demonstrates how well the staff know the children, and it also helps external professionals to build positive relationships with the children. This supports the children to feel listened to and contributes towards them having a say in their care.

p.4

outstanding

The manager and the staff thoroughly understand the complex and diverse needs of the children. The staff respond very quickly to any incidents of concern, and they are proactive in identifying any external agencies to provide additional specialist support to the children. When children make unsafe choices, the staff support the children exceptionally well to learn about their behaviour. Staff have supported one child to become involved in a local knife crime charity, which has created links to families who have had similar experiences. This helps the child to understand first- hand the dangers and consequences associated with their behaviours.

p.4

outstanding

Children are directly involved in developing their own safety plans, which helps them have a level of control over the staff’s responses to them when they are upset. This further helps them to reduce their risk-taking behaviour and contributes to the trusting relationships that the children have with the staff.

p.4

outstanding

Children’s risk assessments are individual to their needs, and they are accessible to both the child and the staff. Staff are proactive in identifying and pre-empting risks, as they understand the children exceptionally well. This has helped to reduce risks and keep the children safer.

p.4

outstanding

The staff are skilled at building positive and supportive relationships with those adults who are important to the children. This helps those adults to share information with the staff about the children to help to keep them safe. This also helps the staff to identify any risks that are associated with those relationships, which also helps to improve the children’s safety.

p.4

outstanding

Physical interventions are rare. When they are used, children are rarely held; instead, they are guided by staff. Staff always speak with a child after an incident. This helps the child to understand that the staff are there to help them to keep safe. These reflective discussions help the children to learn how to improve their responses to difficult situations so that physical intervention is no longer necessary. Children have also written letters to the staff about their feelings and to say sorry. Inspection report for children’s home: SC475710 5 Staff help the children to make very good progress with their health. Staff advocate for the children’s medication to be reviewed when they believe it is no longer necessary. One child has made such good progress that they no longer require any medication, and another child has stopped using nicotine as a result of the staff’s support.

p.4

outstanding

Staff advocate vigorously on behalf of the children. They support the children to have a say about their care. Staff support the children to challenge decisions that they are unhappy about, such as a reduction in spending time with their family. The manager identifies when an independent advocate will be helpful to the child to have their views independently represented, and they ensure that this service is secured. This further contributes to the trusting relationships the children have with the staff and management team.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is led by an ambitious and enthusiastic manager who is supported remarkably well by an equally committed deputy manager. Together, the staff see them as an inspirational management team that is dedicated to the children in their care and who lead by example. The positive effect of their role-modelling behaviour is seen in the exceptional standards of practice that the staff demonstrate across the home.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff want to work in this home. One member of staff said, ‘I feel lucky to be here. I wish I had found it earlier in my career.’ Another staff member said the management team is ‘second to none’, while another staff member said, ‘I feel valued and proud to work for a home that strives to give the young people we work with the best possible outcomes in preparation for their future.’

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has achieved the difficult task of successfully managing and leading the home to an outstanding level. He has done this while still having a visible presence in the home and forming nurturing and positive relationships with the children.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has a strong ethos about implementing a therapeutic and trauma- informed approach which, coupled with a relationship-based approach, is the foundation of the home. This results in the manager working collaboratively with the home’s clinical team to an exceptionally high level. This is recognised by the home’s clinical lead, who stated that she provides more training and consultations to this home than any other due to the manager’s dedication to improving outcomes for the children. As a result of this, the home is becoming the national pilot for an external attachment and trauma award scheme, which is currently only available to education provisions.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager constantly looks to improve processes in the home. He has made connections with an ‘outstanding’ home that is owned by a different provider to learn how to improve his and the staff’s practice. He invites criticism externally from carers and social workers and internally from staff. He seeks feedback from staff Inspection report for children’s home: SC475710 6 when times are particularly challenging, aware that he will likely receive some negative responses. This then allows him to look at what they can do as a team to improve. This helps staff to feel supported and listened to while enhancing the level of care and outcomes achieved for children.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

When children receive a new diagnosis or new risks emerge, the manager quickly identifies ways to learn about them so they can better understand and help the child. He ensures this is disseminated through the team, often through training sessions. Staff are also consulted about what training they would benefit from, and this is provided as appropriate and necessary. This increases the staff’s skill base to better meet the children’s needs.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff receive regular, reflective supervision. This is conducted by an experienced member of staff. Supervision considers the individual needs of the staff member as well as the needs of the children, which helps the staff to feel supported. Senior staff members regularly observe practice between staff and the children, which are then reflected on in supervision. This aims to improve the staff’s relationships with the children and the children’s experiences of living in the home.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Documents are kept up to date and are detailed. However, some of the language used in the children’s guide is difficult to understand. The deputy manager rectified this immediately when it was brought to their attention by the inspector. Some statements in some documents are also unclear about whether they are opinions or facts, and some use language that may lead a child to become upset. This was accepted by the members of the management team, who are addressing this with the staff. Inspection report for children’s home: SC475710 7

p.6

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the 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 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)

p.7

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: SC475710 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Witherslack Group Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

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

p.8

Inspector

Julia Hagan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC475710 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.8

Inspector

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 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.9

Inspector

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

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9