Children's Home run by Witherslack Group Limited in Leicestershire

Inspection report children's home: 2615494 1 Registered provider: Witherslack Group Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children's home

The home is owned by a private company. It provides care for up to four children. The home provides short-term care placements or an agreed period of assessment.

p.1

Information about this children's home

The home has a new manager who was appointed in November 2023. The manager is not yet registered with Ofsted.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

p.1

outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

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.

p.1

outstanding

Date of last inspection: 21 February 2023

p.1

outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: 2615494 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/02/2023 Full Good 02/02/2022 Full Good Inspection report children's home: 2615494 3

p.2

outstanding

The home provides short-term care for a period of assessment for children. Since the last inspection fourteen children have moved into the home and thirteen have moved on successfully. One child is currently residing at the home.

p.3

outstanding

Children enjoy living at the home. One child said, ‘If it was nearer to home I would stay and live here forever.’ Staff place a strong focus on supporting children to have fun, try new things and experience activities in the community. Staff go to great lengths to create pictures and children have positive memory books. These provide children with a collection of joyful pictures and photographs reflecting their time in the home. These books support children to reflect on and remember the events or activities with staff and people important to them. Children can take these very happy memories with them when they move on.

p.3

outstanding

Children’s contact with their families and friends is planned, encouraged and supported, where this is in their best interests. There is excellent communication between the manager, staff, family members, friends and other external professionals. Visits to family members are facilitated very well. Staff understand the value of these important relationships for children and go above and beyond. This enables children to maintain positive relationships with people who support them.

p.3

outstanding

Children are engaged in education from the moment they arrive. There is a dedicated space for children’s learning with a qualified tutor if there is no education provision. The tutor and staff swiftly identify children’s starting points when they arrive at the home. This results in personalised learning programmes and plans. Where children are in school, they make very good progress in line with their individual education plans. This supports children in their aspirations and hopes for the future.

p.3

outstanding

Staff understand that teaching children life skills, such as understanding healthy relationships and money management is just as important as practical skills. Staff use every opportunity to support children to make progress in the short time of their stay. Staff speak with pride when they describe the progress children have made. This outstanding care gives children the confidence to achieve goals that are important to them.

p.3

outstanding

The atmosphere in the home is relaxed and this helps children to feel a sense of belonging. There is a natural ethos of treating children with dignity and respect. The exceptional care provided is underpinned by strong and meaningful relationships between children and staff. This facilitates children to have purposeful discussions around sensitive issues with staff which enables children to reflect and learn. As a result, staff are able to use the short length of time children spend with them to prepare and plan for their future. Inspection report children's home: 2615494 4

p.3

outstanding

The manager and staff understand the children’s risks and vulnerabilities extremely well. The home has access to clinical support practitioners who carry out in-depth assessments. There is close monitoring of patterns and changes in children’s risks. Approaches to children’s care and plans are altered to reflect the changing needs. As a result, children’s risks assessments and plans are informative, reflective and current. This supports children to be safe and feel safe.

p.4

outstanding

Staff skilfully use their positive relationships with children to de-escalate situations and incidents that may otherwise result in a physical intervention. When intervention has been necessary it is used as a last resort and for the minimum time possible. Managers effectively scrutinise every intervention and incident. As a result, learnings are identified and shared across the team. This is outstanding practice.

p.4

outstanding

Children are safe in this home. This is because they have strong relationships with the manager and staff. Children talk openly about their current and previous life experiences. This means that staff can support children to overcome past trauma and to manage current risks. This has been significant in allowing children to build secure and meaningful relationships with a team of staff who children know, trust and rely on in a short space of time.

p.4

outstanding

Staff have received good quality safeguarding training. As a result, they have a clear understanding of their safeguarding roles and responsibilities. Staff know how to report any concerns they may have. Safeguarding incidents are exceptionally rare. When they do occur, staff know how to respond and keep children safe.

p.4

outstanding

Staff are extremely diligent. This ensures that the potential risks to children are understood and minimised. Risk assessments and care plans are extremely thorough. They provide clear and concise information about how children need to be supported. Staff know and understand the underlying causes to more difficult behaviours that children can present. As a result, children are assured that staff will do everything to keep them safe.

p.4

outstanding

Staff empower children to make choices and decisions about their day-to-day care and future plans. This means that children’s wishes and feelings are listened to and considered. As a result, children are able to have their say and be involved in their plans.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is currently no registered manager. The acting manager has been in post since November 2023, and they understand the importance of registration. She already has a vision for progression for the home whilst recognising and demonstrating the areas for development. She speaks with commitment and dedication about the children. The staff team share the manager’s vision for this Inspection report children's home: 2615494 5 home. This is to ensure that all children have the best possible experiences and providing excellent child-centred care.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Teamwork is fundamental in providing children with the best possible care and support. Staff focus on children’s strengths and abilities. The team celebrate all successes with children. Staff are committed to ensuring that each child has the best chances and outcomes possible. They advocate for children’s rights and needs. The manager and staff see themselves as a family around the child.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff experience an excellent level of support through regular one to one meetings and team meetings. These are reflective and mean that staff can learn lessons and adapt their own practice. Staff could benefit from further discussions in their one-to- one meetings on wider safeguarding issues. They also receive daily support and guidance from the management team and each other. As a result, staff are highly motivated and feel they have a voice in influencing the high care provided to children.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Partnership work with external agencies is positive. They have built effective working relationships with the placing authorities. However, there is a lack of feedback from parents, children, staff and external professionals. The home would benefit from seeking feedback to continually improve the experiences and care of children at the home.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Quality assurance and monitoring systems are effective. The manager monitors and reviews all aspects of each child’s care. Monitoring systems are thorough. Reflective practice for staff is positive, and the manager use’s what they learn through monitoring the care provided to continually improve. This contributes to providing consistent, positive and child-centred care. Inspection report children's home: 2615494 6

p.5

Recommendations

 The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring (including under regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. They are responsible for proactively implementing lessons learned and sustaining good practice. With particular reference to seeking independent feedback from all those involved in the care of each child. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 55, paragraph 10.24)  The registered person should ensure that the content and/or outcomes of supervision sessions reflect discussion on safeguarding issues which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs and risks of children assigned to their care. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 61, paragraph 13.4)

p.6

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 children's home: 2615494 7

p.6

Children's home details

Registered provider: Witherslack Group Limited

p.7

Children's home details

Registered provider address: Lupton Tower, Lupton, Carnforth, Lancashire LA6 2PR

p.7

Inspector

Thirza Smith, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: 2615494 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.

p.7

Inspector

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.8

Inspector

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

p.8

Inspector

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

p.8