Children's home run by Westmorland and Furness Council

Inspection report for children’s home: 2731337 1 Registered provider: Westmorland and Furness Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and operated by a local authority. It is registered to provide care for up to four children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and manager registered with Ofsted on 1 April 2023. The registered manager is suitably experienced.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2731337 2

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Recent inspection history

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home: 2731337 3

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improvement to be good

Despite children often moving into the home on an emergency basis for a short time, staff work hard to quickly build trusting relationships with them. These relationships have helped children to make good progress in the home, increasing their confidence and preparing them for the next stage of their care.

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improvement to be good

Although children’s health needs are generally met well, one child was not given their prescribed medication at the correct time. Staff did not attempt to seek medical advice or to take action to ensure that the child was given their medication at the earliest opportunity. However, staff have used research to support one child’s assessment for autism and have worked in partnership with another child’s school to help to address the child’s smoking.

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improvement to be good

Staff are creative in identifying methods to encourage positive behaviour by children. For one child, staff have worked alongside the pastoral support service in school to encourage their attendance in sessions around anger management and therapy. In return, the child earns points towards a day out of her choice. Staff are proactive in researching activities that will encourage children’s interests. Children are supported to engage in their favourite activities, which provides them with consistency and promotes their physical and emotional health.

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improvement to be good

There are a variety of different ways for children to share their views and it is evident that children’s views are acted on and taken seriously. Children are given opportunities throughout their time in the home to reflect on what is or is not working well. One child who had not spent time in care before said, ‘I have achieved so much here, and other people can as well.’

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improvement to be good

Children have not gone missing from the home, their misuse of substances has stopped and school attendance has increased. However, staff have not always taken appropriate action in response to safeguarding concerns for children. As a result, one child was put in a position where they were at risk of harm which could have been prevented.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments are updated and thorough, providing detailed strategies for staff to use. However, these strategies are not consistently applied by staff. On one occasion, staff did not adequately consider the risks to a child where there was an ongoing safeguarding concern. Staff did not follow instructions to seek advice from the placing authority, who could have provided support to reduce or remove the risk. Inspection report for children’s home: 2731337 4 Children respond well to the clear and consistent boundaries in place, which helps them to settle into the home quickly. This has helped children to feel safe and reassured to be able to share information about their previous traumatic experiences. Children are able to explore their feelings during therapeutic work and one-to-one sessions with trusted staff members.

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improvement to be good

The staff team is supported by an emotional health and well-being practitioner, who helps the team to consider its approach to working therapeutically with children, particularly at times of crisis. The practitioner feels that the staff team works intensively with children, tailoring the care it provides, which leads to positive long- term outcomes. One child who had moved on from the home said that things got better for him. He had an input into his care, with staff who listened to him and helped him control his anger and stress.

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improvement to be good

There have been few occasions where restraint has been used in the home. When restraint has been used, it has been as a last resort to protect the child from harming themselves or others. For one child, in line with the child’s plan, physical restraint is used only by agency nurses, which helps to protect relationships with the staff who care for the child. An analysis of the incidents has helped staff to consider the child’s triggers and behaviours, meaning they were able to deal with further incidents more effectively without the need for restraint.

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good

The manager has an excellent understanding of the children who live and have lived in the home and the progress they have made. The manager wants to maintain high standards in the home and is proactive in addressing practice issues. However, there have been shortfalls in the quality of care, which could have been prevented. This includes insufficient communication to all staff about the actions to safeguard a child, and a lack of effective direction to ensure that another child received their prescribed medication.

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good

Ofsted has not been notified of some serious incidents that have occurred at the home in line with regulation. However, lessons have been learned from these incidents and measures are in place to prevent reoccurrence and improve children’s experiences.

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good

The manager has good oversight of the home and there is a high degree of reflective practice with staff. This is evident in detailed appraisals, team meetings and regular supervision. The manager encourages staff to come up with ideas to drive improvement, and encourages ownership. There is a supportive atmosphere in the home with ways for staff to feed back and show their appreciation for their colleagues. This helps to create an environment where respect and value are key.

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good

Staff are suitably trained in both mandatory and non-mandatory areas, with refresher training being provided when practice has not been effective. However, additional training is being procured to address areas such as vaping and smoking Inspection report for children’s home: 2731337 5 cessation, as well as more advanced training around autism and ADHD, to ensure that staff are fully trained in the areas affecting the children in their care.

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good

While the service has evolved since the home opened, the future direction of the home is not yet clear. The manager is fully involved in discussions with leaders to consider the options available. Discussions with both established and new staff members show there is anxiety and uncertainty about the future of the home and their roles within it. Inspection report for children’s home: 2731337 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, 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 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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that all staff understand any emerging risks to children that are not yet fully assessed, and what their responsibilities are around ensuring that children are safeguarded in the interim. 12 October 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2731337 7 The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that medication is administered in a timely way as prescribed. 12 October 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person having a system in place so that all serious events are notified, without delay, to the regulator. 1 November 2023

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that all staff who will be caring for children in the home are made aware of any immediate risks to children to enable them to carry out their safeguarding responsibilities. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.4)

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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: 2731337 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Westmorland and Furness Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Westmorland and Furness Council, Town Hall, Duke Street, Barrow in Furness, Cumbria LA14 2LD

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Inspector

Andrea Foreman, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2731337 9 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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