Children's home run by Wakefield Council in Wakefield

Inspection report for children’s home: SC034162 1 SC034162

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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 run by the local authority. It provides care for up to seven children who may have learning disabilities, physical disabilities, and social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, there were four children living in the home. Since the last inspection, three children have moved on from the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in January 2025.

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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 good

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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: 6 February 2024

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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: SC034162 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/02/2024 Full Good 09/11/2022 Full Good 21/03/2022 Full Good 17/12/2019 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC034162 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive good, individualised care from staff who provide high levels of nurturing support. Staff spend time with the children and know them well. During the inspection, the inspector spent time with all four children and observed that they have close relationships with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand children’s individual ways of communicating. They encourage the children to share their views with different approaches, such as symbols and pictures. This means the children’s voices are heard, and they can have a say about their daily care. Despite staff’s efforts, children do not understand how to make a complaint. However, an independent advocate visits the home and spends quality time with the children .

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making progress, and their complex health and care needs are being met by staff. Staff have a good understanding of the children’s individual needs. They use communication tools, including social stories, to help children to understand their daily care and provide opportunities for children to make choices. The staff support the children to have positive, individualised care routines that support them to develop independence and decision-making. This means that some children can safely have unsupervised time around the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of education for children. The children who attend school are making progress. One child who has recently moved to the home does not go to school, so the staff are providing learning opportunities. The child is benefiting from this time with staff. Additionally, the registered manager is working with other professionals to progress plans to secure a suitable education provision for the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the children to access a variety of social opportunities and activities. Children enjoy going out in the community, going to the local shops, listening to music, doing craft activities and spending time in the playroom. The staff have worked hard to support the children to have access to additional sensory play in the home and garden. These opportunities help the children have fun and develop their social skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are sensitively welcomed into the home. When children move into the home with minimal notice, staff work with professionals to reduce any potential impact on the children. Professionals said that children have positive moves because of the support offered by staff. One parent whose child has moved on from the home said, ‘Staff used photographs to help [name of child] understand their move, and we all worked as a team.’ The sensitive and planned support by staff, helps to reduce children’s anxieties.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some areas of the home have been changed in response to the children’s needs, including the sensory room and communal lounges. Some areas require attention, Inspection report for children’s home: SC034162 4 including the staff bathroom and the communal stairway. Leaders and managers have plans to refurbish the home and are moving these plans forward.

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

The children were observed to have close and trusted relationships with staff. They appeared relaxed and responded positively to the nurturing care offered by staff.

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

Staff understand the children’s known risks and care needs. Risk assessments are detailed, providing the staff with information about potential risks for children and any possible triggers and behaviours. Additionally, children’s plans are detailed and highlight the children’s needs and the actions for staff to take to keep the children safe.

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

Staff offer the children sensitive support and clear boundaries about safe and acceptable behaviour. The staff have systems in place that help them monitor events and any injuries to children. This information is shared with the children’s significant others. These systems help the staff understand any patterns of events and behaviours and can help towards keeping children safe.

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

Children have not gone missing from the home, and they have close supervision due to their complex needs. The registered manager has ensured that the staff have access to missing-from-home procedures. This means that in the event of this happening, staff understand the actions that they should take to help find the child.

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

Staff understand the procedures for escalating concerns. Investigations into concerns regarding staff practice are managed appropriately. This ensures a multi-agency response to any concerns. Two medication errors have taken place since the last inspection. Lessons have been learned, and the registered manager has made changes to ensure that actions are in place to reduce the likelihood of children having the wrong medication.

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

Overall, the staff support children in line with their risk assessments. However, on one occasion, when a child was having a challenging time, staff failed to stay in the room with them. On this occasion, staff remained outside the room and checked on the child, which reduced the likelihood of harm. However, the support offered to the child was not in line with the child’s risk assessment and plan.

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

Staff physically hold children to keep them safe. These techniques are only used when necessary and as a last resort. One child needed to be held on many occasions so that their essential health needs could be met. Leaders and managers worked openly with agencies to agree the strategies used to support the child’s best interests. However, records failed to evidence that specialist advice was sought to ensure that the interventions used were the most suitable approach and least restrictive option available to staff. Inspection report for children’s home: SC034162 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been two registered managers in post since the last inspection. The current registered manager has monitoring systems in place to assist their understanding and oversight of the home, including the quality of care provided to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager understands the children’s plans and knows the children well. They advocate on behalf of children to ensure that they have the support required to help them to achieve and make progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have the skills to meet the children’s individual needs. The registered manager is proactive in ensuring that staff receive training that supports them to fulfil their roles and responsibilities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff feel supported by the registered manager. Staff work well as a team and are all committed to caring for the children. Team meetings are regularly held. This provides the staff with the time and opportunity to reflect as a team on the children’s care and their care practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have not received supervision sessions regularly. This limits the time that staff have to reflect on their own development and practice. Staff have benefited from attending team meetings that incorporate group supervision and provide time for reflection. Inspection report for children’s home: SC034162 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff actively assess the risks to children and consistently implement the actions identified in children’s plans that help to keep the children safe. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42 paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should ensure that staff fully understand the risks associated with any restraint techniques used in the home, and that those who commission training, assess the risk of administering medication during a physical restraint technique. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraphs 9.56 and 9.58)  The registered person should ensure that all staff have a clear understanding of the home’s supervision procedures and that all staff receive supervision in line with the home’s procedures. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality

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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: SC034162 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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Inspector

Gina Lightfoot, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC034162 8 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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