Children's Home run by Witherslack Group Limited in Shropshire

Inspection report for children's home: 2710409 1 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

A private company owns this home. It is registered to provide care for up to eight children with complex needs who may experience a range of difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

This home is located on the same site as a school, which children living at the home attend. The inspectors only inspected the social care provision on this site.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, eight children were living in the home, all of whom were present during the visit. Seven of the children engaged directly with the inspectors.

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Information about this children’s home

A new manager has been appointed. They have submitted their application to register with Ofsted and have completed their interview to assess their suitability for the role.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 2710409 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/05/2024 Full Good 03/05/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2710409 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children report that they are happy living in the home. Inspectors observed positive and warm interactions between children and staff. The children appear confident and comfortable, knowing that staff listen and respond to them in a kind and playful manner. These nurturing relationships help children feel safe, settled and valued. This has a positive impact on their emotional security and sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home and three children have moved in. The process of moving in and out of the home iswell planned and child focused, with children actively involved in decisions about their care. When safeguarding concerns arise, managers work closely with relevant professionals to review risk and safety plans. Where decisions are made for a child to move from the home due to safeguarding concerns, these are informed by a clear understanding of the child’s needs. These moves are managed sensitively and effectively to minimise disruption and anxiety.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make clear progress from their individual starting points. All children engage in education regularly, and staff work closely with schools to ensure that learning is tailored to each child’s needs. Daily handovers between education staff and the home enable swift responses to any changes in children’s needs. This joined-up approach promotes consistent routines and supports learning at each child’s pace. As a result, children achieve well in education and develop a positive attitude towards learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s physical health and well-being are well supported. They have access to appropriate healthcare and are encouraged to make healthy lifestyle choices. Children with communication or language needs receive additional support, including clinical input. Staff use creative approaches, such as pictures and symbols, to help children understand routines and expectations. They also support children to develop age- appropriate independence skills, enabling them to become more confident, capable and independent in their daily lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are regularly given opportunities to share their views, wishes and feelings. Staff listen attentively and ensure that appropriate actions are taken in response. Outcomes are communicated to children in ways they can understand. Staff consider carefully how best to engage with each child, ensuring that every child feels heard and included. As a result, children feel respected, involved in their care and confident that their voices genuinely make a difference.

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

Children benefit from strong, trusting relationships with staff, who adopt a therapeutic approach to promote positive behaviour. This practice is further strengthened by effective support and guidance from the behaviour inclusion team. Consequently, there has been a significant reduction in risk-taking behaviours and a marked decrease in the Inspection report for children's home: 2710409 4 use of physical interventions. As a result, children are safer and better able to regulate their emotions.

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

When staff intervene and use physical restraint to support children, it is generally appropriate and consistent with their positive behaviour support plans. However, managers have missed opportunities to ensure that staff are debriefed promptly and provided with time for reflection and learning.

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

Staff respond effectively when children go missing from home, working closely with the police and other agencies to ensure they return home safely. They follow missing-from- home procedures consistently and make proactive efforts to locate children quickly. As a result, risks during missing-from-home episodes are reduced, and children receive timely support and reassurance when they return.

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

Online safety is prioritised, and staff respond swiftly when children access inappropriate content. Managers review and strengthen restrictions as concerns arise, while staff provide children with ongoing education to help them stay safe online.

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

When children raise concerns or make allegations about staff, managers act promptly by notifying the local authority designated officer and relevant social workers. Investigations are carried out appropriately, and immediate safety measures are implemented to protect children. Consequently, children are safeguarded from potential further harm, and their concerns are taken seriously.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Management oversight of safeguarding incidents is inconsistent, leading to missed opportunities to identify and address shortfalls in practice effectively. Weaknesses in timely staff debriefs, limited curiosity when exploring injuries and incomplete incident records restrict reflective learning and hinder robust safeguarding responses. Furthermore, risk assessments and opportunities for children to share their views are not consistently updated or acted on, reducing the home’s capacity to embed learning and strengthen risk management.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home has experienced significant changes in its management team and senior leadership since the last full inspection. During this period, four managers and two responsible individuals have overseen the home. While this level of change has, at times, affected the consistency of monitoring and review, it has not negatively impacted children’s experiences or progress. The current management team, supported by the responsible individual, has acted decisively to identify and address shortfalls. As a result, leadership arrangements are now more stable, and improvement work is ongoing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Monitoring and review systems are developing but are not yet fully effective in identifying gaps in management oversight. Managers have recognised these issues and have begun to take steps to strengthen internal monitoring and quality assurance Inspection report for children's home: 2710409 5 processes. This demonstrates a reflective approach and a clear commitment to ongoing improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Feedback from staff is mixed. While most staff feel well supported and confident in their roles, some report that recent changes in leadership have temporarily affected their development and confidence. The manager has acknowledged this and is implementing strategies to rebuild consistency and morale in the team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Supervision sessions are now taking place more frequently, providing staff with regular opportunities for guidance and support. However, the quality of supervision records remains inconsistent. Some sessions lack sufficient reflection on children’s progress and do not clearly demonstrate how concerns raised by staff are followed up. Managers recognise this and are taking steps to ensure that supervision sessions are used more effectively to improve practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Professionals are complimentary about the progress children are making and the quality of support provided by staff and managers. They speak positively about the impact of the current leadership team and its clear focus on improving outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Recruitment practices are safe and robust. Appropriate checks are carried out to prevent unsuitable individuals from working with children. As a result, children are cared for by adults who are safe and suitable for their roles. Inspection report for children's home: 2710409 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 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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager ensuring that:

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Requirement Due date

children’s risk assessments are regularly reviewed and updated to clearly evidence the measures in place to reduce identified risks;

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Requirement Due date

when children make allegations against staff, they are provided with timely opportunities to speak to someone independent, such as their social worker; 14 December 2025 Inspection report for children's home: 2710409 7 all incident records relating to when children are missing from home include clear timelines of events and actions taken by staff;

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Requirement Due date

there is a review of the appropriateness and effectiveness of each consequence to ensure that it is fair, proportionate and restorative in nature; and

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Requirement Due date

monitoring and review systems are robust and effective in ensuring that practice issues are promptly identified and addressed.

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically refers to the manager ensuring that staff are spoken to promptly and that they are given an opportunity for reflection and learning.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and has been restated. 14 December 2025

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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: 2710409 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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Inspectors

Nateisha Cardoza-Evans, Social Care Inspector Charlotte Tippett, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2710409 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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