Children's Home run by Witherslack Group Limited in Shropshire

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2709816 1 Registered provider: Witherslack Group Limited

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is registered to provide care for up to five children with complex needs and who may experience a range of social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

There are two other individually registered children’s homes on the same grounds, and there is a school on the same site. The children living in the three children’s homes attend the school.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

All three children’s homes had a monitoring visit from Ofsted on the same day. The school was not inspected during this visit.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The reason for the monitoring visits was because Ofsted has received information of concern about behaviour management at the other two homes. While the information does not directly relate to this home, Ofsted undertook a monitoring visit to be assured about the care of children, given the proximity of this home to the other two homes.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Five children were living at the home at the time of the inspection.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Children spoken to said they were happy living at the home. The home is lively, and children are engaged in different activities that they enjoy. For example, children go for swimming lessons and trampolining, and they enjoy playing different games.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Children are making some good progress relative to their starting points. For example, one child is managing their health needs better.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Five children living together can bring its challenges, as can living in close proximity to up to 12 other children who live in two neighbouring registered children’s homes owned by the same provider. Staff provide good support to the children at this home as they develop peer relationships and learn to manage these safely and with kindness and respect. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2709816 2 Sometimes, staff need to physically intervene to keep children and others safe. Incidents involving restraint have been reduced in recent months, with one in December 2023 and one in January 2024, respectively. Restraint records are largely well detailed, and the reasons for the restraint are clearly explained. Records show that, when necessary, restraint is used proportionately by staff. Sometimes, children say that they are hurt during the restraint. Although children are spoken to after an

p.1

This monitoring visit

incident, it is not always clear that what children have said during the restraint has been fully explored when they are calm. This is a missed opportunity for those not involved in the incident to understand more about a child’s experience of the incident and to promote their safety.

p.2

This monitoring visit

When a child with a specific medical condition is restrained to keep them and others safe, staff now ensure that appropriate health checks are undertaken following such an incident. As a result, managers have met the requirement raised at the last full inspection.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Children have access to specialist therapeutic support. Therapists contribute to assessments and risk management plans as needed. However, on occasion, the information contained in these plans does not correlate with the information contained in risk management plans written by staff in the home. As a result, this creates some confusion for staff about which strategies they need to follow. As a result, when a child self-harms, staff have not always followed risk reduction strategies consistently.

p.2

This monitoring visit

An independent person visits the home monthly. They compile a report about the quality of care provided to children and make an evaluation about whether they believe the children are effectively safeguarded. The visitor consistently comes to the home during the school day. While they can sometimes see the children, this is dependent on whether they return to the home during the school day. This limits opportunities for the visitor to meet with children and for the children to get to know the visitor. In turn, this then limits the effectiveness of this independent oversight. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2709816 3

p.2

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/07/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2709816 4

p.3

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 with the given timescales.

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

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.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(ii)(iii))

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that when children raise concerns during a restraint incident, these are followed up more specifically afterwards when the child is calmer. In addition, review risk management plans to ensure that the guidance contained in them is consistent and that staff follow this guidance. 15 March 2024

p.4

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person must make a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home’s care. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2709816 5

p.4

Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

p.5

Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2709816 6

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Witherslack Group Limited

p.6

Children’s home details

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

p.6

Inspector

Jackie Line, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2709816 7 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.6

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.7

Inspector

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

p.7

Inspector

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

p.7