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

Inspection report for children’s home: 1254258 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 privately operated children’s home is registered to provide care for up to four children with social and emotional difficulties. Children placed at this home can access the organisation’s registered school and therapeutic services.

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Information about this children’s home

There were four children living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is qualified and experienced.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 28 February 2023

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1254258 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/2/2023 15/03/2022 Full Full Good Good

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/01/2020 Full Outstanding 27/11/2018 Full Outstanding 05/12/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1254258 3

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outstanding

The children have built strong, trusting relationships with the adults who care for them. The adults are proud of, and are aspirational for, the children. This has enabled children to thrive and learn that their feelings and opinions are important. The child’s voice is evident throughout records and in day-to-day living situations in the home. Children’s level of engagement in services that support their experiences and progress is exceptional.

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outstanding

The adults and children have developed an exceptionally strong sense of family in the home. The children say they are very happy to live here and feel they belong, but they have a realistic understanding of the fact that their preference would be to live with their own family. With help from the adults, the children are developing a sense of community and understand that this is important, especially when they leave the home. The children respect the adults and they are polite and welcoming to visitors.

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outstanding

The children attend school and are making excellent progress. The school staff and the adults caring for the children, ensure that they communicate well and work in a consistent way to support the children to achieve. One parent was clear that the level of joint working along with the input of the therapists was what made the difference. She described a ‘three-pronged approach’ that has helped her child be ‘a million miles away from where [name of child] started’.

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outstanding

The children are provided with therapeutic care and support that is understood by them and the adults caring for them. The children value the support they receive and can see the benefits they reap from the sessions. The qualified and experienced therapist is highly committed to the children and adults. Between them, they develop innovative ways for children to learn to self-regulate their emotions and tell the adults how they can help them when they feel overwhelmed. Children can identify themselves how far they have come from their starting points and can reflect on the difference living at the home has made to them.

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outstanding

There are weekly consultation sessions with the therapist for children and meetings along with focused training for the adults. The meetings discuss the strategies and the therapeutic input in use, and reflect on what works and what needs to change. The service is also extended to family members to help them understand the needs and presenting behaviours of their children. Family members expressed that they feel well informed and supported by the manager and members of the team.

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outstanding

The children engage in healthy eating and lifestyles. They attend clubs, such as sea cadets and swimming, which help them develop socially and physically. They involve themselves in activities on a regular basis, such as football, visiting country shows and houses, trampolining and the usual cinema and going out for food. The children Inspection report for children’s home: 1254258 4 live full lives and develop friendships. The children all engage in health services either for routine appointments with dentists and opticians or in specialist services to meet their individual needs. They are supported in this by the adults until they can manage this on their own.

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

The children say they feel safe in the home. They can identify a trusted adult who they can talk to about any worries or concerns. One child said, ‘I may not like them all of the time but I trust them.’

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

Risk management plans contain clear strategies to help the adults mitigate against risks that the children face. The plans are regularly reviewed and updated if required. The records show that all children are making progress in learning to manage risk.

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

There have been occasions when children have been absent from the home, but the adults have known where they are and who they are with, mainly family. The adults follow all the necessary protocols and procedures to ensure the safe return of children, which does include reporting them as missing to police if necessary. Such incidents are reducing.

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

There have been incidents where children have needed to be held as a last resort to help them to regulate their emotions. The records of such incidents are clear and the manager’s detailed monitoring shows that the amount and the length of time a child is held are all reducing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is a focused and inspirational leader. He is highly effective in his role and is ambitious for the children and his team. He continually develops ways of ensuring that both continue to achieve. He is supported by two deputies.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is visible in the home, and his level of monitoring is exceptional. He uses data with both children and the team to look at why situations happen and develop ways of managing them differently for more positive outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager develops working relationships with other professionals so that he can ensure that children receive the highest quality of care. He challenges appropriately and advocates strongly on behalf of the children when necessary. All professionals spoken to were overwhelmingly positive about the whole team and how it has changed the lives of the children who live in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The training programme is comprehensive and is inclusive of relevant mandatory training as well as specialised, focused training to help the team meet the needs of the children. The manager ensures that staff keep up to date with their knowledge base and uses briefings to discuss topics of interest or relevance. He uses innovative ways to explain complex concepts to the team and constantly re-enforces the Inspection report for children’s home: 1254258 5 therapeutic ethos of the home. Research underpins his management style and he is constantly looking to improve the lives of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The team receives supervision on a regular basis. The records are detailed and reflective. On occasion, items discussed are not followed through to their conclusion or detailed on the record.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager uses the reports of the independent visitor well. He completes good- quality regulation 45 reports that reflect the progress of the children and the team. He is keen to continue learning and developing, and is curious about ways to achieve this. Inspection report for children’s home: 1254258 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that supervision records note any actions to follow up. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.3)

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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: 1254258 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: Lupton Tower, Lupton, Carnforth LA6 2PR

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Inspector

Sue Atkinson-Millmoor, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1254258 8 regulates and inspects 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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