Children's home run by Wakefield Council in Wakefield

Inspection report for children’s home: SC428084 1 SC428084 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 provides short-break care and can provide full-time care on a short-term basis for up to seven children with sensory impairment, learning disabilities and physical disabilities. The home is also registered with the Care Quality Commission.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since November 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 good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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good

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

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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: SC428084 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/01/2023 Full Good 17/03/2022 Full Good 26/11/2019 Full Outstanding 03/10/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC428084 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff’s care of children is nurturing and supportive. Staff watch the children closely and notice slight changes in behaviour which may affect their health and well-being. Staff follow children’s plans and seek medical advice if concerned. A nurse works on shift for children who require nursing support. Children receive good care and support during their time in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders, managers and staff offer support to the children and their families practically, emotionally and through guidance and advice. Staff help parents to collect equipment and medication when their child is in hospital. They support families to stay together and function.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children trust the staff who care for them. Relationships are given due consideration before key workers are linked to children. Staff are thoughtful and sensitive when children move into the home. They carefully consider practical matters of routines and relationships alongside the worries children may have from being away from their family. Staff build positive routines that offer reassurance and support to children staying in the home. Familiar staff work with children when they are new to the home. This helps children to feel safe and promotes good communication.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress in education. The home has close links with schools, and staff attend school reviews. Children make good progress from their starting points, and staff use consistent strategies to align with schools and the family home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to succeed and achieve. Some children have had new experiences, such as joining local groups. Others are learning particularly important independence skills. Each child’s progress is marked and celebrated. Staff celebrate their achievements with awards and certificates. This helps children to build confidence in their own abilities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children take part in a wide range of activities in the home and community. These are captured through photos for the children to take with them when they leave. Children are consulted regularly and offered choices via their preferred method of communication.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is a bright, light and well-equipped modern environment with space for children to move independently. Children’s artwork is displayed, and noticeboards are meaningful to children. However, some minor repairs were outstanding in the garden, and some equipment is stored in living areas and office space.

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

Staff manage risks around children’s health needs well. Staff carefully consider how well children get on with each other when planning activities. Staff use time and Inspection report for children’s home: SC428084 4 space creatively to help children with differing needs to take part in activities they enjoy and have opportunities to make friends.

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

Staff’s records are detailed and consider the individual needs of each child alongside their peers. Arrangements are made to support friends coming in together. This helps children to have a positive experience during their stay.

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

Staff recognise that children communicate feelings through behaviour and spot the signs quickly. They follow individualised plans to support them. Children have not been held by staff in the home.

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

Staff help children to learn about staying safe in the home and in the community. Children rarely go missing from the home, and the registered manager ensures high staffing levels. This provides good levels of supervision for children. Risk assessments are now in place for some children, and staff understand the plans to support them, but not all children have these.

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

The fire risk assessment is unclear as to whether actions have been taken or not. Children do not regularly take part in evacuation procedures, although staff simulate evacuations. This means that children do not become familiar with the alarm sounding and what to do in the event of a fire.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers know the strengths and weaknesses of the home well. They have high ambitions around the care of children and are flexible and responsive to the needs of children and the families they support. They work creatively to achieve the best outcomes for children. They have effective monitoring systems and have addressed the requirements from the last inspection. The registered manager inspires the staff team, and their vision is shared by the team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers work closely with other professionals in a child-focused way. Professionals say that communication with the home is very good, and parents also state that communication is a real strength. Multi-agency decision-making is evident around the care of the children, and staff and leaders work to have a holistic and consistent approach for children in all settings. Leaders and managers advocate strongly for the children. Professionals say that the registered manager challenges them appropriately to meet children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff feel well supported by the leaders and managers. Some said the registered manager is always there for them and that leaders and managers have an open- door policy. Staff have received support around their well-being from colleagues and external sources. One member of staff described the support as ‘second to none’. This was echoed by families and professionals who work closely with the team. Staff and professionals have confidence in the registered manager and their supportive leadership. Leaders and managers go above and beyond in ensuring the well-being of staff and families. Inspection report for children’s home: SC428084 5 Staff receive regular supervision and appraisals in a timely manner. The systems for overseeing these are effective. The manager and staff are thorough and reflective. All staff are suitably qualified and experienced, and they provide consistently high- quality care to the children in the home. This enhances the lives of children and their

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

families. One parent said, ‘They are a lifeline to me. I don’t know how I’d cope without them.’ Inspection report for children’s home: SC428084 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, The 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

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

provide adequate means of escape from the home in the event of fire;

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Requirement Due date

ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and, so far as reasonably practicable, children are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of fire. (Regulation 25 (1)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the fire risk assessment is thoroughly reviewed and identifies any actions required and that children are regularly involved in fire evacuations. 23 February 2024

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that each child, at the point they move into the home, has a missing- from-home protocol that identifies the key risks to that child. Also, they should ensure that the protocol is kept under review. 23 February 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC428084 7

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of the children. The home should be a homely, domestic environment. It must comply with relevant health and safety legislations, ensuring the safe storage of equipment and ensuring that repairs are completed in a timely manner. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: SC428084 8

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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

Carol Jagger, Social Care Inspector Shirin Khan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC428084 9 regulates and inspects 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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