Children's home run by Wakefield Council

Inspection report for children’s home: 2707715 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

The home is owned and managed by the local authority. It provides a therapeutic, trauma-informed approach to children’s care through an integrated health and children’s services staff team. The home provides care for up to two children with social and emotional difficulties. Two children were living at the home at the time of inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered with Ofsted in March 2023. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since March 2023.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2707715 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home: 2707715 3

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outstanding

Children living at this home make exceptional progress. There is a significant positive impact of the combined health and care support provided by the inclusion of clinical staff within the team. Staff have benefited from establishing their practice together before this home opened in March. This supported the trauma-informed ethos to become fully embedded.

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outstanding

Plans when children move into and out of the home are exceptionally well thought out. This paves the way for children settling into their home well. Children have returned to their home local authority after extensive time away, often in multiple different homes and settings. The home allows children to experience stability for the first time in many years.

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outstanding

Children experience constancy and commitment from the team. Staff consistently carry out their work in line with the home’s preferred models of care and they research and apply best practice for individual children. Children are accepted for who they are, and their individuality is truly embraced, affording them opportunities to develop their identity and sense of belonging.

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outstanding

Innovative, child-focused and individualised education plans are developed for children. Children’s emotional needs are prioritised, enabling them to achieve. This supports learning and progress in education. Both children are enrolled in school.

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outstanding

The relationships between health staff and care staff are seamless. The clinical team delivers recognised psychological therapies and assessment. This has a positive impact on children and their emotional well-being. The holistic care provided has resulted in one child no longer requiring prescribed medication for their emotional well-being.

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outstanding

The home strikes a good balance of minimising risks while maintaining the feel of a homely environment. Although there is the ability to divide the home into two parts, it does not feel like two separate homes. Bedrooms and communal areas are personalised to children’s own tastes.

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outstanding

Relationships between children are carefully planned within the home environment. Children have their own safe space to receive individualised care. Opportunities to interact and socialise are encouraged when safe to do so and in children’s best interests. Positive relationships between children have been cultivated and this has enriched their lives.

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outstanding

Reasonable adjustments are made for families and the support provided to families of the children. This has included adapting the children’s guide and working with the clinical team to help families understand children’s needs. Staff build trusting Inspection report for children’s home: 2707715 4 relationships with the people who are important to children. This enables children to spend quality time with family. These important relationships enhance children’s long-term life chances.

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outstanding

Relationship-based, trauma-informed practice is at the heart of the love and care provided to the children. Staff are supported through the therapeutic framework to understand the driving factors behind children’s behaviour and they consider their needs in relation to this. This supports a better understanding and more child- focused response to incidents. At times, this will have contributed to a reduction in incidents and, for one child, the severity of incidents has been greatly reduced.

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outstanding

Physical intervention is used only when necessary to keep children safe. It is used for the shortest amount of time needed. Conversations with children and staff take place afterwards and these are recorded appropriately, in a timely way.

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outstanding

Risk assessments are detailed, individualised, easy to follow and clearly show what actions staff should take. They are reviewed and updated regularly by the manager. The physical environment promotes the safety and security of children. This provides a good balance between feeling homely and the need for risk management.

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outstanding

Creative thinking is used to support the reduction of risks to children. This includes the manager utilising children’s skills and interests by supporting children to develop and deliver training in subjects such as online safety. Bespoke training around children’s specific needs is also offered. This empowers children to remain in control of their care while allowing them to develop a strong sense of safety.

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outstanding

When one child was missing from home, staff followed their plan to ensure that the child was as safe as possible. This included searching for the child in the local community and contacting those who are important to them. No other children have been missing from home. Independent return home interviews have always taken place when children have returned from being missing from home.

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outstanding

Children feel happy and safe at the home. Adults who work with the children are confident that children’s safety is prioritised and that they are well cared for. Adults shared that children’s needs are met well and they are provided with unwavering support to reach their full potential.

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outstanding

Staff have a comprehensive understanding of their roles and responsibilities in safeguarding children. They are confident in sharing concerns should they need to.

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outstanding

The recruitment process is values led. This ensures that staff are committed to the ethos and model of care provided by the home. The manager ensures that staff are suitably checked and vetted to reduce the risks to children’s safety from unsuitable people. Inspection report for children’s home: 2707715 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is passionate and ambitious. She is highly aspirational for the children in her care and carries out her corporate parenting responsibilities with tenacity and child-focused vision. She leads by example and the team mirrors her passion to get things right for children. Children who have been through significant trauma receive the love and care they deserve, in a home equipped to meet their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The working partnership between staff in the home and external agencies is fully effective and well established. This provides integrated care for the children. When external agencies do not fulfil their statutory roles and responsibilities, this is effectively challenged by the managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager offers good support to her staff and has high expectations of the care provided to the children. She knows the children well and is attuned to their individual needs. This enables the manager and her team to provide effective, proactive care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff are proud to work here. They feel well supported by the management, who are creative in the ways they support staff. This enables the team to offer consistently good-quality care to the children. Staff receive regular, reflective supervision that focuses on continuous practice improvement. Team meetings support this improvement by being a space to reflect and learn. Staff thrive through the inspirational leadership of the manager and assistant managers. An extensive training package completed by staff prior to the home opening ensured that the team is highly skilled in therapeutic parenting. Additional, bespoke training has been offered through external agencies, as well as clinical staff as the need for this arises. This enables staff to be confident and has empowered them to take appropriate and decisive action when children need this. Staff, including casual workers, are enrolled onto the relevant qualification as soon

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

as their employment commences. Appropriate workspace is provided for their qualification to be completed, time is allocated for work and meetings with the tutor for support are prioritised. A culture of learning and development is fully embedded. The manager, with the support of the assistant managers, has striven to make positive relationships in the local community. This has involved speaking with neighbours and holding an open day before the home opened. This supports children becoming a part of their local community and developing a strong sense of belonging.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There are highly effective systems of monitoring in place that enable the manager to have a thorough understanding of what is happening in all aspects of the home. Effective consultation is held with partners and feedback is sought and evaluated to inform development plans. Inspection report for children’s home: 2707715 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: 2707715 7

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Children’s home details

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

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Cheryl Whitehouse

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Inspectors

Joanna Beal, Social Care Inspector Honor Hamshaw, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2707715 8 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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