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

Inspection report children’s home: SC064934 1 SC064934 Registered provider: Dove Adolescent Services Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned children’s home. The home provides care and accommodation for up to three children or young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home can accommodate children and young people of any age; however normally they are between 12 and 18 years old. The admission process is robust and includes the completion of a shared-living risk assessment, which allows young people’s needs to be carefully matched with co-residents to ensure that the placement is in the best interests of all young people. The manager has been registered since January 2016 and is currently in the process of completing her level 5 diploma in leadership and management.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 11 to 12 September 2018

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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

Date of last inspection: 13 September 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC064934 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/09/2017 Full Good 13/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 25/08/2016 Full Good 10/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC064934 3

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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 a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must supply to HMCI, at HMCI’s request, a statement containing a summary of any complaints made during the preceding twelve months and the action that was taken in response to each complaint. (Regulation 39(3)(5))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager needs to be consistent in investigating, recording and reviewing complaints made by or on behalf of children and young people. 01/10/2018

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Recommendations

 Significant changes to a looked-after child’s care, such as a change of placement, should only take place following a statutory review of their care plan chaired by their Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO). The child should be actively involved in these important meetings and supported to express their views, wishes and feelings. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 57, paragraph 11.10) In particular, the manager needs to ensure that they have in their possession the relevant approval from the nominated officer and the assessment of suitability as outlined in the Children Act 1989 guidance and regulations, volume 2: care planning, placement and case review, regulation 19.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, the children and young people living at the home have received care from a stable and dedicated staff team. During their time in placement, the children and young people have effectively grown up in the care of the same staff; they know the children, young people and their families well. This has helped to support two young Inspection report children’s home: SC064934 4 people to return to their family home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Progress for children and young people has been mixed relative to their starting points. For one young person, his investment in the placement was hampered by his intense desire to live at home with his family. Latterly, the young person was supported by the manager and staff to live at home through daily visual welfare checks and engagement in some independence work. This has now helped the young person to move into semi- independent accommodation.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage and actively promote family contact that has seen relationships with parents and carers maintained, repaired and subsequently nurtured. Parents and family members report close communication and supervisory support from staff during contact. Equally, an independent reviewing officer said: ‘I do feel you go above and beyond to support contact and make this as positive as possible.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people can and have engaged in education and vocational training; for two young people their commitment to formal education has fluctuated. Staff made efforts to re-engage them and one young person successfully completed a course in motorbike mechanics, achieving 100% attendance.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff have worked in partnership with a local secondary school; this has ensured a successful transition for one child who was recently admitted to the home. This continues to involve daily communication and regular meetings, providing a continuum of care and support. The head of year commented: ‘I am impressed with how responsive they are; when meetings have been called at the last minute, the manager has prioritised them.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people have opportunities to engage in a range of activities in the home and in the local community. There are a wide range of toys and games and one child really enjoys a bedtime story as part of his night-time routine. This approach has really helped to settle the child; he trusts the adults around him and has begun to feel a sense of belonging.

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

Children and young people continue to be protected by good staffing levels. Individual needs and risks around supervision and safeguarding are appropriately assessed and well documented. There has been a recent change in the age group of children and young people living at the home. With support and guidance from the manager, staff have adapted well to the change in their approach to managing challenging behaviour.

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

Missing from care episodes for two young people have fluctuated, with periods when they have been frequent. Strategies to manage and minimise the risks associated with young people going missing are robust, and proactive action is taken to minimise the risks associated with such behaviour. Staff religiously followed the protocols in place and would regularly undertake area and local searches and contact peers, family members and known associates to locate the young person. Inspection report children’s home: SC064934 5 A close working relationship with the police is a key strength of the home. Staff pass on a great deal of intelligence to the police when young people go missing. Likewise, the police have shared intelligence on issues, such as county line activity and gang association, which has enabled staff to be vigilant to this activity. One police officer noted: ‘It is fair to say that staff were very proactive when the young people were

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

reported missing, as per police protocols, and were again proactive in their aftercare in attempts to stop the young people from absenting themselves again.’

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

Physical interventions have been low since the last inspection. Staff are adept at identifying triggers that may result in challenging behaviour. Their ability to de-escalate and divert the behaviour of one child has made some positive inroads in understanding the child’s emotional vulnerabilities and needs that has seen him more settled in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is suitably experienced and confident in her role, having managed the home since January 2016. She has recently returned from a period of absence and has resumed her level 5 diploma in leadership and management. She leads a small but well- established staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager continues to have high ambitions for the children and young people in her care. Her hands-on style of management and ability to form positive attachments with the children and young people through a ‘firm but fair’ approach has provided them with consistency and stability of care. She has an in-depth and well-documented understanding of the needs of the children and young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager reviews and evaluates practice and the quality of care through the monitoring of external and internal reviews and reports. Lessons from previous inspections have been addressed and the recommendation and requirement made at the last inspection have been met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular, high-quality supervision that provides them with the time to discuss and reflect upon their practice, their personal and professional development and the needs of the children and young people. New and relevant training, in areas such as county lines, helps staff keep abreast of current issues facing children and young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been some procedural inconsistency in investigating and recording complaints that have been received on behalf of children. The manager has acknowledged this and taken on board these shortfalls. A requirement has been made at this inspection. In addition, the manager needs to ensure that when there has been a significant change in a child looked after’s care arrangements, the relevant authorisations need to be obtained from the nominated individual. A recommendation has been made at this inspection.

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Information about this inspection

Inspection report children’s home: SC064934 6 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: SC064934 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: SC064934 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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