Children's Home run by Dove Adolescent Services Limited in Wakefield

Outstanding

The children's home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the home contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

p.2

The children's home provision is outstanding because:

 Young people benefit significantly from the high aspirations that the staff have and instil in them. This assists them to belief in themselves and address areas in their life where they have previously had difficulties.  Staff recognise the importance of building trusting relationships. They strive to achieve this with hard to reach young people who find it very difficult to trust adults in their lives due to their past experiences.  Young people’s safety has dramatically improved. They now recognise the dangers and risks that they have previously put themselves in.  Young people have very good attendance in education and have gained qualifications to increase their life opportunities as young adults.  Young people have successfully moved to live independently as a result of the exceptional life skills work and outreach support provided.  There is excellent partnership working with other professionals. Young

p.3

The children's home provision is outstanding because:

people profit from this collaboration and they receive the very best support to make progress in their lives.  The Registered Manager provides staff with very strong direction and support. This is further enhanced by the excellent training programme, ensures consistently high quality of care to young people.

p.3

Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, 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 with the given timescales.

p.4

Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (case records) for each child which- (a) include the information and documentation listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child: (b) are kept up to date; and (c) are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (10 (a) (b) (c) In particular, that all looked after children have a Personal Education Plan including those over the age of 16 years of age. 28/11/2015

p.4

Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

p.4

Recommendations

Staff should seek to meet the child's basic needs in a way that a good parent would, recognising that many children in residential care have experienced environments where these needs have not been consistently met - doing so is an important aspect of demonstrating that the staff care for the child and value them as an individual. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 15, paragraph 3.7) In particular replace the sealants and grouting in the shower so that the physical environment is maintained to a high standard throughout the home.

p.4

Information about this children's home

This is a privately owned children’s home. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. Young people are admitted on a planned or emergency basis.

p.5

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.5

Recent inspection history

03/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

p.5

outstanding

Young people profit from the care and support of an exceptionally nurturing, committed and experienced stable staff team. ‘Hard to reach’ young people have built fruitful and positive relationships with staff. This is due to the determination of a devoted team who want the very best for them and show great understanding of their past life experiences.

p.5

outstanding

Young people are strongly empowered. Their views are listened to, taken on board and significantly influence the way that they are cared for. This contributes to the successful progress and achievements they make. Open and honest discussion builds very trusting relationships between staff and young people, who also have advocates to support them.

p.5

outstanding

Young people have made great educational strides, excellent improvement in their attendance and have achieved qualifications. This is a result of the incessant support from the staff to attend and complete course work. In addition, staff work collaboratively with educational staff to make sure young people have the very best support. As a result of their achievements young people grow hugely in their self-confidence and are equipped for the world of further education or work. Consequently, this greatly enhances a positive transition into adulthood and provides additional life opportunities.

p.5

outstanding

The Personal Education Plan for one young person has not been reviewed and updated in line with their recent move to college. This does not help staff to have the best information about individual targets to ensure continued educational achievements remain outstanding.

p.6

outstanding

Young people’s health is strongly promoted. Staff work very well with health professionals to support them with their emotional, psychological and general health needs. For example; young people have made very good progress to access health appointments and eat a balanced diet since admission. Staff implement advice and guidance from mental health professionals where young people are reluctant to engage with them directly. This ensures that young people are effectively supported to develop and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

p.6

outstanding

Young people have extended their free time pursuits. This includes a young person purchasing a bike and enjoy using it regularly for off road biking. Young people go to game tournaments, making friends at college and through leisure activities. This enhances their life experience, increases their social skills and peer group networks.

p.6

outstanding

Young people gain tremendously from positive family contact. Staff assist young people and family members to build essential family relationships which are very important to them. From the starting points of damaged connections, long- lasting family relationships have been re-established to secure important family networks.

p.6

outstanding

Young people make remarkable progress to develop their independence and move into their own flat. For example; cooking, cleaning, making own appointments and managing their finances suitably. Staff will go the extra mile, to ensure such transitions are successful.

p.6

outstanding

Staff provide outreach work for several weeks, for example sleeping over at a young person’s flat, reducing the support over time to a couple of hours daily. This has helped a young person develop really good skills to look after themselves safely. A professional said, ‘Six months ago I would not have believed that X would have done so well, the work of the care staff has been excellent.’ The experiences and progress made while living at the home has greatly enhanced young people’s life opportunities. Judgement grade

p.6

good

Young people are safe; they have become safer since their admission to the home. Staff build strong relationships with them to facilitate the very best way to care, support and protect them from harm. This is reinforced with explicit behaviour management strategies and specific risk assessments which are reviewed and updated in response to the young person’s needs.

