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

Inspection report children’s home: SC057703 1 SC057703 Registered provider: Dove Adolescent Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is owned by a private company. The home provides care and accommodation for up to two 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 the children’s and young people’s needs are carefully matched with co- residents, taking account of their ages and stage of emotional development to ensure that the placement is in the best interests of both children or young people. The registered manager has been in post for over 10 years and she is highly experienced and qualified. There is a trainee manager in post who is currently overseeing the day-to- day duties and responsibilities, with a view to taking over management of the home in the foreseeable future.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 31 July to 1 August 2018

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC057703 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/10/2017 Full Outstanding 23/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 31/01/2017 Full Outstanding 29/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC057703 3

p.2

Recommendations

 Children’s homes should work closely with the placing authority to understand the child’s relationship history and the impact that the child’s arrival may have on the group living in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 38, paragraph 8.3) This is with particular reference to the completion of shared living assessments when considering new admissions to the home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people living at the home are cared for by a stable, experienced and committed staff team. Staff know the young people well and have a complete understanding of their complex needs and vulnerabilities. Young people know and feel that the staff care about them.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are resourceful in their efforts to support the young people to understand and reflect on their past experiences and to think about what they want for their future. Progress for the young people is varied with some responding much better than others. One member of staff said: ‘We will not give up on [name of young person], the door is always open.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are supported well in their education and as a result, one young person is achieving good educational outcomes. Staff promote learning opportunities and they think ‘outside the box’ in their efforts to encourage and secure post-16 training programmes based on the young people’s interests and pastimes.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Effective partnership working with leaving care services ensures that the young people are progressing well with their independence plans. Plans are highly individualised, and the young people are developing skills, such as shopping, budgeting and cooking all at their own pace. Equally, there is a strong emphasis on developing trust, responsibility and confidence.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people’s health needs are clearly understood and managed well. This is underpinned by detailed health-care plans that support the staff in their management of conditions, such as epilepsy and self-harm. Staff are attuned to the triggers that could result in an epileptic seizure or an act of self-harm. As a result, there has been a significant reduction in the severity and regularity of such incidents.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff go to great lengths to maintain and nurture friends and family relationships that have resulted in improved family contact. Appropriate checks are undertaken, and safe Inspection report children’s home: SC057703 4 care arrangements are in place to enable the young people to have overnight stays with friends.

p.3

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

Staff are mindful of the risks and vulnerabilities of the young people. All known risks are clearly recorded and acted upon and young people are protected by safeguarding procedures that reinforce all aspects of staff practice.

p.4

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

Comprehensive and detailed impact risk assessments are completed that take into consideration risks in the local area matched against any risks associated with the young person. Matching of young people is considered, but shared living assessments have not routinely been completed. This has not had a direct impact on the quality of care given to the young people.

p.4

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

Well-coordinated responses and close working relationships with partner agencies and the police ensure that young people who do go missing from the home are located quickly. Staff are proactive in looking for the young people and will contact known associates in their attempts to find the young person. The manager ensures that young people can speak with someone independently following any incident of going missing from home.

p.4

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

Equally, young people are supported, as part of their independence, to take managed risks that are balanced against appropriate levels of supervision. The young people have responded positively by staying in touch when they are on free time and returning home at the agreed deadline. This reinforces the trust that has been established over time with the young people.

p.4

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

Young people do not engage in drug or alcohol misuse. Through regular key-work sessions and the use of online resources, the staff help the young people to understand risks associated with specific behaviours and how these can lead to difficulties. This has also included areas such as internet safety and engaging in criminal activities.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is highly qualified, she knows the home exceptionally well and leads a well-established and motivated staff team. Her skills and experience are supported by a deputy manager who is currently completing his level 5 diploma in leadership and management, with a view to taking over management of the home in the foreseeable future.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is fully staffed, and the use of bank staff is kept at a minimum. Recruitment practice is safe and robust and new staff undergo a comprehensive and supportive induction programme.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is currently introducing a new electronic recording system that complies with the new general data protection regulations. This continues to be work in progress, but Inspection report children’s home: SC057703 5 once fully functional, the young people will have access to their records at all times. This constant access will undoubtedly increase participation and engagement in the care planning process.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and trainee manager have effective monitoring systems and oversight that ensures the safety and well-being of the young people. They continue to have a ‘hands- on’ approach and regularly engage and consult with the young people to ensure that their views, wishes and feelings are being listened to and acted upon. Any recommendations from both internal and external reports and feedback from surveys and questionnaires are given credence, and are acted upon.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager, trainee manager and staff have built up effective working relationships with other professionals, placing authorities and community services which have ensured that the young people receive good all-round support. On admission, young people experience well-planned and highly individualised introductions to the home.

p.5

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.

p.5

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: SC057703 6

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Dove Adolescent Services Limited

p.6

Children’s home details

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

p.6

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Barbara Whittaker

p.6

Inspector

Cath Sikakana: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC057703 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.

p.6

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, 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, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

Inspector

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

p.7

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7