Children's home run by Wigan Council in Wigan

Inspection report children's home: SC051856 1 SC051856 Registered provider: Wigan Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

This local authority home provides short breaks or shared care arrangements for up to four children at any one time. Children have a diagnosed disability that may include autism sp ectrum disorder and a learning disability, or multiple complex learning needs.

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Information about this children's home

The manager was registered with Ofsted on 14 May 2020.

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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: 11 January 2023

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: SC051856 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/01/2023 Full Outstanding 09/03/2022 Full Good 12/03/2019 Interim Not judged 09/01/2019 Interim Not judged Inspection report children's home: SC051856 3

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outstanding

Children benefit from high-quality short-break care. Children are provided with opportunities to develop vital skills, take part in activities and gain independence during their time at the home. These positive experiences add considerably to the quality of the children’s lives and enhance the overall progress children make.

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outstanding

The home is bright, spacious, and welcoming. There are photos of the children in the home and a large ‘WOW’ board displaying the children’s achievements. There are specialist toys for the children to choose from and an outdoor play area. The sensory room has recently been decorated in a space theme. This area provides children with a safe and quiet place to relax in.

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outstanding

Staff build good and meaningful relationships with the children. The relationships between the children and staff are exceptional. Staff know the children well and invest time in getting to know them. Staff are committed to building a narrative about how they can adapt to meet the child’s needs. They focus on the children’s strengths and see beyond their disability. This helps create a nurturing and supportive environment where children thrive.

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outstanding

Staff use a variety of communication aids to interact with the children and help them communicate more effectively. For example, picture exchange communication systems, social stories, visual aids, and objects. This helps the children to learn, form social relationships, express feelings, and participate in everyday activities.

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outstanding

Children are supported to express preferences and make choices. Staff help children learn how to make a choice when presented with different options. For example, non-verbal children can choose foods and activities using picture symbols.

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outstanding

Communication with parents is excellent. One parent said that they feel listened to and can ask questions and raise concerns. Staff use a communication platform called Dojo to share information with parents about the child’s day through videos and messages. This gives families a chance to feel more connected to their child and celebrate what they have achieved during their stay at the home.

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outstanding

Partnership working with parents is a real strength. One external professional said that the staff ‘get to the know the whole family’. Staff work hard to develop positive working relationships with parents to share knowledge, understand children’s interests and discover how best to support the child. This helps children to experience a well planned and positive transition to the home.

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outstanding

Staff work proactively and positively with other agencies and professionals. There are open lines of communication with social workers and schools. One teacher said that the staff are an ‘excellent example of how school and residentials should work Inspection report children's home: SC051856 4 together’. Staff attend children’s education meetings and provide weekly updates to the school. Assessments and plans are shared with school to help them gain a holistic understanding of the children’s needs.

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outstanding

Staff promote healthy physical development. Staff support the children with a range of physical needs. For example, one child has learned how to use the toilet during the day. Another child is learning to hold a fork so that they can feed themselves independently. Children are encouraged to engage in outdoor activities including going for a walk, playing in the garden, and jumping on the trampoline. This provides children with opportunities to develop their gross motor skills, improve their confidence and have fun.

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outstanding

Everything achieved in the home is focused around making it an inclusive experience for children. Activities are captured on photographs and scrapbooks. This helps children develop a sense of self-worth and belonging. When children leave the service, the memories are captured in a book which are given to the children as gifts.

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outstanding

Children have a high level of supervision, which is consistent with their plans. This means that they can develop their independence while staff ensure that they are safe.

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outstanding

Individual assessments of risk and support plans are in place and updated regularly. The staff understand the children’s vulnerabilities and identified risks and the strategies used are clear and effective. This means that children are safeguarded effectively because of the care they experience.

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outstanding

The culture of the home is characterised by compassion and understanding, with a belief in prevention strategies that reduce the need for restrictive practices and interventions. Staff provide the children with clear routines and boundaries, and children receive praise for positive behaviour. De-escalation techniques are effective and physical intervention has only been used once since the last inspection. This helps promote a positive environment where children can flourish.

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outstanding

Children are in a good routine with their medication and their medicines are stored correctly. There is good management oversight of the records.

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outstanding

Most children are fully dependent on highly competent staff to support their intimate care needs sensitively. This provides children with privacy and dignity. Staff are attentive to children’s individual needs and encourage children to make choices in their lives. To support children further an independent advocate visits the home regularly. Inspection report children's home: SC051856 5 Children do not go missing from the home due to the high staffing levels. Staff know the children well and understand the actions required to take should a child go missing from the home and if there is a child protection concern. This keeps children safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is suitably qualified. The manager knows the children extremely well and she is committed to improving children’s outcomes. She is supported by two deputy managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is properly staffed and resourced to meet the needs of the children. Staff are suitably vetted and qualified and are able to deliver high-quality services to children and their families.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff work collaboratively to provide consistency and stability for the children. There are clear responsibilities and accountabilities, and staff have a sense of shared ownership about its practice. The staff’s views are listened to, and their ideas are considered when reviewing any changes to care practices. Staff report that they feel supported by managers and enjoy working in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers and staff receive regular and effective supervision that is focused on children’s experiences, needs, plans and feedback. This helps managers to gain a clear understanding of staff strengths and areas for development. The emotional impact of the work on staff is recognised and managed well by managers. Supervision is recorded effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is innovative and generates creative ideas to sustain the highest quality care for children. For example, children’s keyworker reports are discussed at team meetings. This provides staff with an opportunity for reflection and promotes a consistency of approach in meeting the children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The children’s records are full and accurate. The records reflect the children’s everyday lives and the work that is carried out with them during their stay. The managers and staff have used research informed practice to improve the quality of the children’s records, developing child-centred plans that are written for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There are effective monitoring and review systems in place. Management oversight of practice is excellent and is used to improve the quality of decisions and the provision of help to the children. It is routinely evident on the children’s records.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager promotes a strong learning culture within the home. Staff receive training to develop the necessary skills and knowledge to understand and meet the children’s individual needs. Staff have received training in topics such as Prader Willi Syndrome, epilepsy awareness, and sensory processing. All staff have received training in the CALM (Crisis, Aggression, Limitation and Management) model of care. This provides staff with a good knowledge and skill set to safeguard and support children. Inspection report children's home: SC051856 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 children's home: SC051856 7

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council, Town Hall, Library Street, Wigan WN1 1YN

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Inspector

Dawn Walker, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: SC051856 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 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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