Children's Home run by Waypoint Care Ltd in Doncaster

Inspection report for children’s home: 2767938 1 Registered provider: Waypoint Care Ltd

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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 is operated by a private provider. It provides care for up to 3 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, 2 children were living at the home. Both children were spoken with during the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2026.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2767938 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/05/2025 Full Good 25/06/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2767938 3

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Summary of findings

Children benefit from positive relationships with staff, who actively seek and value the children’s views. Children are encouraged to contribute to decisions in the home. Children feel listened to and have a sense of ownership and belonging.

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Summary of findings

Safeguarding practice is effective. Staff are skilled at helping children to cope with difficult emotions. There are very few incidents of children going missing from home or children being restrained because of unsafe behaviour. However, better intervention is needed to help those children who smoke.

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Summary of findings

Recent changes to recording systems have not been fully embedded. The manager cannot yet be assured that staff have consistently read and understood updated risk assessments.

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Summary of findings

Staffing arrangements have not always been stable. Staff have not consistently received supervision sessions in line with the workforce development plan. Furthermore, the manager has not always ensured that quality of care review and independent person reports are submitted to the regulator within required timescales.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress. They are cared for by staff who know them well and place their individual needs at the centre of their practice. Relationships between children and staff are warm and trusting. Staff spend time with children listening to their views, helping them to express their feelings and supporting them to reflect on their experiences. As a result, children feel valued, cared for and understood. They say that living in the home is a positive experience.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Family members and those who are important to the children are identified and, where possible, welcomed into the home. Staff encourage the children to spend time with their friends and families, and staff work proactively with them make this happen. Children say how important this is and it makes them feel special and cared for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff prioritise the importance of education. They work effectively with education providers to support the children’s learning. Positive relationships with professionals help to secure appropriate education placements and promote the children’s attendance. Furthermore, staff provide support in the home to help children develop independent living skills in preparation for adulthood. Children are making measurable progress in education, which improves their future opportunities. Inspection report for children’s home: 2767938 4 Children’s emotional wellbeing is supported well. Staff help children to understand and manage their feelings and behaviours, using consistent strategies and taking time to reflect on significant events with them. Where needed, specialist advice and support are sought to meet children’s individual needs. This ensures that children receive coordinated and effective help that promotes their resilience and emotional

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have access to local health services and specialist support where required. Children are encouraged to attend routine health appointments and develop an understanding of managing their health. However, one child uses an electronic cigarette and staff have not yet ensured that targeted and specialist support has been accessed to address this specific health need.

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

Children report that they feel safe living in the home and can identify trusted adults who they can speak to if they have any worries or concerns. Positive relationships with staff, including managers, help children to feel listened to and supported. Children spoke about being able to approach the manager freely. This reinforces their sense of safety and gives assurance that their concerns will be taken seriously at any time.

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

Staff benefit from regular safeguarding training and demonstrate a clear understanding of safeguarding procedures, including how to recognise and escalate concerns effectively. Managers provide consistent and effective oversight of safeguarding practice, ensuring that incidents are responded to appropriately and learning informs future practice. The availability of managers outside of core hours ensures that staff can access timely advice and guidance, which improves safeguarding responses.

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

The use of restraint is rare. Staff prioritise de-escalation and spend time working with children to understand and manage their emotions more safely. When incidents do occur, staff provide children with opportunities to reflect and share their views. This supports children to develop safer coping strategies.

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

Incidents of children going missing from home are infrequent. When they do occur, staff respond promptly and in a coordinated way, ensuring that relevant professionals are informed in a timely manner. Records are clear and informative, and children are offered opportunities to speak with staff and specialist workers following such incidents. This helps to ensure that children are supported and that risks are reduced.

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

Staff understand the risks associated with the internet and social media and provide children with age-appropriate guidance to help them stay safe. Regular discussions with children about online safety and mobile phone use promote their awareness and understanding of potential risks, enabling them to make safer choices. Inspection report for children’s home: 2767938 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been a recent change in management, which has been handled effectively. The transition of the new manager was carefully planned and children were supported well throughout. Staff ensured that children were kept informed and given opportunities to build relationships with the new manager. The manager has prioritised time with children, working flexibly to get to know them and understand their needs. As a result, the transition has been positive, and children feel secure and well informed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager demonstrates a strong commitment to continuous improvement. They actively seek feedback and have developed positive and constructive relationships with families, friends and external professionals. This collaborative approach supports effective care planning and promotes positive outcomes for children. Feedback from family members is positive, particularly regarding the manager’s responsiveness and the quality of communication from staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager gives careful consideration to the effect of children moving into the home. The needs of existing children are central to decision-making. Both staff and children are consulted to ensure that decisions are well informed and in the best interests of everyone living in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is currently overseeing the transition from paper-based records to an electronic recording system. While this process is progressing, there is not yet a robust system in place to ensure that staff have read and understood updated assessments. The manager is taking appropriate steps to address it.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

At times, staff have been required to work across other homes in the organisation. This has led to some inconsistency in staffing arrangements, which has affected children’s experiences. Although agency staff are used infrequently, one child said that inconsistent staffing has been an issue.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Arrangements for practice-related supervision sessions have not always been consistently maintained in line with the workforce development plan and statement of purpose. Staff said that they feel well supported by the manager, who is approachable and available when needed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has not consistently ensured that all monitoring and regulatory requirements are met. In particular, quality of care reviews and independent visitor reports have not always been submitted to the regulator within required timescales. This oversight limits external scrutiny and monitoring of the service. Inspection report for children’s home: 2767938 6

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Statutory requirements

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

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 31 July 2026

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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 has sufficient staff to provide care for 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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints receive. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(d)(e)(g)(i)(ii)) 31 July 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months. 31 July 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2767938 7 The registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45 (1) (4)(a))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that, in line with the ethos of the home, children are offered advice, support and guidance on their health and wellbeing. Staff should have the relevant skills and knowledge to help children understand, and where necessary, work to change negative behaviours in key areas of health and wellbeing, such as vaping. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.18)  The registered person should ensure that reports completed by the independent person about their visit to the home are submitted to the regulator within the required timescale. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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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: 2767938 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 38 Freemans Way, Harrogate HG3 1DH

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Inspector

Lisa Richards, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2767938 9 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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