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

Inspection report children’s home: SC355839 1 SC355839 Registered provider: Dove Adolescent Services Limited

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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 a privately run children’s home. It provides care and accommodation for up to two children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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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 outstanding

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: Improved effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

None Inspection report children’s home: SC355839 2

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Key findings from this inspection

This children’s home is outstanding because

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people receive exceptionally high standards of care from a highly dedicated staff team that is able to meet the complex needs of the young people in its care.  Young people enjoy long-term stability. This allows them to make significant and sustained progress over time.  Transitional arrangements for one young person have been innovative and adaptable, delivered by a highly skilled and committed staff team.  Behaviours are clearly understood and proactive, and individualised safeguarding practices mean that young people have a strong sense of safety. They feel safe, and responses to risk-taking behaviours are effective and timely.  The manager is ambitious and inspirational in her delivery of high-quality practice and care that evidences sustained improvement in the lives of the young people.  Staff work within a culture where continuous learning and development are encouraged and facilitated.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 14/12/2016 Full Outstanding 10/12/2015 Full Outstanding 05/08/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC355839 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people flourish and make sustained and measurable progress due to the work and support of a highly committed and dedicated staff team. One young person who has lived at the home for over four years has grown up in the care of the same staff team. This has seen him develop a strong sense of belonging, in an environment that he clearly identifies as home. In conversation, he said: ‘I am not going anywhere. This is my home and where I belong.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The transition to independent living has been an emotional yet empowering journey for one young person. The manager and staff have been highly innovative and responsive in their support of and commitment to ensuring that the young person has the necessary resilience and confidence to succeed in the adult world. Staff have gone above and beyond in developing the young person’s independence skills. Key work sessions have focused on domestic and budgeting tasks, with a strong emphasis on life skills. Outreach support has been flexible and has ‘tested out’ the young person’s ability to put her developing skills into practice. Regular communication with leaving care services and adult services has ensured a smooth changeover of care and support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people are involved in the planning and decision-making process that directly affects their lives. Evidence of consultation and engagement with the young person shines through in all aspects of recording activities: in risk assessments, behaviour management plans and in monthly reports. The language used is child centred and the views and opinions of the young person are clearly recorded. As one young person commented: ‘My monthly progress report is a bit like a letter. It tells me what I have done well and what I still need to work on. I write what I think at the end with the help of a member of staff.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people’s need to maintain a sense of identity is given high priority, with the acknowledgement that, when a young person leaves care, family relationships are extremely important and are likely to be a source of ongoing support. Through extensive and sensitive planning, staff have facilitated and supported, for one young person, direct contact with parents after a substantial period during which contact had not taken place. Staff have managed the anxieties, and at times emotional turmoil, of the young person with the knowledge that contact with one family member will be time limited. Specialist therapeutic support has been instrumental in working alongside staff on appropriate behaviours that have seen sibling contact progressing from being activity based to the young person having an overnight stay. As one member of staff stated: ‘[X] (young person) has progressed massively and has gone from someone who was unable to deal

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

with his emotions to understanding how to respond to certain situations.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Education has been and continues to be a priority that has seen young people succeed beyond expectations. Young people’s education is supported by highly individualised plans in place. For one young person, a bespoke education and vocational skills programme has broken the cycle of frequent fixed exclusions. In conversation with the Inspection report children’s home: SC355839 4 manager, she said: ‘On reflection, this has been the best thing for [X] (young person) as he has done exceptionally well with this range of provision. He has just passed entry level three in maths and English and will be progressing to level 1 and starting a motor mechanics course in September.’

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

Young people feel safe and are protected from harm. This is because the safety and well-being of the young people is of paramount importance to the staff and manager. Individual risks are clearly and thoroughly understood. Young people are able to share their worries, anxieties and past experiences due to the attachments and trust that have been nurtured with staff. This has enabled one young person to disclose historical abuse to a member of staff and to be supported to make a formal complaint.

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

Staff and the manager are fully appraised and mindful of one young person’s vulnerabilities and risk of being exploited. Supervision in the community is balanced against the young person’s need to have free time, and there is a strong emphasis on developing a sense of responsibility and confidence to engage independently in social situations. Up-to-date risk assessments effectively address any known vulnerabilities for the young person, and where the behaviour has been of concern action is taken to reduce the likelihood of actual harm to self or others.

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

The manager’s processes in assessing new referrals are robust and highly individualised. Effective and sensitive planning that is tailored to the individual child or young person ensures a smooth transition into the home. For example, the manager has visited one young person in their home, and the young person is due to have an overnight stay prior to admission to minimise any anxieties. Young people are consulted as appropriate and involved in welcoming children and young people new to the home. Consultation with other professionals is regular, and multi-agency decision-making underpins safe care that sees young people protected from harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is highly skilled and qualified, having managed the home for a relatively short period. She has already embedded a strong ethos of delivering exceptionally high standards of care and protection. The home is warm, cheerful and nurturing, exuding an atmosphere that is relaxed but not complacent.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Ensuring the delivery of high-quality care and protection is underpinned by a range of monitoring and auditing processes. Regulatory monitoring reports, stakeholder feedback and consultation with staff and young people are key components that the manager relies on to enable children and young people to reach their full potential. They have informed practice and identified strengths and areas of improvement that have resulted in sustained improvement to the lives of the young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager delivers exceptionally high-quality supervision. She leads by example that has seen her staff team grow in their confidence and ability to manage complex Inspection report children’s home: SC355839 5 behaviours, which has changed and improved the lives of the young people they are responsible for. As one member of staff stated: ‘The manager is really supportive. She knows my strengths and weaknesses and has been instrumental in facilitating training to improve my practice.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

A key strength of the home is the skilled and highly experienced staff team that works cohesively alongside the manager. Daily handover meetings and monthly team meetings provide a forum for collective discussion and decision-making. Robust communication systems and the exchange of information ensure that day-to-day care provided for each young person is effectively meeting their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager and staff have exceptionally good working relationships with partner agencies and colleagues within health and education. A social worker commented: ‘I feel the staff and manager are very responsive and more than meet [X]’s (young person) complex needs. I am very satisfied; they offer him stability and exceptionally good quality care, and we are in regular communication.’

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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 whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

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 children’s home: SC355839 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Dove Adolescent Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 170 Southgate, Pontefract, West Yorkshire WF8 1QJ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Barbara Whittaker

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Inspector

Cath Sikakana, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC355839 7 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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