Children's Home run by Witherslack Group Limited in Wakefield

Inspection report for children’s home: 2509298 1 Registered provider: Witherslack Group 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 is operated by a private provider. It provides care for up to 7 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2026.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 7 children were living in this home and all of them were spoken with.

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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: 2509298 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/08/2025 Full Good 12/08/2024 Full Good 19/09/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 16/03/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2509298 3

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Summary of findings

Children benefit from consistent routines and nurturing care that make them feel safe. Staff build positive relationships with children, which supports children to make good progress. Children’s achievements are celebrated and this makes them feel valued.

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Summary of findings

Children and staff benefit from the support of an in-house clinical team, which helps staff understand the impact of children’s past experiences. This helps to ensure that the individual needs of children are understood and the care provided to them is tailored accordingly.

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Summary of findings

The registered manager has effective oversight of children’s care. Positive changes have been made around recording and to support staff reflection on children’s behaviour. This helps staff be curious about children’s needs and provide care that is empathetic towards children’s needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are committed to providing stability for children. Staff understand children’s individual needs well and spend meaningful time with them. This helps children develop trusting relationships with staff. Children have a range of positive experiences, and these contribute to them making progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to engage with their education, and this helps them make good progress. Some children are supported to maintain school placements that are out of the area. This ensures minimal disruption for children and supports them to maintain established relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children respond positively to the nurturing care provided by staff. When children move into the home, they settle well and quickly make progress from their starting points. Staff demonstrate warmth and genuine care towards children, and this means that children are comfortable in seeking appropriate physical affection from staff. This demonstrates that children feel safe and cared for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and managers support children with moves from the home. Moves are child focused, and the manager and staff advocate strongly for children. When plans are not in children’s best interests, they are supported to access independent advocates. This ensures children’s voices are heard and that any moves are in their best interests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to stay in touch with people who are important to them, including family members and previous carers. When there are concerns about family time, the manager appropriately challenges the child’s placing authority. This ensures that safety plans are put in place and that family time remains a safe and positive experience for the child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2509298 4 Children’s bedrooms are comfortable and homely. Bedrooms are decorated in accordance with children’s individual personalities, and some children are supported to keep well- loved pets in their rooms. This helps children to take responsibility and to care for others.

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

Staff meet regularly with the in-house clinical team. This helps them to understand the effect of trauma on children, their behaviours and the different ways in which some children experience the world. This ensures that staff have a good understanding of children’s individual needs and develop suitable strategies to support them.

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

Children benefit from clear routines and consistent boundaries. Staff know the children well and are attuned to early indicators that they may be struggling with their emotions. This helps staff to manage behaviour and helps children to feel safe, resulting in a reduction in the use of restraint. When restraint is used, it is as a last resort to keep children safe.

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

Staff have a thorough understanding of safeguarding procedures and take appropriate action to keep children safe. The staff are effective in managing behavioural incidents while maintaining positive relationships with children. Children are confident in raising concerns with staff, and they say that they feel safe.

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

When safeguarding incidents occur, they are managed well by staff. Detailed incident records and in-depth management oversight provide opportunities to identify learning. Appropriate actions are taken to prevent reoccurrence and provide support to children. Children undertake work with staff that is appropriate to their age and level of development. This helps children to develop their understanding of risk and become safer.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An effective leadership team is in place. The newly registered manager is committed to a nurturing approach and is a visible presence in the home. The manager dedicates time to building meaningful relationships with the children. This has had a strong and positive impact on children’s experiences in a short period of time.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager provides effective oversight of staff practice. This enables the manager to identify shortfalls in staff practice and recording. The manager has worked hard to improve standards in recording and has introduced additional opportunities for staff to reflect on their practice. Staff feel supported, and they receive regular support through supervision sessions and consultation with the in-house clinical team. This helps staff to understand the reasons for children’s behaviours and their own responses. Inspection report for children’s home: 2509298 5 Professionals say that there is good communication with staff and that they are confident in their ability to meet children’s needs. The manager and staff work well with external professionals. This ensures that up-to-date information is shared accurately and children’s needs are understood and met by all involved in their care. Families say that

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

staff present as calm and are responsive to children’s needs. This reassures them that children feel safe and are happy living in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Changes in management and staffing previously created a period of instability for children. However, effective support from the leadership team ensured that children continued to make progress. A dedicated and stable team of staff is now in place. This provides stability for children and supports the development of positive attachments.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

No requirements or recommendations were made at this inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: 2509298 6

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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: 2509298 7

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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

Sarah Adotey, Social Care Inspector Saira Rafiq, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2509298 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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