Children's home run by Wakefield Council in Wakefield

Inspection report for children’s home: SC034162 1 SC034162 Registered provider: Wakefield Council

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a local authority. It provides care for up to 7 children who may have learning disabilities, physical disabilities, and/or experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, 5 children were living in the home. The lead inspector spent time with all the children during the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was 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: 21 January 2025

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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

21/01/2025 Full Good 06/02/2024 Full Good 09/11/2022 Full Good 21/03/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC034162 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff spend quality time with the children and this helps to build close relationships between them both. The children are relaxed in staff’s company and respond positively to the nurturing care provided by staff. The children have a strong sense of belonging which is strengthened by a sibling group living together in this home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the children’s unique methods of communicating and children have made progress with their communication and speech. The use of social stories and object referencing, means that the children have a say in decisions regarding their daily care and activities. These achievements are developing the children’s confidence and wellbeing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making progress in all aspects of their health and development. This is because of the sensitive and individualised care offered by staff. The staff work with specialist services and seek advice regarding how best to support children’s complex needs. This means that staff provide children with tailored care that helps reduce children’s anxieties around events such as mealtimes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children are attending school and making progress. The manager advocates for the children to ensure that they have access to education in line with their individual needs. This has resulted in one child having increased time in school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff help children build their confidence and independence. Children are supported to develop their skills with activities such as baking, traveling on trains and maintaining the garden area. The children access a variety of social opportunities and activities. They enjoy sensory play, listening to music and attending a local youth club. These opportunities mean that the children have fun and meet new friends.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are sensitively welcomed into the home with planned moves. The manager ensures that careful consideration is given to the suitability of children living in the home. The manager seeks the views of others to ensure that decisions are child centred.

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

The staff know the children well and understand their complex needs and associated risks. The staff closely supervise of the children and provide one-to-one care. The children have regular access to an independent advocate who spends quality time with them to better understand their needs and behaviours. All these factors help toward keeping the children safer.

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

The staff support the children to have safe and consistent boundaries. Staff spend time helping the children to understand events and associated concerns. The use of communication methods such as social stories, helps support the children to understand Inspection report for children’s home: SC034162 4 behaviours. Staff use effective de-escalation techniques and strategies that help distract children and prevent incidents from escalating.

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

Overall, children’s risk assessments and plans are detailed and provide staff with the required information and actions that they must take to safely promote children’s daily care. However, one child’s risk assessment had not been updated after an incident in the community. No harm came to the child, but a staff member was injured during their attempts to maintain the child’s dignity. The manager also failed to ensure that the child’s care plan was updated to reduce the likelihood of further incidents occurring.

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

Staff understand the procedures for escalating concerns. Overall, investigations into concerns regarding staff practice are managed appropriately and actions are taken to reduce any potential risks to the children. However, on one occasion, gaps in records meant that the actions taken to mitigate any potential risk to children were unclear. On this occasion, no harm came to the children but gaps in records means that the manager is not assured of the actions needed to promote the children’s welfare.

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

Staff sometimes have to hold children to keep them and everyone else safe. These techniques are only used when necessary and as a last resort. On one occasion, a child needed to be held so that their essential health needs could be met. However, leaders and managers failed to effectively progress actions from the last inspection in a timely way and seek appropriate expert advice regarding this practice. No harm came to the child. However, leaders and managers have failed to ensure that interventions used were the most suitable approach and that all staff have the suitable skills.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager knows the children well, is committed, and has high aspirations for the children in her care. Staff are equally committed to the children to ensure that they have positive experiences in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager understands the children’s needs and supports staff to progress children’s plans. This helps ensure that children have the individualised care that means they achieve and make progress. Professionals and families talked positively about the care provided to the children by the manager and staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff have access to a monthly team forum that promotes team discussions around the children’s care. These discussions help to develop the quality of care provided to the children. Additionally, the manager uses this time to support staff’s understanding of the home’s model of care and procedures. The staff have also valued the opportunity to plan and facilitate a charity event. This provided staff with the chance to raise money and bond as a team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have access to regular reflective supervision sessions. These sessions provide staff with opportunities to discuss the children’s needs, their own wellbeing, and their practice and development. New staff experience a detailed induction into the home, and all staff have timely reviews of their development. Inspection report for children’s home: SC034162 5 The manager understands the home and uses monitoring and reviewing systems that supports oversight of the home. The manager ensures she seeks the views of significant others to help develop the quality of care to children. This strengthens the manager’s oversight and the formulation of detailed development plans. However, the registered manager’s oversight has not addressed some gaps in records and ensured that on all occasions, staff have the required support and skills to meet the children’s needs. Inspection report for children’s home: SC034162 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(e)(f))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff have the required skills to carry out and fully understand the risks associated with any physical intervention techniques; particularly when used to support the administration of medication.

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, the registered person must ensure that they clearly record their oversight when assessing staff practice. Ensuring that all incidents, risk assessments and plans are up to date and provide clear practice guidance to staff. 15 March 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC034162 7

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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 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

Gina Lightfoot, Social Care Inspector (lead) Debra Boldy, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC034162 9 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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