2615342.

Inspection report for children's home: 2615342 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 is a privately owned home that provides care for up to seven children. These children may have faced adverse childhood experiences resulting in trauma.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is suitably experienced and qualified for the post. At the time of inspection, six children were living in the home.

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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 outstanding

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 16 January 2023

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2615342 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/01/2023 Full Good 03/08/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2615342 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from the positive and trusting relationships they have developed with staff. This helps them to accept support and guidance. Staff use a therapeutic model of care to provide nurture and challenge. This means children feel valued, and they make good progress in many areas of their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children attend school. There is close and regular communication between staff, the children’s schools and the organisation’s therapy team. This helps identify and address barriers children may face that prevent them from attending and doing well in school. As a result, some children’s attainment and ability to manage their emotions have improved.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s transitions into and out of the home are well supported by staff. Since the last inspection, four children have moved into the home and five children have moved on. The progress they have made in the home is captured in memory books that children take with them. Most of these children remain in contact with the home and share updates about their progress. One child has left following a serious incident. They moved into another home run by the provider, where the child was familiar with some of the staff. This thoughtful approach has helped to minimise disruption for the child. They settled well and continue to attend the same school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to build their independence skills in line with their stage of development. Some children spend time in the community independently, while others routinely help staff with tasks such as food shopping and baking. One child is completing a food hygiene course in line with his wish to cook independently. This good support helps children to develop important life skills and confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s views help shape the way the home operates and the care they receive. Their wishes and feelings are regularly gathered using a variety of approaches. These are then considered by the manager, staff and therapist. Children have enjoyed taking part in a variety of activities, including volunteering in the local community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and the therapy team monitor and promote children’s holistic health needs. Children attend routine and specialist appointments. This helps them to understand how to live healthy and active lives to support good physical and emotional health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is very well maintained and presented. Communal areas of the home provide children with a lot of space to relax, do their homework and watch movies in the cinema room. Children have personalised their bedrooms to reflect their individual personalities and interests. Inspection report for children's home: 2615342 4

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

The manager and staff know the children and their vulnerabilities very well. Up-to-date risk assessments and behaviour plans reflect this. These documents provide staff with clear guidance about how to manage and reduce risks for children. This helps staff to keep children safe in the home and the community. One child’s social worker said they are reassured about the good safeguarding mechanisms in the home.

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

Children benefit from consistent routines, boundaries, incentives and regular direct work. When they struggle to manage their emotions, they are helped by staff who use de-escalation strategies with them. When staff have to use physical intervention, this is as a last resort to safeguard children. Incidents are well managed by staff, and records have management oversight.

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

Staff help children to understand socially acceptable behaviours and how to respect each other. When there has been an increase in conflict and bullying between some of the children, staff have managed this well. They have used a variety of child-focused approaches to educate children and repair relationships. The manager has also been proactive and has put robust support in place for children. This has led to a reduction in the number of bullying incidents.

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

There have been three occasions when children have gone missing from care. Staff have acted appropriately and followed children’s plans. They have searched for children and worked with professionals to ensure that they return home safely. These incidents have been recorded in a timely manner but have not always been written to the provider’s required standard. The manager has identified this gap and has engaged staff in additional training in relation to report writing. This has also been included in the home’s development plan.

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

Children can share any worries they have about living in the home with staff. They know how to make a complaint, and the manager addresses these well, so children feel listened to. There has been one allegation against a member of staff by a child. This was promptly investigated, and the child was updated about the outcome.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is steadfast in their focus and drive to achieve excellent care and outcomes for children. They inspire and shape the positive culture in the home that staff enjoy and that professionals have noted. They are highly thought of and well respected by the wider professional network.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers have highly effective and exceptional systems to monitor and review the quality of care for children. These systems are also used to support the ongoing development and practice of the staff team. All reports and plans have management oversight. This enables the manager to know everything they need to about the care and protection of the children. When issues are identified, they are addressed promptly. This instils confidence in the staff team and helps to retain good staff morale. One member of staff said they are proud to work in the home. Inspection report for children's home: 2615342 5 Staff are very positive about the support they receive from the manager. They have regular supervision sessions and team meetings. These meetings are enhanced by input from the therapist. Staff have access to a wide range of training to increase their knowledge and skills. New staff benefit from attending the provider’s care

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

academy. This is where they are closely supported, supervised and complete all their mandatory training. They are supported by the manager to put this learning into practice in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is very child-focused. They were hurt during a serious incident involving some of the children. The manager remained focused on the children’s needs and the underlying reasons for their behaviours. They wrote to one child to assure them and to help repair their relationship. This has ensured that the child has not experienced further instability, and they remain living in their home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Robust partnership working has enabled the ongoing progression of children’s plans. Professionals report that they receive regular and effective communication from staff about the children. One parent said that staff keep them updated about their child and that they are ‘not worried about their child as they are well care for’. Inspection report for children's home: 2615342 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the manager and staff understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Information about children must be recorded in a way that will be helpful to children. (Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Information about this inspection

The inspector has 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: 2615342 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, Lancashire LA6 2PR

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Inspector

Nurul Kabir, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2615342 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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