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

The home is operated by a private company. The home provides care and accommodation for up to two children or young people who have social, emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home offers short-, medium- and long-term care and will consider emergency admissions.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is suitably qualified and holds a level 5 diploma in leadership and management. She has been the registered manager of the home since July 2016.

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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: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC355839 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/08/2017 Full Outstanding 08/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 14/12/2016 Full Outstanding 10/12/2015 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC355839 3

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Recommendations

 Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Recommendations

This is with particular reference to the recording of focus-work sessions that are child centred and written in language that is helpful to the child or young person.

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Recommendations

 Staff should encourage children to share any concerns about their care or other matters as soon as they arise. Children must be able to take up issues to make a complaint with support and without any fear that this will result in any adverse consequences. Regulation 39 sets out the requirements on the registered person to have a complaints procedure. Children must be aware of this procedure and be reminded of it as necessary. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.13)

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Recommendations

This is with particular reference to ensuring that all complaints made by the children or young people are investigated by an independent individual, and that records are kept of the investigation and the child or young person is given a written response of the outcome in line with the home’s complaints procedure.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people have developed trusted and secure relationships with staff who have provided stability of care in a nurturing and responsive environment. For one young person, this care has spanned over three years. The young people experience a sense of belonging and permanence. One young person said: ‘I am very settled, and this is my home. All the staff are brill.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A range of evidence confirms ongoing consultation and participation with the young people. Consultation takes place on an informal level through day-to-day conversations and residents’ meetings, and through more formal processes. The young people are supported to attend their looked after reviews. One young person recently chaired his own review with confidence and aptitude. A professional commented: ‘I have seen a personal growth in [name]. He is more aware of his behaviours, his interpersonal skills have improved, and he is dealing with situations in a mature manner.’ Inspection report children’s home: SC355839 4 The young people are exposed to a range of activities commensurate with their interests. Staff encourage and promote active and healthy lifestyle choices. The young people play football, attend youth clubs and enjoy outings to the cinema and trips to the home’s caravan. Staff are also supporting a young person in his Duke of Edinburgh

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Clear and consistent guidance and boundaries are in place. Focused sessions with the young people deal with the ‘here and now’. The young people are supported to develop their own strategies to manage their anxieties and to understand the consequences of their behaviour on themselves and others. The young people respond well to this approach; however, the recording of focused sessions could be written in language that is more helpful to the young people. A recommendation has been made at this inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is given high priority. Leaders and staff recognise the individual learning needs of the young people and have promoted bespoke educational packages that have enabled the young people to achieve and make progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people know how to complain. They are encouraged and supported to complain if they feel unfairly treated, and the manager will challenge the placing authority on behalf of a young person. The recording of a complaint has not been investigated consistently in line with the home’s policy, and there is limited written evidence to support outcomes. A recommendation has been made at this inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Specialist help is available which is relevant to the individual needs of the young people, including those who live away from their home authority. Close working relationships and regular consultation have ensured that the model of care can be replicated on a day-to-day basis.

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

Staffing ratios in the home ensure that there is a minimum of one-to-one staffing. This ensures that the young people benefit from supervision that is tailored to their specific needs, vulnerabilities and risks. On the occasions when one young person went missing from the home, the staff were proactive in searching the local area and returning her to the home.

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

Effective measures are in place to safeguard and protect the young people, who feel safe and secure in their surroundings in the home and in the community. Staff are skilled in de-escalating situations without having to use any form of physical intervention. Comprehensive records are made of incidents, and the manager and her staff team use any incidents of conflict to reflect and learn.

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

Good quality risk assessments are in place that are relevant and regularly updated. Actions are taken to reduce risk, and strategies in place are responsive to the young people’s individual vulnerabilities and associated behaviours. Inspection report children’s home: SC355839 5 Actions taken to reduce self-harm, child sexual exploitation and incidents of missing from care are well documented and responded to through an agreed multi-agency process. The young people’s traumas and the impact of early childhood experiences inform practice, and for one young person this has seen a significant improvement in their social and emotional well-being.

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

Equally, the manager and staff have been able to recognise that, despite their unwavering commitment, care and supervision of a young person in their care, the risk could not be managed so that she was kept safe. A difficult but correct decision was made to give notice on the placement.

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

Care plans are child focused and give a holistic overview of the needs of each young person in placement. The young people are given opportunities to be involved in the care planning process and contribute to their plans. The young people have opportunities to receive feedback from an adult whom they trust.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is suitably qualified and holds a level 5 diploma in leadership and management. She is skilled and experienced in her role and leads a motivated and stable staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager endeavours to make it a priority that she knows the young people in her care very well and has a very ‘hands on’ approach. She meets and consults with the young people daily. The atmosphere is homely and nurturing, and the young people feel included in decisions made about their home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The delivery of good quality care is promoted. Staff are provided with a range of training opportunities that enhance their practice and are tailored to the individual needs of the young people. The manager has acknowledged that staff would benefit from training in gang affiliation and county lines.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders, together with the staff, build effective relationships with other professionals and have developed positive links with placing authorities, the police and other specialist services. A lead professional said: ‘I have an excellent relationship with them. We have an email system and communicate regularly. The staff always respond and let you know if there are any issues.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children or young people transitioning into the home are thoroughly assessed prior to admission. Robust and comprehensive impact assessments are completed that inform potential risks and compatibility issues.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The company has launched an innovative electronic recording system that meets with data protection and privacy requirements. Children and young people will be able to have their own login details and be able to access their records safely and securely. Inspection report children’s home: SC355839 6 Leaders, and the manager, clearly understand the strengths and areas of development of the home. A range of evaluation and monitoring tools are used to inform practice and monitor the progress and achievements of the young people.

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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: SC355839 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

Cath Sikakana, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC355839 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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