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

Inspection report for children's home: 1247560 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

The home is registered to care for up to four children and is operated by a private organisation. The home provides care for children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a manager in post with the relevant qualification. She registered with Ofsted in August 2017.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 1247560 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/03/2022 Full Outstanding 16/03/2020 Full 16/01/2019 Full Outstanding 19/09/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 1247560 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a spacious and warm environment. The home is furnished to a high standard with bright, tasteful decor. Children choose how they want to decorate and personalise their bedrooms. This helps children to feel comfortable in their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children experience positive, well-planned moves into and out of the home. Staff consider children’s wishes and feelings before they move. A social worker said, ‘[Name of child] has previously experienced short-notice moves which impacted on him. The staff ensured that the move to this home was planned in the best way to support his needs.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have access to the organisation’s therapist. This contributes to children receiving support in relation to their development and emotional well-being. The therapist works with staff to further develop their understanding of the children’s needs. One parent said, ‘[Name of child] has come on in leaps and bounds. The staff have helped him to understand his feelings.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to spend time with people who are important to them. The managers advocate for children and encourage additional time with family members, as appropriate. In addition, staff support children to spend time with friends when it is appropriate to do so. This ensures that children maintain important relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s internal care plans reflect the aims and objectives of the placing authority. Staff ensure that they provide care in line with these plans. As a result, all children are making progress. One parent said, ‘The home is brilliant. I couldn’t ask for a better place for [name of child] to be.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children attend the same school, which is run by the provider. Attendance for one child has been reduced. However, staff are proactive and creative in addressing this. They are supporting the child to understand the reasons for their non-attendance and have put a plan in place to address this.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote opportunities for children in the community. This includes youth clubs, playing in the local football team or signing up to volunteer at dog rescue centres. This helps children to build self-confidence and develop their sense of belonging and purpose. One child said, ‘Things are great. It’s brilliant here.’

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

Children feel safe and supported. Staff have a strong response to safeguarding children and work closely with agencies. A social worker said, ‘The communication from the home is the best I have ever had. The staff are great advocates for children.’ Inspection report for children's home: 1247560 4 Staff have detailed knowledge of children’s risks. There are clear strategies in place to support children and to keep them safe. The strategies are informed by specialist advice from the organisation’s therapist and are tailored to meet the needs of the individual children. This approach reduces children’s risks and, as a result, children are safer.

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

Allegations and complaints are responded to appropriately to safeguard all involved. The staff are confident in their use of whistle-blowing. Professionals are notified promptly to ensure that there is a transparent approach. Children can identify trusted adults in the home who they can make a complaint to. Any complaints are thoroughly investigated, and any lessons learned are discussed as part of reflective sessions.

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

Children have been reported missing from home; positively, these incidents are reducing. Missing-from-home procedures are in place, which staff understand and follow. Staff work in partnership with other agencies responsible for safeguarding. Independent return home interviews and debriefs for children take place in a child- centred way, and this helps to gain a greater understanding of the reasons why children go missing.

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

Safe recruitment processes for all staff are thorough. There is a robust checklist system in place to ensure that all recruitment checks are completed. Consequently, only suitable adults can work in the home.

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

Staff manage heightened behaviour effectively and encourage children to reflect on incidents. When behaviour has challenged people around them, it is de-escalated. Staff reinforce clear boundaries and provide daily routines and stability for children. This is supported by praise and recognition of achievements.

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

Restraints have been proportionate and only used as a last resort. Children and staff have reviewed the incident reports. This helps them to reflect and learn. It further supports the identification of themes, which supports keeping children safe.

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

Managers use door alarms on all children’s bedrooms as a safeguarding measure. However, managers do not regularly review or evaluate the need for the alarms. As a result, this may unnecessarily limit children’s privacy and access in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is suitably qualified and supported by her deputy and staff team. The leadership team is strong and efficient. This enables the wider team to provide children and their families with a good standard of care that improves their lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been some changes in the staff team. However, the staff team is now consistent and stable. When there have been vacancies, these have been covered by the existing staff team or staff from within the organisation who the children are familiar with. Staff say the manager is approachable and they feel valued. Inspection report for children's home: 1247560 5 The manager has a good understanding of the progress children make. They spend time with children on a regular basis, which helps them to measure progress. Additionally, the manager completes a regular review of care to highlight children’s progress and to evaluate children’s care. One staff member said, ‘We have great support from a very experienced manager, whose main focus is improving the lives of children.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager’s internal review and monitoring systems are effective. Managers follow up and escalate concerns if responses from agencies are not satisfactory. This helps to ensure that children receive the right support and that their needs are met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision. Staff say that they feel fully supported in their role and enjoy working at the home. This helps to retain staff and keep them motivated. They also attend regular team meetings, which helps them to share current issues and practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff attend a wide range of training to develop their skills and knowledge. This helps them to provide better care for children. One member of staff said, ‘Training has been great. It has supported my practice in a child-centred way.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers conduct appraisals with staff on an annual basis. Staff reflect on their work and set targets for the year ahead. However, the appraisals do not include the views of children or key individuals. This limits the manager’s understanding of children’s experiences and the ability of leaders to make improvements. Inspection report for children's home: 1247560 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 privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21(a)(c)(i)(ii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that alarms are only placed on children’s bedroom doors in accordance with this regulation. 20 April 2023

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff appraisals include the views of other professionals who have worked with staff over the year and the views of children who have been cared for at the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)

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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: 1247560 7

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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

Jennifer Quest, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 1247560 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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