Children's Home run by Witherslack Group Limited in Sefton

Inspection report for children’s home: SC475689 1 SC475689 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 owned by a private provider and is registered to provide care for up to six children with learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home can provide ongoing care for children when they reach 18 years of age, to allow them to complete their education. However, it must then reduce the number of children accordingly.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered with Ofsted in 2014. The manager registered in 2020 and is suitably qualified and experienced.

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Information about this children’s home

There were six children living at the home at the time of this inspection.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC475689 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/03/2024 Full Good 01/02/2023 Full Outstanding 14/03/2022 Full Outstanding 10/07/2019 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC475689 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from trusted relationships with staff whom they can turn to if they need help and support. Children access a range of experiences and activities and are supported to do activities that promote their individual interests, such as opportunities to visit a local lake to observe geese and roller skating. This is helping children to grow in confidence as well as making positive memories.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive bespoke therapeutic support, informed by assessments and reviews by the organisation’s clinical team. Direct work is set and regularly reviewed. The staff influence the direct work to be completed and the approach in supporting children in their education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are supported to attend the organisation’s school away from the home. The therapeutic work provided includes strategies to reintegrate children into education, addressing behaviours and exploring healthy relationships. The consistency in approach supports children to develop self-regulatory strategies. This has helped the children to settle into the home and school and for one young adult to move into supported accommodation and thrive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are registered with local health services and are supported to attend routine health appointments. The management team requests regular medication reviews to ensure that the children continue to benefit from the medication prescribed. Children are in general good health and their medication is managed appropriately.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Family members are positive about the care afforded to their children. They said that staff are flexible, caring and kind and provide a stable and supportive home where children feel safe, secure and respected. Staff are seen as patient and professional and have an excellent understanding of the needs of the children and help them to prepare for difficult occasions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two social workers spoke highly of the quality of support and care the children receive, and how adaptive the home is in meeting children’s needs, such as supporting family time with parents. They feel that the children are happy and safe and have strong relationships with the managers and staff. The home provides a warm, nurturing family environment that meets the children’s diverse needs.

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

The staff review and update the children’s risk management plans regularly. The plans reflect current risks and vulnerabilities for the children. The plans provide staff with clear guidance on the actions to take to keep the children safe. Staff understand and follow these to ensure that the children remain safe. Inspection report for children’s home: SC475689 4 The staff talk with the children about behaviours and support the children to reflect on different options available to them. Due to the positive relationships the management team and staff have built with the children, the children do not often go missing from home. On the rare occasions that this has happened, staff have followed correct protocols to look for the child and consult with the police to return them home safely.

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

Allegations are managed in line with safeguarding policies. However, on one occasion when an allegation was raised against school staff, professional curiosity was not at the forefront of the staff team’s thinking. This meant that the child went back to school without a clear plan of how school staff would support the child to remain safe until the outcome of the investigation. The responsible individual recognised and addressed the shortfall and reflected with the member of staff on their practice.

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

Children have had to be held by the staff to keep them and others safe from harm and the property from being damaged. On these occasions, staff have used approved physical intervention holds for the shortest time possible and they have been considered proportionate and necessary. Debriefs with the children and staff are conducted to look for triggers to the child’s behaviour, review staff practice and consider potential new strategies that could be implemented to avoid the situation reoccurring.

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

All serious incidents and allegations are usually notified to the relevant people and Ofsted in a timely manner, except on one occasion when Ofsted was notified late. This means the regulator was unable to have sufficient oversight and scrutiny of the incident in a timely manner.

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

Staff are trained in a variety of safeguarding practices, such as exploitation, bullying, fire safety and harmful sexualised behaviour. Staff support the children to manage their emotions effectively. Due to the staff’s knowledge, experience and consistency and the level of care and attention given to the children, the children’s risks have decreased. The children are making good progress and are learning how to keep themselves safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is suitably qualified and experienced. She regularly advocates for the children in her care and shares a mutual respect with the children. The management team knows the children well and are fully involved in their lives and plans. Its members understand each child’s starting points and their progress since living at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are positive about working in the home. They describe managers as visible and approachable; during a time of uncertainty, with new staff starting, they are said to be ‘steadying the boat’. Staff describe an open, child-centred culture where they feel supported not only to do their job, but also with personal issues. This means staff morale is high; staff enjoy coming to work with the children and wish to progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff spoke positively about the dedicated time they receive through supervision and team meetings. This provides support and guidance to the staff team. Staff shared Inspection report for children’s home: SC475689 5 positive examples of how they support children to develop skills at a pace that is right for them, such as encouraging reading. However, supervision sessions have not always been conducted regularly with all staff in line with the home’s statement of purpose. This means there are missed opportunities to reflect further on staff practice and development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that communication between staff and family members is a priority. This supports the family members to influence and have a say in the care offered to their children. One parent said: ‘[Name of manager] is exceptional, and acts as an advocate in challenging other professionals when needed.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager follows safer recruitment practices, so staff are appropriate and safe to work with children and have the necessary skills to deliver good-quality care. The manager and staff regularly review and monitor the service. They are aware of the service’s strengths and areas for development. The management team is taking the initiative in addressing any shortfalls as they arise. Inspection report for children’s home: SC475689 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

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

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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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)) 9 March 2025

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from relationships.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 11 (1) (2)(a)(x)) 9 March 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC475689 7 Specifically, the registered person must ensure that supervision of all staff takes place regularly.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should notify any allegations and serious incidents, within 24 hours, to Ofsted. Notification must include details of the action taken by the home’s staff in response to the event. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)

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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: SC475689 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

Julie Elder, Social Care Inspector Lisa Summers, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC475689 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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