Children's Home run by Wakefield Council in Wakefield

Unique reference number SC062573 Inspector Nicola McEvinney Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

p.1

Registered person Wakefield Metropolitan District Council Registered person address Wakefield Council, County Hall Bond Street WAKEFIELD West Yorkshire WF1 2QW Responsible individual Svetlana Shannon Registered manager Jayne Ann Mullin Date of last inspection 13/01/2014 2 of 10 Inspection date 07/10/2014

p.1

Previous inspection good progress Enforcement action since last inspection none

p.2

Overall effectiveness good

Outcomes for children and young people adequate Quality of care good Keeping children and young people safe good Leadership and management good

p.2

Overall effectiveness

Young people have made good progress from their starting point. For example, a major strength is they no longer go missing or partake in risk taking behaviours. Young people are cared for by enthusiastic staff that provide consistent, good quality care where young people thrive. Young people are well supported to ensure that their emotional needs are well met which impacts positively on their behaviours.

p.2

Overall effectiveness

Young people’s individual needs are clearly addressed. Staff have a good awareness of safe working practices and young people say that they feel safe and are safe.

p.2

Overall effectiveness

Despite a change in management there continues to be strong management and leadership arrangements. The manager is aware that the staff team is a real strength and has acknowledged the weaknesses identified during this inspection.

p.2

Overall effectiveness

Shortfalls identified at this inspection relate to casual staff being qualified and regulation 33 reports. However, these do not impact negatively on the welfare of young people. 3 of 10

p.2

Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to seven young people, of both genders with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The main aims are to support young people to move back home with their families or successfully move to independent living.

p.3

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/01/2014 Interim good progress 20/06/2013 Full adequate 10/01/2013 Interim satisfactory progress 28/06/2012 Full good

p.3

Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

p.3

Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure where a person works in the children's home in a care role, that person must attain or hold the required care role qualification by two years after the date on which that person started work (Regulation 26 (4)(a)) 01/10/2015

p.3

Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure the regulation 33 visitor interview parents in order to form an opinion as to whether children accommodated are effectively safeguarded and their wellbeing is promoted. (Regulation 33 (8)(a)(i)and (ii)) 01/12/2014 4 of 10 5 of 10

p.3

Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people have made good progress in many areas of their lives. In particular they have grown in confidence which has enabled them to voice their opinion on how they wish to be cared for. Professionals speak highly of the opportunities young people are provided with which impacts positively on their self-esteem. For example, ‘(name) had a fantastic opportunity to have a weeks course at a college in (town), which she excelled at and was a big boost to her self-esteem’.

p.5

Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people’s health needs are well attended to. There is an emphasis on ensuring young people’s emotional needs are met and to this end services are accessed to enable young people to have counselling sessions which they engage well with. This promotes their emotional well-being. For those young people who smoke they are encouraged to attend smoking cessation services, although these are not very successful. Young people are provided with healthy and nutritious meals. For those young people who stay with family the staff ensure that they are provided with food, which on occasion means they are given food parcels. This ensures that they are having an adequate diet.

p.5

Outcomes for children and young people adequate

The involvement of an advocacy service ensures young people’s views are sought. Staff from this team are regular visitors to the home and young people are confident about approaching them to discuss any issues. The advocacy service spoke highly of the commitment of the staff team who ensure young people’s voices are heard.

p.5

Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people’s school attendance is variable. Some are good attendees while for others it is sporadic. Some young people, after a period of non-school attendance are now committed to attend following a meeting with the school. For other young people there are concerns how other factors in their lives are having a detrimental effect on their educational progress. However, staff are proactive in trying to resolve this.

p.5

Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people make good use of community facilities, for example the local gym and swimming pool. During the summer holidays some young people were engaged in voluntary work at a play scheme. Not only does this help them to develop social responsibility, it also enables them to make realistic career choices.

p.5

Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people’s contact arrangements are clearly set out in their care plan. However, young people are supported to determine their own contact arrangements with whom they choose. This promotes their well-being and ensures that they feel in control of this area of their lives.

p.5

Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people are supported to develop independence skills that they will require to make a successful transition to adulthood. For example, they maintain their own private space; undertake their own laundry and some help with meal preparation and 6 of 10 with the weekly shop. The home has access to an independence flat where young people can further develop their skills. For example, budgeting and preparing meals and learning other household skills. Young people have the opportunity to have a longer stay in this provision to enable them to experience ‘living alone’ in a supported environment.

p.5

Quality of care good

Young people enjoy warm nurturing relationships with the staff team who provide a good level of care. Young people say that they are well looked after; saying ‘it’s like having twenty Mums and five Dads’. Relationships between the young people are based on mutual respect which promotes a harmonious environment for young people to live.

p.6

Quality of care good

Young people’s views are sought and valued in all aspects of their care planning. The use of an advocacy service ensures that their views are taken into consideration in their child care review. For some young people this has empowered them to make difficult decisions which has promoted their well-being and enhanced their confidence to speak up about what they want. The use of the ‘My Plan’ also ensures that young people are able to express their wishes in everyday living.

p.6

Quality of care good

Young people know how to make a complaint and those that have are satisfied that their complaint has been dealt with properly.

p.6

Quality of care good

Young people’s behaviours are well managed. This is helped by having behaviour management plans in place setting out triggers to unwanted behaviours with strategies in place to de-escalate the situation. However, at this time the home is stable with reducing episodes of disruptive behaviours. This promotes the well-being of young people.

