Children's Home run by A Wilderness Way Limited in Westmorland and Furness

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2775971 1 Registered provider: A Wilderness Way Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home registered with Ofsted as a multi-building children’s home in December 2023 and provides care for up to six children in four separate houses.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since 23 December 2024. The new manager has been in post since November 2024 and has applied to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, three children were living at the home.

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Inspection date: 24 March 2025

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 24 March 2025

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspectors evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2775971 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Children’s moves into and out of the home are well planned. Three children have moved out of the home since the last inspection. Their time living in the home was celebrated before they moved on. One child was supported to meet staff and enjoy activities with the team before moving into the home.

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Findings from the inspection

Not all risks for children are identified and there are inconsistencies throughout children’s support plans. This does not support staff practice and has contributed to an escalation in one child’s behaviour, as neither staff nor the child were clear on agreements regarding spending time with friends and travelling independently.

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Findings from the inspection

Children’s pre-admission plans are not individualised and do not highlight additional training required by staff to support children. Staff also do not have access to up-to- date statutory plans for all children. This prevents children from receiving the correct level of support and impacts on the quality of care being provided.

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Findings from the inspection

The frequency of staff supervision meetings has increased and the manager has better oversight of staff practice. Staff say they feel supported and have an opportunity in their supervision meetings to reflect on the experiences and progress of children.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff have been supported to attend training, however, the manager has not ensured that all staff have completed training specific to the risks and vulnerabilities of the children. This does not support staff to keep children safe.

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Findings from the inspection

Since the last inspection, the provider has introduced a new monitoring and surveillance measure to support children to use their mobile phones safely. Leaders and managers do not have permission from children’s placing authorities to use the surveillance measure and it is not recorded in the home’s statement of purpose. A requirement has been made in respect of this.

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Findings from the inspection

Requirements regarding regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard, have been restated. All other requirements from the last inspection have been met.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/08/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2775971 3

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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

help each child to understand how to keep safe. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered provider must ensure that they continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them and that children’s risk and support plans contain clear guidance for staff to follow to support children and keep them safe. 5 May 2025

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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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; 5 May 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2775971 4 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered provider must ensure that all staff have training specific to children’s risks and vulnerabilities, to support and inform their care for children.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(a)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered provider must ensure that pre- admission plans are individual to each child and detail the necessary skills and experience of staff and how they will support children effectively, and that they have an up-to-date statutory placement plan before children move into the home. 5 May 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (1) (3)(a)(b)) 5 May 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2775971 5 Specifically, the registered provider must ensure that the statement of purpose clearly details all measures of surveillance used.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

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Requirement Due date

the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance;

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Requirement Due date

so far as reasonably practicable in the light of the child’s age and understanding, the child is informed in advance of the intention to do the monitoring or surveillance; and

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered provider must ensure that there is written consent for the use of all surveillance measures from children’s placing authorities. 5 May 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2775971 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: A Wilderness Way Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Stoneybeck, Penrith CA11 8RP

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Inspectors

Kelly McCurdy, Social Care Inspector Michelle Snape, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2775971 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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