Children's home run by Wakefield Council

Inspection report for children’s home: 2702150 1 Registered provider: Wakefield Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

A local authority operates and runs this home. It provides care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties. There were two children living there at the time of the inspection.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home and manager have been registered with Ofsted since December 2022. The manager is also registered at a second children’s home that is owned and operated by the local authority.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2702150 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home: 2702150 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children’s day-to-day experiences are enhanced due to the good-quality, personalised care from the staff. This helps them to thrive and make progress from their starting points.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children moved into the home in December 2022. Managers and staff kept the children informed about the plans and the children personalised their rooms before moving into the home. The children’s involvement has contributed to a positive move, and they are happier in their new, family-style environment.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have a thorough understanding of the children’s personalities. They understand the children’s backgrounds. The staff act as positive role models for children. They help the children to achieve their goals. One child commented positively on the home as being smaller and more homely than their previous home and having the same staff caring for them. They said that there are staff that they trust with their life, which shows how strong some of the bonds are.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged by staff to eat healthier, balanced meals and be active. The advice and support provided by staff and health professionals help the children to address any barriers to their physical and emotional well-being. The staff team and the clinician work together to help children express their emotions in more constructive ways, which improves over time.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff support the children’s alternative education schedules to help them to learn and achieve. They also collaborate with education providers and education welfare professionals and support home tuition. Staff provide incentives, which is helping children to engage in their learning.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children take part in activities that provide them with a variety of new and enriching experiences. These include travelling to another city on the train for the first time, trips out, swimming, watching a circus performance, having a barbecue in the garden and gaming. Photos preserve the children’s memories of their life at the home and show their progress.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff praise children for their achievements, which is good for their self-esteem. This was further demonstrated at a recent awards ceremony, which both children attended. During the event, a video featuring one of the children was played, which summarised their positive experiences of living at the home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff facilitate family time for the children, which maintains the children’s connections with their loved ones. Inspection report for children’s home: 2702150 4 Children’s wishes and feelings are regularly sought through chats, key work, children’s meetings and visits from independent people, which helps to influence their care.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A parent and several professionals have complimented the staff team on the care that the children receive and quality of the communication, which one professional described as ‘excellent’.

p.4

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

The staff team have a good understanding of the children’s vulnerabilities. They show a firm commitment to protecting the children’s safety and welfare. Staff spoken to understand their roles and responsibilities to safeguard children and they know how to whistle-blow.

p.4

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

Staff have received safeguarding training, which provides them with the confidence and awareness to keep children safe and talk to children about risk. Staff ensure that risks in children’s bedrooms are reduced as far as possible by checking them regularly for hazards and inappropriate items.

p.4

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

The staff promote children’s care through clear routines and boundaries, which help the children to feel safe and secure. Staff promote positive behaviour through their relationships with the children. They offer praise, incentives and rewards, and use restorative approaches to help children make changes. This is reflected in the fact that staff have not had to hold the children since they have lived at the home. Most of the time, staff understand the reasons when children are in crisis. They encourage the children to talk about their worries. These interventions help children to reflect on their behaviour and self-regulate better, which has resulted in a reduced number of incidents. On the occasions when children’s behaviour has been beyond staff control due to their emotional distress, police interventions have been needed. Together, the police and staff have considered the involvement of other services to help the child as opposed to criminalising them.

p.4

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

The risk management plans reflect the children’s presenting risks and include strategies to mitigate them. However, the written risk assessments are not consistently accurate. For instance, one of the records states that bedroom door alarms are installed when they are no longer being used. There is no clarity in the records to show the rationale for removing the alarms and if social workers agree with the decision.

p.4

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

Children do not routinely go missing from the home. On the occasions that a child has left the home without permission at night, the staff have known where they are. Staff liaise with other colleagues and report the incidents to the relevant people. However, the written missing-from-care plans do not provide clear guidance to the staff when they are working on their own. The lone working arrangements prevent the staff from following children when they have left the home without permission at night. On each occasion, the child was returned home safely. Inspection report for children’s home: 2702150 5 Safe recruitment practice reduces the opportunities for unsuitable adults to care for children.

p.4

good

The registered manager, who is also registered at another children’s home, has neglected their management responsibility at this home. This is demonstrated in the quality of records and their management oversight of staff. There is no formal arrangement for staff to contact a manager out of hours. Although staff can call managers on an informal basis, there is no indication on the staff rota who is available. The lack of clarity can lead to confusion for managers, staff and children.

p.5

good

The registered manager’s oversight of the children’s meetings and key-work sessions is poor. They do not promote management accountability and help to identify any learning. Concerns that staff had left the home on a few occasions before their late shift ended have not been addressed by the manager.

p.5

good

Ofsted has not been notified about all significant incidents when the police have been called by staff to support them. This prevents Ofsted from monitoring the home’s safeguarding practice.

p.5

good

Although staff receive supervision, the quality and content of the records are not consistently good. Some of the records lack reflection and detail, which makes it difficult to identify areas of strength and improvement and confirm that the staff are supported effectively.

p.5

good

There are maintenance issues, such as the upkeep of the garden and repairs in one of the children’s bedrooms. Despite the managers’ request for repairs to be made, the contractor that is used by the provider has yet to respond within a reasonable timeframe. The fire door in the lounge has been identified as needing a mechanism to prevent the door from being propped open.

p.5

good

Managers and staff have high aspirations for the children. They are committed and invest in the children’s future goals and operate a supportive and nurturing environment. Staff turnover is low, which provides consistency for the children. The positive team culture provides the stable foundations for the children to improve their outcomes. Inspection report for children’s home: 2702150 6

p.5

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.

p.6

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—

p.6

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.6

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)(h))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to the registered manager overseeing the effectiveness of the care that staff provide for children in the day-to-day management of the home. The registered manager’s time spent at the home must be recorded in the rota.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children’s care plans, risk management documents and all relevant records pertaining to children are monitored by the registered manager.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff supervision records are overseen by the registered manager to ensure that they are completed to a high standard.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the missing-from- home plans and staff lone working arrangements are clarified and strengthened.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff conduct matters are addressed in a timely manner and lead to improved practice. 25 July 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2702150 7 The registered person must ensure that a formal out-of- hours service is established.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must implement a system to ensure that maintenance, installation and repairs in the home and garden are responded to efficiently.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.7

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.

p.7

Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the rationale for reducing the risk and removing the bedroom door alarms is reflected in the children’s risk assessments and the decision is made in agreement with social workers that this is a safe and appropriate decision. 25 July 2023

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

p.7

Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)) 25 July 2023

p.7

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: 2702150 8

p.7

Children’s home details

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

p.8

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Cheryl Whitehouse

p.8

Inspector

Jacqueline Malcolm, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2702150 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.

p.8

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9