Children's Home run by A Wilderness Way Limited in Westmorland and Furness

Inspection report for children’s home: 2712599 1 Registered provider: A Wilderness Way Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home was registered as a multi-building children’s home in November 2022. The manager was registered with Ofsted as part of this registration.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This children’s home provides care for up to six children with social and emotional difficulties in up to four buildings under a single registration.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, there were five children living across four buildings.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home offers short-term intensive stays, typically lasting 17 weeks. This is the first inspection of the home since its registration.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

p.1

inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

p.1

inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

p.1

inadequate

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

p.1

inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

p.1

inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2712599 2

p.1

inadequate

Inspectors identified shortfalls in relation to safeguarding practice. These shortfalls have had an adverse impact on some children’s safety and experiences. However, despite this, some children have made progress from their individual starting points.

p.2

inadequate

Children are supported to build trusting relationships with staff. This helps children to experience a sense of belonging. However, the registered manager has not consistently updated children’s relevant plans to inform care practices. Staff report that this has led to inconsistencies in practice and accept that this does not provide all children with stability of care.

p.2

inadequate

Education outcomes for children are variable. Most children have access to education and learning during their short stay at the home. This has helped some children to make progress towards their education outcomes. However, for a child who has lived in the home for a longer period of time, plans do not demonstrate their progress. This is a missed opportunity to demonstrate each child’s achievements.

p.2

inadequate

Children have access to well-being practitioners who use a range of resources to support children’s emotional health and well-being. However, the care and support provided to children are not always age-appropriate or delivered in line with children’s plans.

p.2

inadequate

Staff encourage children to attend regular health appointments. However, not all children’s health needs are consistently met. Managers do not ensure that staff follow each child’s relevant plans in relation to their health needs. This does not ensure that each child’s health needs are prioritised.

p.2

inadequate

Some children said that they have a good relationship with staff. However, when a child made a complaint about the use of a door sensor on their bedroom door, leaders and managers did not respond to this as a complaint. This does not demonstrate that all children are always listened to, and this is a missed opportunity to explore the child’s wishes and feelings to make improvements to the quality of care that staff provide for children.

p.2

inadequate

Managers and staff have created a comfortable and friendly environment for children to live in. Children’s bedrooms reflect their individual styles. However, some children are not able to access all areas of their home. For example, one child’s en-suite bathroom is locked, and another child is living in a separate annex to the main home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2712599 3

p.2

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

Safeguarding practice across the settings is inconsistent. Some staff do not always demonstrate professional curiosity and they make assumptions or take a single source of information and accept it at face value. This presents a risk for some children.

p.3

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

Managers and staff do not always take effective action to mitigate and reduce risk. For example, some children are at risk due to self-injurious behaviours. Managers and staff have failed to robustly assess this risk. Further to this, there is a lack of appropriate guidance and support for all children in relation to self-injurious behaviours.

p.3

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

Despite this, incidents significantly reduce for some children. For example, there has been a reduction in missing-from-care incidents, smoking and substance misuse. One child said, ‘I don’t need to go missing because the staff listen to me.’ Another child said, ‘Staff have helped me to make changes.’

p.3

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

Children’s risk assessments do not provide staff with sufficiently clear guidance to follow in practice. In the absence of clear guidance, staff do not always take effective action in response to safeguarding incidents. For example, staff managed an incident of choking but did not seek medical attention or guidance from a manager. Records do not demonstrate that this was subsequently addressed with staff.

p.3

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

Not all behaviour is managed effectively and, on occasions, police assistance is requested by some staff to support the management of behaviours. This does not demonstrate that all staff have the skills and experience to manage some incidents, despite receiving relevant training. This could lead to the criminalisation of children.

p.3

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

Following an incident when a child set a fire in the home, staff took some action to help the child understand this risk. Practical steps were taken to reduce some of the risk. However, managers did not know that a fire extinguisher used to extinguish the fire had been misplaced. The manager did locate the extinguisher during the inspection and replaced it.

p.3

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

There are gaps in staff training to support their understanding of relevant safeguarding concerns. Therefore, their ability to respond effectively to concerns in this area is limited.

p.3

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

An allegation made by a child was not responded to sufficiently. Although the manager responded to this matter as a complaint, they did not share it with the local authority designated officer or Ofsted. Failing to follow safeguarding processes does not enable other agencies to carry out their own safeguarding procedures. Inspection report for children’s home: 2712599 4 The use of door sensors on children’s bedroom doors is not adequately assessed for all children. For some children, this monitoring is not used in accordance with legislative guidance to ensure that there is no more intrusion than necessary. This does not ensure that children’s need for privacy is reviewed in line with their ongoing needs.

