Children's home run by Witherslack Group Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: SC475703 1 SC475703 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 one of several homes operated by a private provider. It provides care for up to eight children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in April 2014, and the manager registered in May 2014.

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Information about this children’s home

Six children were living in the home at the time of this inspection. All children were spoken to by the inspectors. The children access the organisation’s registered school and therapeutic services.

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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 outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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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.

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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: SC475703 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/05/2022 Full Good 17/08/2021 Full Good 22/08/2018 Full Outstanding 09/01/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC475703 3

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outstanding

Children living in this home make exceptional and sustained progress in all areas of their lives. They have extremely positive relationships with the manager and staff. Staff create a positive, therapeutic, nurturing family environment where the children are thriving. This helps the children to feel happy, safe, confident, and well supported.

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outstanding

Children experience extremely positive moves into and on from the home. When new children move into the home, the manager takes the time to find out each child’s interests in order to create an individual children’s guide for them. For example, one child likes a particular anime character, so the staff created themed guide for them. This approach supports children to feel valued and welcomed into the home.

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outstanding

Staff have high aspirations for the children. The manager and staff actively model positive behaviours and attitudes. They work in partnership with other professionals to ensure that children receive high-quality support in all areas of care and development. This includes working alongside education, health and clinical therapists as well as children’s placing authorities.

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outstanding

Positive feedback received from a social worker to the manager was viewed by the inspectors. It confirmed that the social worker had reported that the child is afforded excellent care, support and reassurance and sees her home as a safe place to live. The child is made to feel valued and listened to and knows who in her care team she can turn to as a confidant. The social also reported that the child is happy living at the home.

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outstanding

Children’s plans are highly individualised. They are supported by input from the clinical team, using research-informed practice to meet the children’s individual and unique needs. Child-focused meetings occur regularly between the manager, key workers and therapists, who look at ways to best support the emerging needs of the children. Staff are highly creative in their approach to this. For one child who struggles to manage their bedroom, staff conducted a robust assessment, and a plan was developed for them to support the child while also ensuring the child’s voice was heard. This made an exceptional difference to the life and experience of the child.

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outstanding

All children are accessing therapy through the organisation’s clinical team. They are working through their past childhood experiences and trauma. Staff respond sensitively to children processing their thoughts and feelings while providing consistent care, rules and boundaries. This supports the children to feel emotionally safe. Inspection report for children’s home: SC475703 4 The children’s views, wishes and feelings are central to the running of the home. The staff have monthly ‘how can we help you?’ meetings with the children. These help the children review their progress and set clear goals for the coming month. Goals are then shared with all staff and the clinical team to help support the child.

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outstanding

All children access full-time education at the organisation’s school and attendance is consistently high. One child has sat their GCSE exams one year early, gaining qualifications in core subjects. Children had irregular or non-attendance with education before moving into the home. Professionals unanimously said the manager and staff have supported the children’s education amazingly. As a result, children have the opportunity to succeed.

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outstanding

Children’s health needs are a priority in this home. All children are registered with local health services and attend regular appointments. The manager and staff have plans in place to support a child who is due to have complicated surgery in the coming weeks. The plans incorporate supporting the child and their family member through the procedure and during the recovery period.

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outstanding

Family time is highly supported and recognised as important by the staff team, and the manager and staff have excellent relationships with family members. Staff actively support children in speaking to and visiting family members weekly. This supports children to keep in touch with people who are important to them and supports their sense of identity.

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outstanding

Children access a wide range of activities at the home and in the community. For example, they play football in the grounds of the home, have use of a trampoline and have many board games, toys and games consoles. The inspectors observed a Halloween-themed evening and children going to a ‘scare fest’ activity and ‘trick or treating’. This supports children to be integrated within the local community. One child is actively assisted to attend the local church. This supports the child to continue to observe their faith.

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outstanding

The manager and staff recognise and understand each child’s individual risks and vulnerabilities. All children living at the home have comprehensive risk assessments and positive behaviour support plans in place. Highly effective planning helps to manage and minimise risks inside and outside of the home. When children are new to the home, their individual risks are well understood and significantly reduced. For example, one child who was at high risk of being exploited before moving into the home, is now at low risk. There are plans for the child to return to live in their local area.

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outstanding

Children rarely go missing from care. This is exceptional, given their starting points. For example, before moving into the home, one child went missing on a daily basis. They no longer go missing from care. The manager has strong links with the local Inspection report for children’s home: SC475703 5 police. This ensures that vital information about children is quickly shared. This helps to locate children as soon as possible if they go missing. One child spoken to said, ‘I’m safe and happy here; I have got everything I need. I don’t want to move back home, but I do; it’s a weird feeling.’