p.6

Quality of care good

Young people’s needs are set out in their care plan with clear guidance to show how these are to be met. This ensures a consistent approach to their care. Young people’s personal identity is addressed in their care plan and throughout the home their individuality is recognised. For example, each of their bedrooms doors has a display that is pertinent to them.

p.6

Quality of care good

Young people benefit from the support they receive to attend their place of education. The effective links the home has with schools and colleges enables prompt action to be taken where young people are struggling with their education. This enables extra support to be provided which positively impacts on young people’s achievements.

p.6

Quality of care good

Young people enjoy a range of purposeful activities. For example, some like to bake providing tasty cakes for the home; they go swimming, walking, ice skating and cycling. Some enjoy ‘girlie nights’ nail painting and beauty sessions; they enjoy films, 7 of 10 go to the cinema and play computer games. During the summer holidays some of them went on holiday to a barn near Stratford. This was thoroughly enjoyed by the staff as well as the young people and helped build on their relationships.

p.6

Quality of care good

Young people benefit from accessing a range of services to help meet their needs. For example, some access a counsellor which they fully engage with and are helped to explore their family relationships; the looked after children’s nurse helps them to explore appropriate relationships. Within the home young people receive good individual support from the staff team who are always ready to listen. The use of waking night staff enables those young people who have restless nights to receive nurturing support during this time.

p.7

Quality of care good

Young people enjoy living in a well maintained child-friendly home which is decorated and furnished to a high standard creating a homely environment. Young people consider that this is their home and have pride in their surroundings. They encourage each other to respect their home. This results in very little damage that is immediately addressed, should it ever occur.

p.7

Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people say that they feel safe and are safe in the home. The incidence of young people going missing has significantly reduced. The staff took prompt action when this behaviour manifested and removed bad influences away from vulnerable young people. Where young people have unauthorised absences staying with family members, staff are vigilant in ensuring that they are safe and properly fed while away from the home.

p.7

Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people are safeguarded by the close links the staff has with other agencies concerned in keeping young people safe. They are informed of any ‘hot spots’ in the area where young people may be vulnerable. Staff support young people by discussing appropriate relationships with them and help them to make positive decisions that promote their welfare.

p.7

Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people are protected by detailed risk assessments to cover the environment, activities and their behaviours. These highlight potential dangers with measures identified to minimise the impact on their safety and welfare.

p.7

Keeping children and young people safe good

The home is enjoying a period of stability at this time; this is supported by the effective behaviour management strategies used. A few sanctions are recorded, these are appropriate and young people consider that they are treated fairly. They respond positively to the warm and nurturing approach implemented by the staff team which has significantly reduced the number of outbursts. This promotes young people’s well-being.

p.7

Keeping children and young people safe good

The manager has a good understanding of safe recruitment practices which ensures 8 of 10 only suitable people are employed to care for young people who live at the home

p.7

Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people are safeguarded by staff’s awareness of safe working practices and their understanding of their responsibility in alerting leaders and managers of poor practice.

p.8

Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people are protected by all health and safety checks carried out regularly including young people’s involvement in fire evacuation procedures. This ensures that they know what to do in the event of a fire.

p.8

Leadership and management good

The Registered Manager has very recently resigned and her deputy has been appointed as manager. The new manager has worked as the deputy for 18 months. She has extensive management experience in other areas of social care and has worked within all the local authority's children’s homes. She has attained National Vocational Qualifications level 4 in Children and Young people and Leadership and Management and is enrolling in the level 5 Diploma. She is submitting an application to be registered with Ofsted. This arrangement has ensured a smooth transition and enabled the stability of the home to continue.

p.8

Leadership and management good

Young people are cared for by a committed staff team who provide nurturing care which young people respond positively to. They say, ‘it is really good here, we are treated with respect’. Staff are well supported and supervised and have good training opportunities. There is good staffing of the home; day and evening shifts have a minimum of three staff working. The staffing is supplemented by the use of regular casual staff who have worked at the home for a considerable period. Although they have access to the training, they have not attained the level 3 Diploma.

p.8

Leadership and management good

Young people’s complaints are dealt with to their satisfaction. Young people have also made positive representations particularly over the home’s holiday. Saying how fantastic it was and ‘staff have shown good mother and father figures’.

p.8

Leadership and management good

The manager is very enthusiastic in developing her role and the home. She keeps up- to-date with new legislation and practice developments. She is looking at introducing a restorative justice model as she considers that this will help young people to reflect on the impact of their behaviours and help them to develop self-control. She intends to ensure staff have a good understanding of child sexual exploitation. She plans to develop further young people’s independence skills to ensure that they are well prepared for their transition to adulthood. The development plan has an emphasis on young people’s education and attainment which will have a positive impact on their future life opportunities. The local authority is committed to reducing the number of young people who live at the home; this is another contributory factor to the stability of the home. 9 of 10 There are good monitoring systems in place, although the visitor does not regularly

p.8

Leadership and management good

have contact with parents to gain their views on the care provided. Young people’s lives have improved; they have developed social skills which enables them to become confident young people who interact well with others.

p.9

Leadership and management good

The home enjoys good relationships within the community which helps young people to fit in.

p.9

Leadership and management good

The recommendation raised at the last inspection has been met. Young people are provided with healthy and nutritious meals. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.9

Leadership and management good

This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

p.10

Judgement Description

Outstanding A service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements.

p.10

Judgement Description

Good A service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements.

p.10

Judgement Description

Adequate A service that only meets minimum requirements.

p.10

Judgement Description

Inadequate A service that does not meet minimum requirements.

p.10

Information about this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

p.10

Information about this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the framework of inspection for children's homes.

p.10