p.3

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

Staff recruitment procedures are effective. All staff are checked and vetted before starting work. These checks ensure that only suitable adults are employed to work with children in the home.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There is a suitably qualified registered manager in post. Staff work as a team, and the team has a sense of ownership about its practice.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Management oversight and evaluation of children’s records are not sufficient and do not always identify shortfalls relating to staff practice. This limits the improvements that managers and staff can make to continuously improve the quality of care provided for children. For example, although managers review records in relation to safeguarding incidents, they do not scrutinise incidents to identify any lessons to be learned or ensure that steps are taken to reduce risk and prevent incidents recurring.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers do not consistently share all relevant information with the appropriate agencies. This means that placing authorities do not always have the most up-to- date information about incidents for their child or medical updates. However, most professionals provided positive feedback about the care and support that the children receive.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff have not received training or support in understanding children’s complex needs and behaviours. One child has a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but staff have not been provided with sufficient training to support their understanding of this diagnosis or how it affects the child that they care for. One child’s records include specific behaviours, but staff have not received training in this area. This limits staff’s ability to respond effectively to this child’s needs.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff benefit from regular supervision. Staff spoken to were positive about the support provided by the manager. However, records do not demonstrate how a particular concern from a member of staff relating to the availability of the on-call manager was addressed. This was in relation to a safeguarding incident.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers are not working in line with the home’s statement of purpose. In particular, the statement of purpose does not accurately detail the model of care the home provides and does not consider the impact of longer-term placements on children’s education outcomes. Inspection report for children’s home: 2712599 5 The director took immediate action to rectify some of the safeguarding issues identified during the visit. A follow up action plan clearly showed the actions taken to safeguard children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2712599 6

p.4

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.6

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;

p.6

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(vi)(d))

p.6

Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff take effective action to safeguard children.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must ensure that children’s risk assessments clearly outline children’s risks and the strategies that staff must follow in practice to reduce these risks.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff have the skills to identify and respond to safeguarding concerns. This should include training around child exploitation, sexualised 5 February 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2712599 7 behaviour and supporting children who have suffered sexual abuse.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

p.7

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.7

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

p.7

Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

p.7

Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

p.7

Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(f)(g)(ii)(h))

p.7

Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff receive training to support their understanding of and ability to meet children’s identified needs. This should include training relating to ADHD and pica.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that they respond to all complaints made by children. Furthermore, the registered person must evidence that they use feedback and complaints from children to improve the quality of care provided to children.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure improved monitoring and review of significant incidents and children’s records. They must demonstrate evaluation and scrutiny of records to identify and address any shortfalls relating to safeguarding practice or the quality of care provided to children. 5 February 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2712599 8 The health and well-being standard is that—

p.7

Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

p.8

Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.8

Requirement Due date

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

p.8

Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv))

p.8

Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered manager must ensure that staff understand and meet the outcomes in children’s relevant plans.

p.8

Requirement Due date

Further to this, staff working with children should be appropriately trained and skilled to promote children’s well- being. 5 February 2024

p.8

Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.8

Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

p.8

Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers; 5 February 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2712599 9 maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(vi)(viii))

p.9

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that they understand children’s educational needs and have access to their relevant plans.

p.9

Requirement Due date

Furthermore, ensure that children are supported to achieve in education and encouraged to participate in educational activities that will enable them to return to an education setting.

p.9

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

p.9

Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

p.9

Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

p.9

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.9

Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

p.9

Requirement Due date

Specifically, this relates to ensuring that managers and staff have access to children’s relevant plans, such as healthcare plans and education plans. Furthermore, managers and staff must follow children’s relevant plans in practice to ensure that children’s needs are being met. 5 February 2024

p.9

Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

p.9

Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and 5 February 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2712599 10 positive responses to other children and adults.

p.9

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.10

Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

p.10

Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

p.10

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

p.10

Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

p.10

Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children; and

p.10

Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(vi)(vii)(ix)(x))

p.10

Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

p.10

Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

p.10

Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

p.10

Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

p.10

Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and 5 February 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2712599 11 allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (1)(a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

p.10

Requirement Due date

This relates to the practice of locking children’s en-suite bathrooms, and to children having access to all parts of their home.

p.11

Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

p.11

Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

p.11

Requirement Due date

the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance;

p.11

Requirement Due date

so far as reasonably practicable in the light of the child’s age and understanding, the child is informed in advance of the intention to do the monitoring or surveillance; and

p.11

Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d))

p.11

Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to the use of door sensors for all children without a safeguarding purpose. 5 February 2024

p.11

Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

p.11

Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. (Regulation 16 (1) (5))

p.11

Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that the home operates in line with the statement of purpose. In particular, the statement of purpose should accurately detail the model of care the home provides. 5 February 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2712599 12

p.11

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: 2712599 13

p.12

Children’s home details

Registered provider: A Wilderness Way Limited

p.13

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Stoneybeck, Penrith CA11 8RP

p.13

Inspectors

Emma Thornton, Social Care Inspector Sally Griffiths, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2712599 14 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.

p.13

Inspectors

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.14

Inspectors

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.14

Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.14