Children's Home run by Appletree Treatment Centre Limited in Westmorland and Furness

Inspection report for children’s home: SC386003 1 SC386003 Registered provider: Appletree Treatment Centre Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and operated by a private provider. It offers care for up to five children between the ages of six and 12 years who may experience social, emotional or mental health difficulties, as well as associated or specific learning difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2019.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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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: SC386003 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/06/2024 Full Good 20/06/2023 Full Good 27/07/2022 Full Good 20/05/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC386003 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are progressing in all areas of their lives, helped by the positive, nurturing relationships that they develop with the staff team. Several professionals described the children’s progress as ‘amazing’, ‘brilliant’ and ‘could not ask for better’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Consultation with children is a strength of the home. Staff use a range of methods, including children’s group meetings and individual questionnaires that use symbols, to make it easier for the children to share their views. All the children spoken to said that they are happy to be living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand children’s individual needs and know what is important to them. Children understand who they can talk to if they have any concerns.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The care plans for each child illustrate their experiences during their time living at the home. They guide staff with clear strategies to care for the child and meet their needs. This includes staff helping children to maintain relationships with family and friends. Key-work sessions help the child understand their behaviour, along with sessions with the organisation’s therapy team.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand that education is important. The children attend the provider’s school, and they all achieve high levels of attendance. One child said that they love the school. The children’s progress is evident, as half of the group has moved up a class in the last year because of their achievements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Transitions to and from the home are well planned and involve discussions with children about new children coming to live at the home. However, the management team’s risk assessments before children come to live at the home do not provide enough information or evaluation of the group’s risks. This was identified at the last inspection and continues to be a shortfall.

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

Children say that they feel safe in the home. Risks are managed, and risk assessments include risk management strategies to support staff. The assessments show progress over time, with risks decreasing for most children.

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

Children rarely go missing from the home, but when they do, staff actively look for them and contact known people before reporting the child as missing. When incidents have occurred, they have been for a short time, and children are welcomed back and supported to explore the reasons why they left the home.

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

On occasion, staff hold children to help them cope with their overwhelming feelings and emotions. Staff employ de-escalation and distraction strategies to assist children before resorting to holding or guiding them away from situations. The records are Inspection report for children’s home: SC386003 4 clear about what has happened in each case and demonstrate discussions with staff and children after an incident. Records show a decrease in the necessity of holding all children. Sometimes, the records are short and leave the reader asking questions. This could lead to confusion and inconsistency in practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and deputy are experienced professionals who are visible in the home and in the lives of the children. Staff feel supported by management and can voice any concerns.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has effective monitoring and consultation processes in place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have regular supervision sessions and team meetings to support them and their practice, including discussions with the therapy team. However, records of supervision sessions do not demonstrate the level of discussion that staff say they have. Some entries consist of only a sentence or a single word, which does not assist staff in reflecting on and learning from their supervision sessions. Children are not always discussed, resulting in missed opportunities to share working practices.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Training takes place regularly, and all mandatory training is up to date. Staff are supported to complete their qualification and training in the organisation’s model of care, which helps to develop consistent practice. However, there are gaps in the training related to the specific needs of the children living at the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC386003 5

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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 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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that impact risk assessments consider the risks associated with the child potentially moving to the home alongside those associated with each child already living at the home and vice versa. The assessment should demonstrate the staff team's skills in meeting the child's needs and outline what is required to ensure that those needs are met. 30 July 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. (Regulation 13 (1) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff receive training relating to self-harm and sexually harmful behaviour. 31 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC386003 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the information in children’s records is detailed and extensive enough to be helpful to the reader. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should ensure that notes from supervision sessions are detailed and that sessions are delivered in line with Regulation 33(4)(b). (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.3)

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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: SC386003 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Appletree Treatment Centre Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Meathop Park, Meathop, Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria LA11 6RF

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Inspector

Susan Atkinson-Millmoor, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC386003 8 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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