Children's home run by Wakefield Council

Inspection report for children’s home: 2544274 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 run by a local authority. It offers care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in January 2022.

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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 good

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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: 7 November 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 for children’s home: 2544274 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/11/2023 Full Outstanding 01/11/2022 Full Good 16/02/2022 Full Good 04/02/2020 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2544274 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Since the last inspection, two children have moved out of the home. One child was living in the home at the time of this inspection. The inspector spoke with the child, who appeared relaxed in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The child currently living at the home enjoys spending time with staff. The child is making significant progress relating to their health, emotional well-being, learning and social development. Leaders and managers have secured specialist assessments for the child, and staff have carried out research-based learning to offer greater individualised care. This means staff have an excellent understanding of the child’s needs, and this informed practice is helping the child make progress and develop a strong sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff are aspirational for children and celebrate their achievements. Staff work closely with specialist emotional well-being services. One professional said, ‘Staff are committed in ensuring that children have the best possible nurturing care.’ This approach has contributed to the reduction in significant incidents for one child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children have trusted relationships with staff. The sensitive care offered by staff helps children feel able to express any worries. Leaders and managers use creative ways to ensure that children feel listened to and receive highly individualised support. This includes children being actively involved in recruiting staff, and other children have developed a ‘pen picture’ to give to new foster carers. This means that children remain at the centre of decisions that affect them. Additionally, the support is influential in assisting children to build life skills and self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff encourage children to attend education. The consistent support from staff has resulted in one child successfully returning to an education setting after a long period of absence. An education professional said, ‘[Name of child] feels happy at the home and wanted.’ Working relationships between education and care staff are effective and support the child’s exceptional progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The staff are committed, and they ensure that children enjoy various activities. Children spend time developing local friendships, having sleepovers, enjoying creative activities, playing football, going to parks and having days out. These opportunities help the children develop their independence and social skills. Furthermore, staff capture children’s experiences with photos they can look back on.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The highly effective planning from leaders and managers has supported children to have positive and planned moves into and out of the home. These moves have resulted in some children securing a period of stability and having the opportunity to reconnect and develop relationships with their family and significant others. This practice makes a Inspection report for children’s home: 2544274 4 significant difference to children’s lives, allowing them to start developing secure attachments and a sense of belonging.

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

The child seen during the inspection was observed to have close and trusted relationships with staff. Leaders and managers listen to children. When children say that they feel unsettled in the home, the leaders and managers take action to ensure that the children’s well-being remains paramount. These actions help children develop a strong sense of safety. The children have not experienced any missing periods from the home.

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

The home has a strong safeguarding culture, and staff understand the children’s known and associated risks. The staff have meaningful discussions with children about respecting boundaries and personal space. Staff carried out research in cyber-bullying and Islamophobia, and this helped them to offer exceptional support and guidance to children. The high-quality support offered by staff helps children build confidence and develop their life skills.

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

The staff place an emphasis on using de-escalation skills and exploring alternative ways to support children. The staff help children understand their behavioural challenges. Consequences are restorative, and they focus on accountability and repairing relationships. For example, staff spent quality time with a child to repair damage that had been caused to the home. The creative and nurturing support from staff has led to a reduction in significant incidents and helped children become increasingly safe.

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

Staff understand the procedures for escalating safeguarding concerns. The children’s well-being and safety are prioritised. Investigations into allegations made against staff are managed appropriately. Leaders and managers have an effective working relationship with the local authority designated officers.

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

The children’s risk assessments and plans are detailed and provide staff with an understanding of known risks. The staff implement actions detailed in the children’s plans, which helps keep them safe. However, gaps in one child’s risk assessment mean that the record does not provide staff with the guidance to respond to the child’s current risks. This could potentially affect the registered manager’s capacity to ensure the appropriateness of staff practice.

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

On occasion, staff physically hold children to keep them or others safe. These holds are proportionate and used as a last resort when all other de-escalation techniques have been unsuccessful. Staff work closely with physical intervention trainers to review practice and ensure that their techniques are in line with the home’s policies. On one occasion, records did not capture that the actions taken by staff restricted the child’s movement. Information suggests no harm came to the child. However, gaps in records limit the manager’s oversight of incidents and the opportunity for children to discuss their experience. Inspection report for children’s home: 2544274 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager and staff are committed to ensuring that children receive high- quality care. The registered manager is ambitious and aspirational for children and understands the children’s plans. One professional said that the registered manager has gone ‘above and beyond’ in the support offered during a child’s move out of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers are motivated and have strong oversight of the home. They consistently use different monitoring systems to review patterns and trends in significant incidents. Additionally, the registered manager carries out detailed workforce and home development plans. These actions help to progress children’s plans and are robust in driving and improving children’s quality of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The leaders and managers know the home’s strengths and areas for development. Securing suitable staffing has been a challenge. However, leaders and managers have been creative and secured staff from the local authority who are able to offer children additional specialist support. These innovative actions have assisted in the reduction of significant incidents for children and have given staff additional specialist support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff are positive about the exceptional support that they receive from the registered manager. Newly appointed staff receive a detailed induction that supports them in performing their role. All staff have timely reviews of their development. Staff also receive regular child-centred, reflective supervision. In addition, staff have access to weekly resilience coaching support. These opportunities help staff feel supported and better able to manage difficult situations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is aspirational and creates a positive learning environment. Staff receive training, and pertinent research topics are presented in staff team meetings. For example, staff have developed their knowledge about topics associated with neurodiversity disorders. This practice-learning informs the high-quality care offered to children and helps them make exceptional progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff’s working relationships with other agencies are effective. The registered manager encourages emotional well-being services to attend monthly team meetings. Staff can discuss children's individual needs as a holistic team, ensuring consistent delivery of highly nurturing care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has notified Ofsted of significant events. However, on one occasion, they failed to report a significant incident. This has not affected the care offered to the child but has prevented Ofsted from having independent oversight. Inspection report for children’s home: 2544274 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children’s risk assessments and plans include all the required actions that staff should take to support children to reduce known daily risks. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should that all restrictions on a child’s movement are recorded and that children are provided with the opportunity to express their views about their experience of the restraint. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 47, paragraph 9.42 and page 50, paragraph 9.60)  The registered person should ensure that they notify Ofsted of a serious incident in a timely manner. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.11)

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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: 2544274 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: 2544274 8 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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Inspector

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