Children's Home run by Wakefield Council in Wakefield

Inspection report for children’s home: 2701362 1 Registered provider: The Council of the City of Wakefield

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home offers care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection, two children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and manager were both registered with Ofsted in December 2022.

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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

Date of last inspection: 12 September 2023

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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: 2701362 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/09/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2701362 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move to the home, they are warmly welcomed by staff who have developed a clear understanding of each child’s individual needs. Transitions are smooth and well planned. Risk assessments and care plans are thorough. Meaningful independence work is carried out to support best outcomes for the children. When children move on from the home, this is pre-planned, so children have positive endings and maintain relationships with the staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff are tenacious and pursue professionals to gain the required support for the children. The staff have good links with the virtual school, and all children are in education and working towards qualifications.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Both children were spoken with and were positive about activities they enjoy with staff. These include fishing, biking, and seasonal events such as Halloween and Christmas.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff have introduced a process to engage children in exploring significant world events and enhance their learning. This month-long initiative provides opportunities for reflection, fostering deeper understanding. Designed to be enjoyable and child-centred, this activity consolidates learning in a meaningful way.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive individually tailored care to meet their needs. Staff consider children’s uniqueness, particularly around cultural needs or any disabilities they might have, and adapt their approach accordingly. Documentation is not standardised to meet the organisational requirements but to be user-friendly for the children. Care plans are child- focused and reflect the voice of the children well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team acknowledges that there have been challenges, some of which were unforeseen. However, both staff and managers have consistently responded in a timely manner, prioritising the needs and well-being of the children throughout.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There have been challenges using external providers to address maintenance issues in the home. Delays can be prolonged, leading to unresolved tasks that affect the home’s overall appearance and condition.

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

Safeguarding records demonstrate that staff understand the impact of childhood trauma. Multi-agency relationships are strong, and staff work well with external professionals to learn from any incidents that happen in the home. This learning is then used to develop staff practice, which reduces likelihood of further reoccurrence.

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

Staff and children jointly undertake fire safety drills and training. The staff support the children to learn about fire risks. Individual discussions are completed in a child-led way Inspection report for children’s home: 2701362 4 to support children’s learning and understanding. This helps children to be increasingly safer and reduces risk.

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

There has been a stable staff team since the last inspection, but agency staff are used when necessary. The same agency staff are used across all the provider’s homes, and safe recruitment checks are routinely carried out. This allows managers to access appropriately qualified and vetted staff as needed, which means consistent staff for the children.

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

Consequences are not used to manage unwanted behaviour. Instead, staff apply child- centred restorative approaches and rewards. The children are involved in agreeing rewards and the tasks they need to successfully complete.

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

The staff consistently enforce clear boundaries to ensure children are safe. In certain situations, police have been called to manage incidents involving children. Staff have actively worked to strengthen relationships with the police, fostering collaboration to mitigate risks effectively. There is ongoing work with the children around positive behaviours, aiming to further reduce the need for police involvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers have a good knowledge of the children in their care. Inspirational people are used to inspire children with learning from their own experiences of being raised in care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers deliver training to newly qualified local authority social workers to share learning and knowledge of the care system and children who are looked after. Managers seek out specialised training for staff to meet the needs of the children and implement this in the home to effect positive change in the lives of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The use of research is embedded in the home. The deputy manager is ambitious and inspirational. Managers use up-to-date, relevant research and implement this in the home to effect positive change in the lives of the children. This has supported the learning and development of staff, and results in theoretical-based approaches to care and support for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Monthly supervision sessions take place for all staff. The integration of social work-based theories into these sessions means the staff team offers therapeutic and trauma- informed care to children. There is a strong ethos of reflection and learning for staff, and this is embedded through supervision.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers are present and visible in the home and committed to both the children and staff. The home’s management team are aware of the team’s strengths and areas to develop. This ensures continued progress and excellent care for the children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2701362 5

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home is maintained to provide a nurturing, supportive and homely environment that meet the needs of their children. (‘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: 2701362 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Council of the City of Wakefield

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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

Rachel Moore, Social Care Inspector Steve Guirey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2701362 7 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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Inspectors

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