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

Inspection report children’s home: SC064454 1 SC064454 Registered provider: Dove Adolescent Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately run children’s home. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two children or young people 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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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: improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC064454 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 The young people thrive because of the strong and trusting relationships that they have established with the staff.  The young people’s views are listened to and they have an active say about the care that they receive.  The young people have made progress in managing their feelings to become more emotionally resilient, attending and achieving in education and reducing risk-taking behaviour.  The staff are committed and child-focused, well trained and supported through informal and formal supervision and good communication systems.  There is thorough monitoring of the home’s practices. These systems quickly detect and address deficits. This supports continued improvement of the care provided to the young people.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Ensure the timely implementation of the recommendations made at statutory reviews.  Complete the personalisation of communal living space to enhance the facilities already provided.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 24/01/2017 Full Good 14/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 02/06/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC064454 3

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Recommendations

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9.) In particular, finish personalising all of the communal living spaces.  Where the placing authority or another relevant person does not provide the input and services needed to meet a child’s needs during their time in the home or in preparation for leaving the home, the home must challenge them to meet the child’s needs (see Regulation 5 (c)). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph 2.8.) In particular, the staff should ensure that the recommendations made at statutory reviews are implemented in a timely manner. Specifically including the areas/topics to be covered within the child and adolescent mental health

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Recommendations

appointment sessions to further support the progression of the young person’s emotional and mental well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people benefit greatly from receiving well-planned, nurturing and individualised care that assists them in making progress. The young people’s progress, measured from their starting points, is good. They have formed positive attachments and attendance and attainment in education has increased. Their behaviour, safety, health and well-being have improved.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people flourish due to the strong, secure and trusting relationships built with staff. This allows the young people to more positively engage, listen to the advice given and have positive daily experiences. The staff quickly work to get to know the young people, which helps to develop strong connections.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people access health checks routinely with support from the staff. Young people take part in and are involved in planning menus to promote eating a balanced diet. This supports a healthy lifestyle for the young people and improves their long-term health and well-being. The looked after children nurse said: ‘The staff are always quick to contact me to check any queries out. They work to meet the young people’s health needs.’ Although some young people access health professionals that support their emotional well-being, the recommendations specifically relating to this area at a statutory review have not been implemented. This does not ensure that continued progress in this particular area has been made in a focused and prompt manner. Inspection report children’s home: SC064454 4 The young people respond very well to the staff reinforcing the importance of education. All of the young people have a personal education plan that includes targets. Because of

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

this, the young people have made great improvements in their school attendance and learning. This enhances their opportunities to access further education and/or employment as young adults.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is a very strong ethos of consulting the young people and this forms part of everyday life. The young people routinely give their views and opinions and make choices that affect their daily life. The young people know how to use the complaints procedure and name particular staff who they would go to with a concern. A young person explained that she gives her views on her care to staff through general conversations, the young people’s meetings, key-work sessions and she attends her statutory review where she contributes to plans made about her future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people benefit from learning independence skills. These include support to learn how to plan meals, cook, bake and budget money. They are encouraged to keep their bedrooms clean and tidy. This ensures that the young people gain a good level of life skills appropriate to their age that will assist them into adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff are committed to ensuring that the young people maintain and/or rebuild family relationships. The young people visit family members frequently and make telephone calls to them when they so wish. A parent said: ‘I can’t fault the staff. They keep me informed how [Name] is doing and chat with me regularly.’ A young person said: ‘I see my mum a lot.’ This provides the young people with a strong sense of identity, a support network and ensures that they keep in touch with those who are important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people enjoy and live in a clean, well-decorated and well-furnished home, where repairs and health and safety checks are undertaken routinely. However, the lounge lacks some personalisation that would further enhance the young people’s home.

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

The young people say that they feel safe in their home. A young person said: ‘There is no bullying here, but we don’t always get on.’

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

The proactive actions of the staff keep the young people safe. This has resulted in reduced risk-taking behaviour. This includes risks such as going missing from the home and child sexual exploitation. A professional said: ‘There are very few missing from care incidents. The staff are on the ball with everything and follow the missing from care protocols, carrying out searches before contacting the police.’ There is continual review of the care and support strategies, which include all the professionals and other supporting agencies involved with each young person’s care. As a result, effective safeguarding measures help to protect the young people from harm.

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

The young people respond well to the constant giving of praise, incentives and rewards Inspection report children’s home: SC064454 5 and the consistently delivered care routines and boundaries. The staff work tirelessly to support the young people to learn how to manage their own behaviour better. This aids their progress and supports them to follow appropriate rules and boundaries.

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

Behaviour management strategies work well, with the young people being able to manage their feelings better and over time becoming more emotionally resilient. This is because of the staff team’s positive approach and its skills in de-escalating difficult situations. The staff listen, explain matters to the young people and give the young people specific tactics to use. This is effective as the young people engage well in daily life activities, going to school and seeing their families and friends. In addition, there have been no physical interventions since the last inspection in March 2017 and sanctions have been used minimally.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has been in post since February 2017 and holds the required qualifications. She has relevant experience in managing and working with children and young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is clear on the strengths and weaknesses of the service. The statement of purpose is followed. There continues to be very good partnership working with other agencies and professionals. The manager ensures that the staff are a unified team, with a strong emphasis on working together. Therefore, ensuring that a good quality of care for young people is continually provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The young people benefit from a suitable ratio of care staff supervision to support their needs. In addition, the experienced, committed and child-focused staff receive excellent training opportunities. This equips the staff with the necessary skills that enable them to meet the needs of the young people in their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff receive regular formal supervision that gives them the opportunity to reflect on their care practices and development and training needs. A staff member said: ‘We work really well together as a team, and good communication helps us to be consistent with our young people.’ This assists in providing effective and good-quality care to young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The four recommendations made at the last inspection have been actioned. Arrangements are in place to ensure that all electronic records can be accessed when the manager is off-site. Sanction records detail when the young people have been consulted about the sanction. An updated statement of purpose has been submitted to Ofsted. The environment has been decorated to provide a clean and inviting home for young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Thorough and detailed independent monthly monitoring visits and internal auditing systems continue to identify areas for improvement. Prompt action is taken to progress the identified omissions. This makes sure that the quality of care for the young people continues to improve and that the monitoring systems are robust. Inspection report children’s home: SC064454 6

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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 differences 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: SC064454 7

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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

Debbie Foster: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC064454 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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