Children's home run by A Wilderness Way Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2712595 1 Registered provider: A Wilderness Way Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home provides care for up to six children in up to four buildings, under one single registration. This a multi-building children’s home.

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Information about this children’s home

A multi-building children’s home allows the provider, in agreement with the placing authority, to make child-centred decisions about where each child lives and ensure that their individual needs are met, under this one registration.

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Information about this children’s home

These homes offer short-term, intensive stays, lasting typically 17 weeks in length. One child lives in each home and is supported by two carers.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2022.

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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: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2712595 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This is the first inspection of the homes since registration. This service operates from four separate houses. Four children were resident at the time of the inspection, although one child moved out on day one.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The homes are welcoming and comfortable. They are personalised to meet the needs of the children. Photos of the children and their families are displayed in the homes, and one child keeps a small pet animal.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making progress in an environment where there is a holistic approach to their individual care. Strong working relationships between the care, education and clinical teams support children to feel safe, do well and develop emotional resilience to enable their transition to a longer-term placement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are helped to build trusting and secure relationships with staff. Staff speak warmly and positively about the children and invest time in getting to know them. One child said that the staff are always there for them. Staff were observed to be listening and responding to the children’s feelings and ideas. These positive relationships are helping the children to learn what a respectful relationship looks like, and how to create one.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the children to maintain good physical health. Children are encouraged to eat healthily and attend all their health appointments. This helps children to access specialist support to improve their physical health and well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home’s therapist visits regularly and works with children individually. This provides children with an opportunity to express their feelings and make sense of their world. The therapist supports the staff to deliver person-centred care to the children. This is helping to ensure that children are cared for by resilient and well- informed staff who can meet their individual needs and keep them safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is promoted in the homes and tailored to meet the children’s individual needs. Children have gained ASDAN qualifications, and functional skills in English and maths. This provides children with a good foundation for future learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children enjoy a range of activities, such as ghyll scrambling, paddle boarding and rock climbing. Children are supported to develop their own interests. One child attended a singing club, and another child went to a local youth group. This is helping the children to learn new skills and enjoy different experiences. However, for one child, large parts of their day are spent doing unstructured activities, such as playing on their games console.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Individual work is carried out with children on important issues, such as relationships, substance misuse and family time. These are focused and specific to the children’s needs and daily experiences. Inspection report for children’s home: 2712595 3 Staff support the children to see their families, despite the distance for many. This is a real strength of the staff. This helps the children to maintain their identity and continue to spend quality time with the people who are important to them.

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

Children have a high level of supervision, which is consistent with their plans. This means that they can develop their independence while staff ensure that they are safe.

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

The children receive help and support to manage their behaviour and feelings safely. Staff understand the children’s experiences and respond by putting in place appropriate boundaries around what is safe and acceptable. The staff team educates the children to make safer choices and keep themselves safe.

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

Assessments of risk and behaviour management plans include clear strategies to protect children from harm. However, there was not an up-to-date risk management plan in place for one child’s night-time care. This means that staff do not know what responsibilities have been assigned to them to keep the child safe overnight.

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

There are a high number of physical holds used in the homes. However, these are proportionate and used as a last resort. Records show a range of de-escalation strategies used in attempts to avoid physical holding. Staff and the child receive a debrief after each incident; however, this is not always completed in a timely way for staff.

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

The managers and staff know what to do in response to any allegations made. Referrals made are timely, and actions are put in place to minimise the risk to children to allow the necessary enquiries to be made.

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

Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding and follow the statutory guidance for children who go missing from home. If children go missing from home, staff actively look for them and liaise with professionals to help to minimise risk. However, independent return-home interviews do not always take place in a timely way.

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

Searches of bedrooms are carried out sensitively by staff. All searches are recorded appropriately and the reasons for the searches are clear.

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

Children know how to make a complaint. Children are kept informed throughout the process and told the outcome.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a suitably qualified and experienced manager. The manager is supported by an experienced operations manager. The managers know the children well and are positive role models for both staff and children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2712595 4 There have been several staff changes since the home was registered. This has included the recruitment of new staff and staff seconded from another service within the company. There are currently three staff vacancies. Staff work hard to cover the shortfalls; however, agency staff have been used, which does not ensure consistency for the children. Managers are proactively recruiting new staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Effective monitoring and review systems are in place. The managers complete weekly compliance audits to ensure that they have regular oversight of what is working well for the children. Some records lack information, which is not helpful for children to understand their journey in the home. Managers have identified this as a shortfall and additional training has been provided to staff for case recording.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff describe the managers as being supportive and say that they enjoy working in the homes. Staff have regular supervision, and records demonstrate that supervision is of good quality and gives staff an opportunity to reflect on their practice. This helps the manager to gain a clear understanding of staff strengths and areas for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings take place regularly, which allow for feedback and discussion. Staff from education, outdoor activities, and the clinical team attend some meetings. This helps to ensure that a holistic approach is carried out in the care of each individual child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive training to develop the necessary skills and knowledge to understand and meet the children’s individual needs. For example, staff have completed training in protecting children from county lines, knife crime and physical interventions. This helps staff to have a good knowledge and skill base to safeguard and support children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Safer recruitment is followed, and new staff coming into the home receive an appropriate induction. Inspection report for children’s home: 2712595 5

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the registered person ensuring that children are provided with consistent daily routines that are appropriate for their developmental age. 31 October 2023

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(v)) 31 October 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2712595 6 This relates to the registered person ensuring that there are up-to-date risk management plans in place for children’s night-time care.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that an independent return-home interview takes place within 72 hours of a child returning home when they have been missing. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  The registered person should ensure that staff have a debrief following a significant incident in a timely way. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.10)  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. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should ensure that there is a consistent staff team in place for children, and if temporary staff are employed, this will not prevent children

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Recommendations

from receiving the continuity of care that they need. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 51, paragraph 10.1)

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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: 2712595 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: A Wilderness Way Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Stoneybeck Inn, Bowscar, Penrith CA11 8RP

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Inspector

Dawn Walker, Social Care Inspector Andrea Foreman, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2712595 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 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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