Children's Home run by Witherslack Group Limited in Leicestershire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2615494 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 privately owned. It is registered to provide care for up to four children who experience social and emotional difficulties. The home provides short-term care placements or an agreed period of assessment for children who require a placement at short notice.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is registered with Ofsted and is suitably qualified.

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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 outstanding

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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: 2 February 2022

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2615494 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/02/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2615494 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of the inspection, no children were living at the home. However, a child was being admitted on the first day of the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff build positive relationships with children. This helps children to feel safe and well cared for. The relationships that staff develop with children help them to go on to settle into their more permanent home. Once staff have stabilised the behaviour of children who are traumatised, many have successfully transitioned to other homes. For example, one child experienced 17 placements and was able to be successfully stabilised and moved to a new, more permanent home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children report being happy during their time at this home. A child said, ‘Nothing beats it. I give them “10 out of 10”. I had a good bond there.’ Staff are skilled at forming warm and nurturing relationships with children. Staff demonstrate a high degree of empathy for children. A staff member said, ‘It’s hard to describe how we do it, but it is just magical.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is very well presented, warm, welcoming and spacious. There is a well- appointed games room with a wall of children’s painted handprints. This represents all the children who have stayed in the home. Children are helped to maintain the important relationships they have developed with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s moves to the home are well planned and implemented effectively. There is a ‘team around the child’ approach. This means that all children moving to the home quickly receive the help and support they need. Leaders and managers work closely with external agencies, clinical support and education staff to ensure that children have the right support around them. This helps children to regulate their behaviour and settle into the home successfully.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children’s transitions from the home are well planned. This is thought about from the moment children enter the home. Staff are open and honest with children, which helps to build positive and trusting relationships. Children know that a planned move will take place in a supported way. They leave the home with a memory book and positive affirmations from staff. Children maintain positive links with staff and the home following their move.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most children arrive having experienced disruption in their education. Education is embedded into the ethos of the home. There is bespoke and individualised planning for children’s education. This provides children with a steppingstone for improved educational engagement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have developed work to gather children’s views. Key-work sessions cover a variety of topics. Staff’s skills in communicating with children help them to promote several opportunities for children to share their wishes and feelings. Inspection report for children’s home: 2615494 4 Children enjoy a wide range of activities in the home and in the local and wider community. For example, children have a cinema room, go for walks, play sports, go to trampoline parks and the cinema. Children’s hobbies and interests are encouraged and facilitated.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to access advocacy services. Staff use the short length of time children spend with them to promptly access ongoing support services.

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

Children rarely go missing from care. For some children, missing from care has been a key risk factor before moving to the home. Staff understand these risks and support children to reduce them and become safer. This is because staff have clear rules and boundaries alongside establishing positive relationships with children.

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

Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding processes. When necessary, safeguarding matters are referred to relevant safeguarding agencies. The manager has good oversight of this process. This helps children to be safe and protected.

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

Staff are appropriately trained in physical intervention and there is a designated positive behaviour support instructor. Children often arrive at a time of crisis. Despite this, physical restraints are relatively rare. Staff know to utilise all other positive behaviour support techniques, which means that physical intervention is the absolute last resort for keeping children safe. When restraint is used, there is clear management oversight, and staff and children are debriefed.

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

The home has access to clinical support practitioners who carry out an in-depth assessment of each child admitted to the home. This helps leaders and managers to have a good understanding of the type of home the child requires to move on to and the help and support they need.

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

Safer recruitment processes are followed. There are clear and effective processes in place to ensure that the staff working in the home are safe to do so.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home has a suitably experienced and qualified registered manager, who is ably supported by senior managers. The manager is supported by an experienced and skilled deputy manager and team leaders. The manager is highly effective and aspirational for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There is a clear understanding of the ethos and model of practice at the home. Staff understand the purpose and the benefits of the short-term, intensive support for some children who require this. Staff have reflective discussions about each child who enters the home. When children leave, staff reflect on the positive outcomes for the child as well as any future learning. The leaders promote and positively instil a learning culture. Inspection report for children’s home: 2615494 5 In addition to the in-depth assessment provided for children, leaders have an exceptional understanding of the role of social care intervention with children and families. This underpins their working relationships with local authorities in planning for children’s admissions and supporting children at a critical point in their care planning. Some children’s care plans have led to a positive, supported move home to their families.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders access support from the clinical team to bolster staff’s skills. There is an understanding of the importance of staff resilience in the home and the manager seeks to fully support this with staff. Staff report excellent staff morale and feel well cared for by managers and each other.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff receive excellent training opportunities, and the organisation constantly strives to improve this. Additional training is sourced if required. In addition, staff are quickly supported with development journeys and are mentored through leadership development programmes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff feel very well supported. They are happy and feel highly motivated to provide a good service for children. They have an excellent understanding of the children’s needs and how to care for them effectively. Therefore, children make significant progress in a short space of time. A staff member said, ‘It is very rewarding working here and you can see how you have made a difference.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2615494 6

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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: 2615494 7

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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, Carnfort LA6 2PR

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Inspector

Bev Allison, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2615494 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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