Children's Home run by Westmorland and Furness Council in Westmorland and Furness

Inspection report for children's home: 2731542 1 Registered provider: Westmorland and Furness Council

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by the local authority. It provides short breaks for up to five children who may have physical disabilities and/or complex learning disabilities.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home and manager registered with Ofsted in April 2023.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

There was one child staying at the home at the time of this inspection.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2731542 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/03/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2731542 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children who spend time at the home enjoy staying in an environment that is safe and homely. Photos of the children are displayed in the home. This gives children a sense of belonging.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are introduced to the short-breaks service at a pace that is right for them and their families. Staff spend time getting to know the children when they visit the home before their first overnight stay. One family member said, ‘Staff made sure that my children were ready for overnight stays by providing them with ‘tea visits.’ This went on for a few weeks.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have good relationships with staff, who know them well. Children are encouraged to develop new skills that help to promote their independence. This includes choosing meals they would like, cooking and being involved in their personal healthcare. One family member said, ‘[Name of child] has a lot of fun as well as support to develop independence and life skills.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s personalities are carefully considered by the manager when visits are being planned. Time is taken to ensure that children can build friendships with other children who stay in the home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have opportunities to enjoy their individual interests such as going on bus rides, attending football matches, visiting local attractions, camping, spending time in the garden and enjoying arts and crafts.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are aware of children’s individual communication methods and support needs. This empowers children to participate in choosing activities and meals and to express their emotions. One family member said, ‘Staff attended a session by a speech and language therapist so that they could understand how to support my children.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive consistent care from a highly skilled and committed staff team. Children look forward to attending the short-breaks service, which is evident in their behaviours and feedback from family members and professionals. One family member said, ‘[Name of child] is always extremely excited when they know they are staying at the home.’

p.3

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

Children who stay at the home have various health needs. These are understood and managed well by the manager and staff. Children have detailed risk management plans that clearly identify known risks and vulnerabilities. These plans ensure that staff are consistent in their approach and risks are reduced. Inspection report for children's home: 2731542 4 Medication is stored securely and the process for medication coming in and out of the home is robust. The administration of medication is reviewed by the manager to ensure safe practice. Staff receive specialist training to support the children’s complex health needs. One family member said, ‘Staff manage the children’s health needs very well.’

p.3

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

Children are happy and safe at the home. Parents feel that their children are well cared for and staff take time to ensure that parents also feel supported. One parent said, ‘Staff are family orientated, aware and compassionate.’

p.4

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

Children benefit from a nurturing and structured environment where positive behaviour is actively promoted. Positive recognition and praise outweigh negative consequences. There have been no incidents of children going missing from home.

p.4

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

There is good multi-agency working. The manager and staff work closely with external professionals and families to ensure that the children receive appropriate support. One social worker said, ‘Staff are an integral part of the team around the child.’

p.4

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

The recruitment process for new staff is thorough. However, safer recruitment checks were not carried out for a new member of staff who had lived abroad for a prolonged period. This does not demonstrate that all staff are safely recruited when they have lived or worked abroad.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by a dedicated, caring, and ambitious manager who advocates well for the children. He ensures that he is present in the home and accessible to children and staff. The manager is supported by two dedicated assistant managers who work together to support the staff and children. One member of staff said, ‘I have felt supported by all the managers.’

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has a suitably qualified staff team. Managers and staff receive a range of training to support the individual needs of the children. This includes training on topics such as diabetes awareness, safeguarding for disabilities, medication, autism and learning disability awareness.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular reflective supervision, which gives them the opportunity to reflect on their practice and consider development opportunities. Staff team meetings are effective and held regularly. One member of staff said, ‘ We have regular team meetings where staff can share their experiences and concerns, fostering a sense of community and mutual support.’

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and staff work hard to build trusting relationships with families so that they feel confident when leaving their children to stay at the home. One family member said, ‘I have confidence in the staff.’ Inspection report for children's home: 2731542 5 The manager has good oversight of children’s progress and identifies if any changes to their care are needed. The manager and staff regularly seek children’s views, wishes and feelings. However, this information is not always clearly recorded.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a good understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for development. Internal and external monitoring of the home are effective. However, the review of premises could be further enhanced by consulting relevant people and exploring the opportunities in the local area. Inspection report for children's home: 2731542 6

p.5

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 registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

p.6

Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home

p.6

Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

p.6

Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

p.6

Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(d))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to the manager reviewing recruitment files and ensuring that new employees are suitable to work in the home. 27 February 2025

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children are consulted regularly on their views about the home’s care, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. Due consideration should be given to the child’s cognitive ability in the development and implementation of any consultation processes. Children should be able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted on. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 22, paragraph 4.11)  The registered person should ensure that they review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home. The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing these. When conducting the review, the registered person Inspection report for children's home: 2731542 7 must consult and consider the views of relevant people. (‘Guide to the Children’s

p.6

Recommendations

Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 64, paragraph 15.1)

p.7

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: 2731542 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Westmorland and Furness Council

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Westmorland and Furness Council, Town Hall, Duke Street, Barrow in Furness, Cumbria LA14 2LD

p.8

Inspector

Stacey Ilaboya, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2731542 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.

p.8

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.9

Inspector

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

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9