Children's Home run by Witherslack Group Limited in Shropshire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2710409 1

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Information about this children’s home

A private company owns this home. It is registered to provide care for up to eight children with complex needs and who may be experiencing a range of difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

This home has a school on the same site, which children living at the home attend. The inspector only inspected the social care provision.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since 1 December 2023. A new manager was appointed in May 2024 and has applied to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspectors were aware during this inspection that serious child protection concerns were being investigated by the appropriate authorities. While Ofsted does not have the power to investigate allegations of this kind, actions taken by the setting in response to the allegations were considered alongside other evidence available at the time of the inspection to inform inspectors’ judgements.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this home on 21 May 2024 to carry out a full inspection. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring inspection was undertaken to monitor children’s welfare in response to notifications received by Ofsted. The purpose of the visit was to explore whether the actions taken by the managers and staff following safeguarding incidents protect children.

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This monitoring visit

At the time of this visit, seven children lived at the home. Since the last inspection, three children have moved into the home and no children have moved out of the home. Four children were observed, and two children were spoken to during the visit. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2710409 2 Children receive good quality care from a competent and nurturing staff team, whose members know the children well. As a result, children are settled and are making progress in areas such as education, emotional regulation, and social interaction with peers in the community.

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This monitoring visit

Children said that they like living in the home and feel safe. Over time, incidents of challenging behaviour in the home are reducing, as children begin to settle, and feel safer and more secure in their environment.

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This monitoring visit

Overall, children are safe and staff know the children well. Staff have a good understanding of children’s behaviours and what causes them to become anxious and unsettled. Staff follow comprehensive care and risk plans to minimise risk and keep children safe.

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This monitoring visit

Managers and staff have a sound understanding of how to keep children safe online. Firewalls are installed on devices and monitoring apps are applied on most children’s phones. Staff complete regular phone checks in line with plans, and they work with children to help them to understand how to keep themselves safe online. However, when online safety concerns were identified for one child, staff did not consider increasing the frequency of the phone checks. This was a missed opportunity for staff to be able to identify and intervene sooner when further concerns did arise.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers respond promptly when there are concerns about staff practice, which has an impact on the safety and quality-of-care the children receive. Managers ensure that the appropriate professionals are informed, and where required, disciplinary processes are followed. This robust practice not only supports children to receive consistent, good quality care but also promotes children’s safety.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, a new manager and deputy manager have been appointed. They have worked well to ensure that changes in staffing and management have not impacted on the continuity of care for children.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have good oversight of the home. They have effective systems in place to support them to monitor the quality-of-care afforded to children. Leaders and managers have developed an understanding of the home’s strengths and areas of development. Managers are clear of children’s progress and achievements since they have been living in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Staff say that they feel well supported by leaders and managers in the home. Staff receive regular supervision and training. This helps them to develop and meet children’s needs effectively.

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This monitoring visit

Requirements made at the last inspection were not reviewed during this visit and remain in place. These will be reviewed at the next inspection. One additional recommendation was made at this monitoring visit. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2710409 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/05/2024 Full Good 03/05/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2710409 4

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply with the given timescales.

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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—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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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; and

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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)(a)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager ensuring that:

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Requirement Due date

 safeguarding incidents are critically reviewed to identify shortfalls in practice and in the recording of incidents;  the independent visitor consistently ascertains the views of children; and  that relevant persons such as professionals and children are consulted when the review of the location of the premises is conducted, and that up-to-date information is included in the report. 3 July 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2710409 5 This requirement was raised at the last inspection and has been reinstated.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline, or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically refers to managers and staff ensuring that the duration of the measures used during incidents are clearly recorded.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and has been reinstated. 3 July 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager ensuring that staff receive regular practice-related supervision as outlined in the home’s statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and has been reinstated 3 July 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that if a child makes a choice that would place them or another person at significant risk of harm, staff should assist them to understand the risks and manage their risk-taking behaviour to keep themselves and others safe. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.7) This recommendation was raised at the last inspection and has been reinstated.  The registered person should ensure that when children have access to an internet enabled phone, the staff should consider whether and how they can support the child to access the phone and the internet safely. This is specifically related to staff taking appropriate action when there are new risks identified with children’s use of their phone, for example increasing phone checks to ensure Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2710409 6 children are using their phones safely. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes

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Recommendations

Regulations, including the quality standard’, page 29, paragraph 5.19)

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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.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2710409 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

Sonia Sullivan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2710409 8 regulates and inspects 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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