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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC355839 1 SC355839 Registered provider: Dove Adolescent Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

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 who may have social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home closed for refurbishment for five months and reopened in March 2021.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager has been the registered manager of the home since August 2019. She has completed her level 5 diploma in leadership and management since the last inspection.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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

Date of last inspection: 3 September 2019

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

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

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/09/2019 Full Good 29/05/2018 Full Good 01/08/2017 Full Outstanding 08/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC355839 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make progress because of the consistent and nurturing care provided by staff. All of the children have made new friends and are progressing in many aspects of their lives. Consequently, the children have more confidence are more confident, and improved self-esteem.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are encouraged and well supported to attend education and their attendance has improved. This has brought the achievements of foundation-level qualifications in some subjects. However, for some children, their education setting is due to close at the end of term. To date, the efforts made to secure a new education provision have not been successful. This has the potential to hinder the children’s future educational progress.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy good health outcomes. All the children are registered with the relevant services, including the doctor, dentist and optician. Children who experience anxiety attending health appointments are given good support and encouragement from staff. This means that over time their attendance at all routine health appointments has progressed.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have positive relationships with the children’s families. The children enjoy regular visits and overnight stays with their family. These have increased in frequency and time. This has given the children secure relationships and bonds with their family members. A child’s grandparent said: ‘The staff are excellent. They speak to me regularly and [child’s name] is doing well. I’m so pleased. She comes home to stay most weekends.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have an active social life, with hobbies and interests being pursued. There are regular trips to the stables for horse riding and holidays on the coast. This has broadened the children’s life experience and increased their social and independence skills.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Consultation is part of everyday life for the children. There are daily chats, house meetings and focus sessions with staff, in which the children give their views and opinions about matters that affect their daily lives. Children are also encouraged to participate in their looked-after children’s reviews. This empowers them to take part in making decisions about their care.

p.3

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

The strong, trusting relationships built between the staff and the children is a key strength. This helps to ensure that children feel safe and secure and able to trust the adults that care for them. Inspection report for children’s home: SC355839 4 Positive behaviour is encouraged through praise and reward. This positive approach helps the children to learn ways to express emotions in a safer way.

p.3

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

Staff are clear on the care plans, the identified risks and vulnerabilities for individual children, including how they should be supported. However, the inspector identified a shortfall in one written risk assessment. This related to self-harm, with some relevant detail and guidance not included. This has the potential to hinder how staff approach such an incident.

p.4

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

Staff implement clear boundaries and routines that assist the children greatly to feel safer and settled in their home. This has brought about a significant reduction in the historical behaviour that affects the children’s safety. For example, there have been no episodes of going missing. This represents a significant area of progress for the children.

p.4

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

The staff work collaboratively with other agencies, including the police. This helps to better protect the children from harm.

p.4

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

The children benefit from living in a house that is well decorated and furnished to a good standard throughout. Health and safety checks are routinely undertaken. There are homely touches, including pictures, soft furnishings, and personal touches such as photos throughout the home. Staff have supported the children to personalise their own bedrooms. This makes the house feel like a home.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

After a period of closure for refurbishment, the manager has re-formed the existing staff team. The manager’s style of management is to work closely with the staff and children in a nurturing and child-centred way. Her hands-on approach assists in maintaining a good oversight of the care and service provided.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Good communication systems are embedded in practice. The staff have a detailed daily shift handover. There are monthly staff meetings, along with emails, communication logs and general discussions, to ensure that staff are kept up to date about all aspects of the children’s care.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from formal monthly supervision. This provides additional support and clear direction to the staff.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Most members of the staff team hold a level 3 qualification in caring for children. All staff have undertaken mandatory training, including safeguarding, health and safety, physical intervention, behaviour management and first aid. In addition, staff benefit from undertaking more specialist training in topics such as drugs awareness, child sexual exploitation and self-harm. This training equips them to meet the needs of the children in their care. Inspection report for children’s home: SC355839 5 Routine audits and checks are undertaken to assist the manager in detecting any deficits. Monthly external monitoring of the service also takes place. These measures support the service well to maintain a good quality of care to children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Partnership working is a key strength. Professionals say that the staff keep them informed on all relevant matters. The manager and staff see this collaborative working as essential to the children’s well-being and safety. This helps to provide the best support for the children and young people and brings improved outcomes. Inspection report for children’s home: SC355839 6

p.5

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children who are of compulsory school age attend school, unless their personal education plan contained within the care plan or other relevant plan states otherwise. In particular, there should be a timely response to identifying and providing a new education placement to all children to provide continuity of education and sustain their educational progress. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 28, paragraph 5.14)  The registered person should ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. In particular, all steps to reduce risks must be detailed in the risk assessment relating to self- harm, including ongoing monitoring after an event and what to do when a serious self-harm incident occurs. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including

p.6

Recommendations

the quality standards,’ page 42, paragraph 9.5)

p.6

Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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 for children’s home: SC355839 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Dove Adolescent Services Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Malvern View, Saxon Business Park, Hanbury Road, Stoke Prior, Bromsgrove B60 4AD

p.7

Inspector

Debbie Foster, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC355839 8 to 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.7

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.8

Inspector

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

p.8

Inspector

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

p.8