Children's home run by Witherslack Group Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2608666 1 Registered provider: Witherslack Group Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned. It is registered to provide care for up to four children with emotional and social difficulties. There is a school on the same site. The inspector only inspected the social care provision on this site. At the time of the inspection, three children were living at the home. The registered manager position has been vacant since 25 April 2024. The home had temporary oversight provided by an experienced children’s homes manager. A manager was appointed on 25 October 2024.

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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 good

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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: 27 February 2024

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2608666 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/02/2024 Full Outstanding 13/03/2023 Full Outstanding 09/02/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2608666 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is a comfortable and homely feel to this house. Rooms are well decorated, clean and tidy. Children enjoy large en-suite bedrooms. They have chosen how the home looks, including a creative comic book character wall.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s care plans are clear and detailed. They are specific to each child and cover all aspects of their life. Staff have access to additional supporting documents that increase their knowledge of the individual features of children’s care. These support staff to deliver consistent quality care and keep children safer.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The health needs of children are known, well supported and identified in the children’s placement plans. Children are encouraged to attend health appointments and are helped in different ways when may be worried. There is additional support from the provider’s therapy team. The team works with individual children as well as supporting staff. As a result, care and support are tailored to the individual needs of each child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s learning is a central part of the child’s life at this home, attending an on-site school. School and care staff work closely together to provide programmes of education and life skills. Staff care about the progress children make, helping one child to enjoy reading so that they continue learning in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff listen to and act on the wishes and feelings of children. Weekly group meetings capture children’s views. An example is the introduction of a comic book character wall. Regular discussions are held between children and staff. These key-work times are meaningful and address issues that are specific to the needs and plans of the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are good relationships between children and staff. Children like spending time with staff. Staff speak highly of the children and like working at the home. A child’s social worker said: ‘I found staff in the placement to be friendly, knowledgeable and invested in my child.’

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

Staff understand risks to children. There are detailed risk management plans for each child. The plans contain details about known and potential risks, and enable staff to recognise how behaviours may present and de-escalate behaviours effectively at the earliest opportunity, reducing the number of incidents. Risks in the locality are also understood well. Measures are identified to help staff reduce any risks to the children.

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

Each child has a personal behaviour support plan, which is reviewed and updated regularly. How a child may present when angry or upset is clearly identified, including how staff should respond with specific strategies. Staff are trained how to hold a child safely as a last resort to keep the child or others safe. The manager ensures that there is Inspection report for children’s home: 2608666 4 reflection and learning if this happens. New ways of working with a child, based on this learning, have been introduced to reduce these types of incidents.

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

Children do not go missing from this home. However, staff are aware of the risks to children should they go missing. There are clear procedures and plans specific to each child that are based on an individual assessment of risk.

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

All children have access to an advocate provided by a youth advocacy service. This gives children independent advice and support when required. For example, one child is being supported with regard to time with their family. The therapeutic team also identifies the most meaningful way to support each child.

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

The manager uses safe recruitment practices for all staff employed to work at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff like working at this home. They speak highly of the children, the manager and the deputy manager. One staff member said: ‘I wouldn’t have picked anyone else for the management than those two. The manager really cares about the kids. She is a phenomenal person.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that regular, effective team meetings are held. The needs of the children, operational issues and staff development are all discussed. There are additional child-focused meetings held every month. Staff have frequent time together to discuss their practice to improve the care and protection of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All staff receive regular supervision from the manager, the deputy manager or a team leader. They are reflective meetings that also include the well-being of staff, work practices and staff’s responsibilities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Allegations against staff are taken seriously. The manager ensures that a thorough investigation is completed. Procedures ensure that children’s safety is prioritised while an investigation takes place, and includes involvement of the local authority designated officer when necessary. However, on one occasion, an incident was not notified as required by regulation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has completed a review of the quality of care. However, this has not covered all the aspects as required by regulation, such as no analysis to identify areas for improvement and no action plan. The report has not been sent to His Majesty’s Chief Inspector (HMCI) within the required timescale.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that all staff receive a wide range of learning and training. This starts with a thorough induction that includes shadowing experienced staff. Training includes topics specific to the individual needs of the children. The therapeutic team provides additional training in the child-focused meetings. As a result, staff feel equipped with the skills to care for and protect the children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2608666 5 Comprehensive quality assurance tools are used by the manager and deputy manager. Talking to children and observation of staff practice is central to this. Weekly and monthly audits of a range of processes and recordings take place. She monitors the experience and progress of children to ensure that children achieve the targets set in their plans. Inspection report for children’s home: 2608666 6

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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.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40 (4)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this refers to ensuring that any allegation of abuse is notified in line with regulation. 13 December 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”). 31 December 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2608666 7 The registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this refers to ensuring that the review of the quality of care covers all the areas in the regulation and is sent to HMCI within 28 days.

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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: 2608666 8

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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

Shaun Caplis, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2608666 9 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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