p.7

good

The staff team are fully aware of the risks and strategies and use them consistently, which keeps young people safe. Young people receive excellent support from staff who proactively respond to any risk and danger that they find themselves in. Staff are trained in safeguarding, behaviour management, health and safety matters. They regularly review and monitor young people’s safety to ensure that they can efficiently and effectively keep them safe.

p.7

good

Missing from home incidents are a rare occurrence. Young people have made great progress, significantly decreasing the danger that they previously placed themselves in. Staff practice is good at safeguarding young people when such an incident occurs. This adheres to effective procedures and the young person’s individual missing from home protocol. Staff undertake direct work with young people on the dangers of staying out and going missing. This approach has been very successful, with young people keeping themselves safe.

p.7

good

Young people benefit immensely from the consistent care and clear boundaries. Staff talk to young people about expectations of positive behaviour, respect for themselves, others and the house rules. Staff use de-escalation techniques and redirection effectively without the need for physical intervention. Any sanctions are used appropriately alongside restorative approaches. This is complimented with a very strong emphasis and culture on rewarding positive behaviour, with incentives for young people to improve and achieve.

p.7

good

Young people respond to this approach, showing more socially acceptable behaviour. Where young people have presented challenging and violent behaviour, multi-agency discussions have taken place. The manager has given importance to consult and involve the young person too, to agree the new strategies. This empowers the young person, to have a say in how staff should best support their behaviour. It provides first class support to the young people and assists them to continue to improve their behaviour.

p.7

good

Young people live in a safe and secure environment. The home is clean and overall maintained to a good standard. The lounge and kitchen are personalised and homely. However, the bathroom shower is showing signs of wear and tear, including discoloured grouting and sealant. This detracts from the rest of the home that provides young people with a pleasant environment of a high standard throughout, which enhances their daily experiences.

p.7

outstanding

The Registered Manager has been in post since 2010, has relevant experience and holds National Vocational Qualifications at level 4 in care and management. Her management style focusses on the success and achievements of the young people. Her high aspirations and vision for young people to succeed and have positive life experiences is embedded within the ethos and culture of the staff team.

p.8

outstanding

The manager is clear on the service’s strengths and weaknesses and is proactive to identify any shortfalls and swiftly address them. She has challenged a local authority relating to incomplete referral information for a young person, requesting that this be addressed. This was to ensure that all essential information on the young person concerned was provided. Consequently, this enables a sound decision on whether the service can provide a placement and fully meet young people’s needs.

p.8

outstanding

Young people greatly benefit from being cared for by an experienced staff team, who provide consistent care. Staff are very knowledgeable about the needs of the young people in their care and how best to support them.

p.8

outstanding

Staff highly value the support they receive from their manager, which includes regular formal and informal supervision. This is significantly enhanced by good training opportunities. This includes a range of mandatory and additional training such areas as; mental health, child sexual exploitation, sexual health, social pedagogy, and Asperger syndrome.

p.8

outstanding

Staff commented ‘The manager is so approachable; we discuss things openly in our team and we are really well supported with our professional development. I am undertaking the Level 5 diploma.’ This along with detailed daily handovers and regular staff meetings continue to focus and underpin the excellent care and support provided to young people.

p.8

outstanding

Frequent attention is given to the progress of young people. Their placement plans and goals are robustly reviewed in consultation with the young people and other professionals. This is evident in the abundance of direct work undertaken with young people, which assists in the monitoring of each young person’s experience and achievements. This ensures any changes are made to support their continued progress.

p.8

outstanding

The manager and staff team work diligently with other professionals. There is frequent communication through email, phone and weekly written updates on young person’s progress. Excellent partnership working exists that facilitates achieving the best outcomes for young people.

p.8

outstanding

Stakeholders commented, ‘The staff are absolutely fantastic, communication is very good, they work closely with me. They have been good to change their care and support approaches to meet X needs and support her move to independence.’ And, ‘Both young people are very challenging, they have a history or being hard to reach. The staff work hard to engage them and build relationships. Both young people have made good progress from their starting points. The care is to a good standard and thorough.’

p.9

outstanding

Robust monitoring enables the manager to continue to improve in its practice and the quality of care provided to young people. The monthly independent visitor’s reports cover an array of areas, including those required by the regulation. For example; the visitor identifies notable achievements of young people each month as well as checking on safeguarding matters. The manager undertakes monthly audits in a number of areas including checking the progress of young people, health and safety matters within the home and ensuring all staff training and supervision is up to date. Staff understand the areas for development and improvement. This ensures the service continues to improve and operate to a high standard.

p.9

What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

p.10

What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place, however, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

p.10

What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

p.10

Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the Children's

p.11

Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.11

Information about this inspection

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, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

p.12

Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.12

Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.12

Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

p.12