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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2892743 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 is owned by a private company. It provides care for one child, who may experience social and emotional difficulties and learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the visit, no children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been registered since March 2026. The manager has been registered since April 2026. This is the home’s first inspection.

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This monitoring visit

On 30 April 2026, Ofsted issued a notice of the decision to vary the conditions of registration of the home. The home was not in operation and there were no plans to admit a child to the home. The variation to the conditions was that the provider must provide Ofsted with 3 months’ notice of their intention to move a child into the home.

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This monitoring visit

The provider informed Ofsted on 10 July 2026 that they wish to accommodate children again. Therefore, this monitoring visit was undertaken to establish whether the provider has made suitable arrangements for the home to resume operating.

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This monitoring visit

The home is a warm and welcoming environment for children. The child’s bedroom is ready to be personalised once a child moves in. The manager has ensured that the home is a safe, hazard-free space for a child and all relevant health and safety checks have been reviewed.

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This monitoring visit

A new staff team has been appointed to support the operation of the home. There is also a new manager. There are ongoing recruitment processes underway to continue to fill the vacant posts. Newly appointed staff are gaining practice experience and carrying out necessary training while working in the provider’s other homes. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2892743 2 However, some staff have not received supervision sessions in line with the provider’s policy and the provider’s systems, to ensure that managers have effective oversight of what training staff have completed.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has developed systems and structures to support the development of staff and of care practices in the home. The manager has plans to further develop the staff’s skill set to align with the individual needs of each child.

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This monitoring visit

The staff in the home are enthusiastic about caring for a child and can answer knowledgably about how to safeguard a child. There is a need for further consistency in ensuring that all staff, and children, are aware of complaint procedures.

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This monitoring visit

Safer recruitment is not always effective, with key documents sometimes being inaccessible. The manager and leaders have provided assurances that all relevant checks will be conducted prior to staff working in the home. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2892743 3

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 9 December 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a) (3)(d)) 9 December 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs and should understand the key role they play in the training and development of staff in the home. In particular, the registered person must ensure that they have oversight of staff training within timescales. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)  The registered person should ensure that staff are aware of the complaints procedure. Regulation 39 sets out the requirements on the registered person to have a complaints procedure. Children must be aware of this procedure and be reminded of it as necessary. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.13) Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2892743 4

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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: 2892743 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: A Wilderness Way Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Stoneybeck, Bowscar, Penrith CA11 8RP

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Inspector

Dawn McCluskey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2892743 6 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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