Children's home run by Westmorland and Furness Council

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2732719 1 Registered provider: Westmorland and Furness Council

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a local authority. It provides care for up to four children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and manager registered with Ofsted on 1 April 2023.

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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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This monitoring visit

This home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 11 and 12 June 2025. Serious concerns were identified in relation to safeguarding practices.

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This monitoring visit

Following the inspection, a compliance notice was issued under Section 22A of the Care Standards Act. This was issued under regulation 12, the protection of children standard.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the actions taken by the provider in meeting the steps in the compliance notice. Good progress has been made since the last inspection, and as a result, all areas of compliance are met.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have developed new processes to ensure that decision- making around children’s family time is robust. This includes a flowchart that sets out the steps required to agree arrangements. It aims to ensure that decisions about family time are made early in a child’s placement and are well thought through and in line with local authority plans.

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This monitoring visit

There is a new safety plan in place that outlines the family time arrangements for each child. The plans are shared with children and the relevant family members and Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2732719 2 are signed off by the registered manager and the child’s social worker. Plans include a section for risks to be identified. However, further work is required to strengthen these plans.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have undertaken training about family time that sets out clear expectations. There are several ways in which children’s family time arrangements are now shared and discussed with staff. This includes in children’s plans, in daily handovers and in team meetings and staff supervision.

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This monitoring visit

Incidents involving children going missing from the home have reduced and are now managed well.

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This monitoring visit

Constructive steps have been taken to address concerns regarding the inappropriate use of door alarms on children’s bedrooms. In one case, where no identified risk justified the use of an alarm, targeted key-work sessions were delivered to help the child feel safe and increase their confidence in seeking adult support during the night. This interactive, child-led approach has supported a sustained and positive adjustment to this change in practice.

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This monitoring visit

Progress has been made to support a child’s specific health need. Staff use daily exercises from the speech and language therapy team to help the child develop their sensory and motor skills.

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This monitoring visit

A detailed smoking support plan has been developed to support children to consider the risks of smoking. It uses interactive resources across seven sessions to encourage children to engage in smoking cessation. This has supported one child to reduce their nicotine intake and to commit to reducing the frequency of their smoking.

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This monitoring visit

A new group-living risk assessment is being used to consider any concerns if a new child moves into the home. This is a robust assessment that supports the manager’s decision-making. It considers the risks between all children living in the home, the suitability of the environment, the skill set of staff and any training needs.

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This monitoring visit

Although consequences have been reviewed, these still do not show that the manager has considered the fairness and effectiveness of the measures being used. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2732719 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/06/2025 Full Inadequate 26/11/2024 Full Good 24/10/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2732719 4

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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 with 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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that safety plans for children’s time with their family consider the risks posed by family members, the strategies to mitigate risks and the expectations of family members as a result. 12 September

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles. 31 January 2026 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2732719 5 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being;

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Requirement Due date

that each child is registered as a patient with a general medical practitioner and a registered dental practitioner; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to staff understanding how to support children to engage in specific physical exercises to improve their speech and language therapy outcomes.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that annual appraisals of staff take into account, where reasonable and practical, the views of other professionals who have worked with the staff member over the year and children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)  The registered person should ensure that any consequences used to address poor behaviour are reviewed to ensure that their use is fair and to consider their effectiveness. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36) Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2732719 6

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2732719 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Westmorland and Furness Council

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Children’s home details

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

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Elizabeth Curtis

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Inspector

Andrea Foreman, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2732719 8 and inspects 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 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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