Children's home run by Wakefield Council

Inspection report for children’s home: 2542730 1 Registered provider: Wakefield Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A local authority operates and runs this home. It provides care and accommodation for up to two children whose plan is to live in a medium- or long-term residential setting. The home was registered in 2019.

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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 requires improvement to be 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

Date of last inspection: 8 February 2022

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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: 2542730 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/02/2022 Full Good 22/01/2020 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2542730 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a warm and welcoming environment. Framed pictures of the children can be seen throughout the home. The children’s bedrooms reflect their individual personalities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children that move into the home have well-thought-out transition plans. This includes children being consulted on how they would like their bedrooms decorated and helping them form positive relationships with the staff. This allows children to have a secure base to start from.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have trusting relationships with staff, and they can talk about how they are feeling. This helps children regulate their feelings and emotions and allows staff to understand what children are experiencing. As a result, children feel confident to explore their emotions with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have positive experiences and have taken part in new activities since living at the home. This includes having a supercar racing day and staying overnight at a water theme park. This helps children to develop self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have made progress in their education and have aims and aspirations for their future. Staff have supported children with applying for jobs and two children secured part-time employment alongside their education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has made a successful move to semi-independent living and is receiving ongoing outreach support. Letters to staff from a child who has moved on from the home show the positive relationships that exist. One comment stated, ‘The next kids are lucky to have a team like you.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to prepare for independence, and children make progress in learning how to budget, how to do weekly food shopping and how to use public transport.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A life-story book shows the progress that a child has made. This allows the children to reflect on their experiences and take away fond memories of their time living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children spend time with people who are important to them. Friends and families are encouraged to visit the home and accompany children on activities. This allows children to have meaningful relationships with the people they love. Inspection report for children’s home: 2542730 4

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improvement to be good

Staff use therapeutic approaches to support children when they may be in crisis or struggle to regulate their behaviours. As a result, staff have not had to use any physical interventions. Staff reflect on and evaluate the reasons for children’s negative behaviour and use their nurturing approach to manage this. This allows children time to reflect on their actions and to develop new strategies for better control.

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improvement to be good

Children rarely go missing from the home. If they do, staff follow the children’s safety plans and risk assessments, which provide strategies to ensure children are returned safely. Staff have good relationships with other agencies, such as the police. When staff identify any potential risk-taking behaviour, they are quick to act and consult the local police community support officers, who visit the home regularly. This ensures that children have existing relationships with the local police who offer them advice and support.

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improvement to be good

One child’s risk assessment had not been updated to acknowledge the risk of self- harm and staff have not received training in response to managing ligatures. There were no ligature cutters available on site at the time of the inspection. While this could have a serious impact on children, there have been no incidents. The provider has responded with urgency to ensure children are appropriately safeguarded, and staff know how to respond should an incident arise.

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improvement to be good

Children have access to health services. Staff use their positive relationships and creative ways to get children to engage in discussions about their health. Health professionals come to the home and children are offered alternative ways to learn about how to stay healthy.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is dual registered and has oversight of another two-bedded home. She is suitably qualified and experienced. A new deputy manager has been appointed to the home and a thorough handover took place with the previous deputy manager. The manager is supported by a consistent and stable staff team that has a nurturing approach. The manager has high aspirations for the children and is committed to meeting children’s needs. She leads by example and the staff are positive about her supportive style of management.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff recruitment and retention is good. The team comprises of longstanding staff that have worked at the home since it opened. All staff hold the level 3 qualification and staff that work on a casual basis are working towards this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision which allows them to reflect on their practice, the support they receive and their well-being. This helps to empower them and leads to them feeling valued. Inspection report for children’s home: 2542730 5 Regular team meetings, which include the specialist and therapeutic workers, allow opportunities for staff to address any concerns and seek clarity. They also ensure that staff are working consistently and in line with the children’s plans.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers work closely with families and professionals, which has helped them to establish positive relationships. The manager communicates effectively with professionals and all professionals are kept updated. One social worker commented ‘communication is excellent’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager’s six-monthly report evaluates the strengths of the service. However, it does not capture whether children, parents and staff have been consulted as part of the manager’s review. Inspection report for children’s home: 2542730 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, 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 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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(ii)(iii)(v)) 9 September 2022

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the regis- tered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to

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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) (b) (2)(h)) 9 September 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months. 9 September 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2542730 7 The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (5))

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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: 2542730 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Wakefield Council, County Hall, Bond Street, Wakefield WF1 2QW

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Cheryl Whitehouse

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Inspector

Aasia Hussain, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2542730 9 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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