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outstanding

Children are safer as a result of the excellent care and support the manager and staff provide. Staff respond, manage and resolve safeguarding concerns to excellent effect. Children have been physically held on a number of occasions; however, staff have acted in line with policy and procedures. The manager has deemed the holds to be necessary and proportionate to ensure everyone’s safety. As a consequence, the emergency services have not been required to support the staff in managing the children’s behaviour.

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outstanding

Staff praise and reward children for their positive behaviour and talk to children about how best to manage their behaviour. However, at times, children have been given financial sanctions. The manager recognises that these have become ineffective and is looking to adapt practice to a more restorative nature.

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outstanding

The manager has compiled a comprehensive review of the premises. This includes considering known risks in the area and listing strategies to minimise risk. However, the manager has not ensured that they have up-to-date feedback from local safeguarding partners to further inform the review.

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outstanding

Staff clearly understand the safeguarding procedures. They receive safeguarding training, which is regularly updated to make sure that their knowledge remains up to date with current practice. Staff also receive training in, online safety, safe administration of medicines, child neglect, child sexual exploitation, safer caring, managing self-injurious behaviour and county lines. Staff receive training in areas specific to the children, such as autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. This ensures that staff continue to meet their needs effectively.

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outstanding

Staff are not afraid to discuss and tackle sensitive subjects and risk-taking behaviours with the children, for example, personal hygiene, bereavement and aggression. Staff use these discussions to empower children to develop their knowledge and make positive choices. This allows children to take ownership of their lives.

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outstanding

The manager adopts safer recruitment principles when recruiting new staff. Staff receive a thorough induction. This ensures the safety of the children in the home. Allegation management is excellent. The manager has excellent working relationships with safeguarding partners, and all allegations are effectively managed in line with protocol.

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outstanding

The home offers lots of space inside and out. It is clean, tidy and homely. The home is free from hazards and benefits from strong health and safety procedures to protect children from harm. The children’s bedroom doors have sensors activated at night that alert staff to children entering or leaving their bedrooms. Children have Inspection report for children’s home: SC475703 6 requested these to remain on during the night. It would be beneficial for the manager and staff to work with the children to look at alternative, less restrictive ways of the children having their needs met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is inspirational, confident, ambitious and strongly advocates for the children in her care. She is suitably qualified and experienced and has managed the home since it opened. Children are extremely fond of her, and this is reciprocated.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager provides strong and effective leadership to a highly motivated staff team. One member of staff said, ‘The manager makes experiences special. It’s not just a job to her; she goes above and beyond, setting the example for staff. The manager does so much for the children.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The management and clinical teams are passionate about helping staff to understand children’s behaviour and how it links to children’s experiences of trauma in particular. The manager believes this is critical for staff in their role. As a result, staff are empathetic in their approach and committed to the children they care for.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff speak highly of the manager, have confidence in her and describe her as being very supportive. Staff have regular supervision sessions, team meetings and a yearly review of progress. This allows the manager to remain confident in the abilities of the staff team to meet the needs of the children. One member of staff said, ‘Both the manager and the deputy manager work hard to create a strong team with everyone working together to support the young people in a child-focused environment. All training and support have been consistent and have helped me to gradually develop my understanding and confidence in my role.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has an excellent understanding of the strengths and areas for development of the home. She makes effective use of internal and external monitoring to make sure that high standards of care practice are maintained. The home’s statement of purpose requires the details of the experience and qualifications of staff to be updated.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Feedback from professionals indicates that the manager consistently has the children’s needs at the forefront of her decision-making and practice. The manager, staff and children can clearly demonstrate the positive impact that living in the home has had on enhancing the children’s lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The shortfalls identified have not negatively impacted on the children. The two requirements raised at the last inspection have been met. Inspection report for children’s home: SC475703 7

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What does the children’s home need to do to improve?

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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Recommendations

 The registered person should keep under review a ‘Statement of Purpose’ (regulation 16 and schedule 1). Specifically, the experience and qualifications of staff should be updated as and when necessary. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.5)  The registered person should ensure that they review the use of bedroom door monitors, especially when monitors are used when no significant safeguarding concerns are present. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.16)  The registered person should ensure that any sanctions used to address poor behaviour are restorative in nature, proportionate and effective. This will help children to recognise the impact their behaviour has on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46,

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Recommendations

paragraph 9.38  The registered person should ensure that the home is suitably located so that children are effectively safeguarded. The provider should ensure that feedback is obtained from local safeguarding partners to inform the location risk assessment. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)

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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: SC475703 8

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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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Inspectors

Julie Elder, Social Care Inspector Andrea Foreman, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC475703 9 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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