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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC471178 1 SC471178 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

The home is operated by a private provider. It provides care for up to five children who experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager of the home is newly appointed and is not yet registered with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspector spoke with one of the two children who live in the home during the inspection.

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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: 1 February 2022

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC471178 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/02/2022 Full Good 05/11/2019 Full Outstanding 11/12/2018 Full Outstanding 14/11/2017 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC471178 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make progress because of the consistent and nurturing care that the staff provide. Staff value the relationships that they build with the children and are committed to providing the children with unconditional care. This gives the children a sense of acceptance and belonging and helps them to build trust in the adults who care for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children benefit from the positive routines in the home. There are clear boundaries and expectations, which provides the children with stability and security. This has helped the children to grow in confidence and has improved their self- esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from individualised care and support that are planned well before they move in. Staff meet with the children before they move in, which helps them to overcome their anxieties about the changes that are happening in their lives. This positive approach has helped the children to be happy and settled.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s emotional and mental health needs have improved as the staff help them to access the right support services to meet their needs. When additional health needs are identified for the children, the staff are clear on their responsibilities and ensure that these needs are met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to re-engage with education. The staff support the children to engage with either a home tutor or to take part in education activities, while an education placement is sought. Although the manager and staff work well with other agencies to support the children to return school, children are yet to be allocated an education placement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy activities that help them to pursue their hobbies and interests. When children are anxious about going out to do activities, the staff help them to enjoy activities at home, including arts and crafts and baking.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to build positive relationships with their family members and spend time with the people who are important to them. One social worker said:

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

‘Staff have gone above and beyond by taking the child on the train to spend time with their family, and they have turned it into a positive experience. They look forward to the journey home, which has meant that the concerns about the child not wanting to return home have reduced.’ Inspection report for children’s home: SC471178 4

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

The children receive a high standard of nurturing care from staff who understand their individual risks and vulnerabilities. The staff’s proactive response has helped to reduce the risk of harm to the children. One social worker said, ‘The staff have done amazing work to bring the child to a place of safety.’

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

Children’s risk assessments, which provide clear guidance to staff, are up to date and reviewed regularly. When children are new to the home, their risks are well understood by the staff. Staff are clear on the steps that they must follow to ensure that the children are better protected.

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

Children respond to the consistent boundaries and structure at the home. The staff set high expectations about behaviour. Staff encourage children to talk about their feelings. This helps the children to be solution-focused and to look for positive ways to express how they are feeling.

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

Children rarely go missing from the home. Staff understand their responsibilities and the steps that they must follow when this occurs. Staff understand the importance of building positive relationships with the children to help them to feel secure. Staff work hard to ensure that the children have a sense of belonging. This makes the children feel increasingly safe and reduces the likelihood of the children going missing from the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has been without a registered manager since July 2022. A permanent manager was appointed immediately but they are not yet registered with Ofsted. The manager is suitably qualified and experienced for the role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that they feel supported in their roles. They receive regular reflective supervision that helps them to consider the children’s progress and their own development and well-being. Regular team meetings provide the managers and staff with an opportunity to share learning and challenge practice. This means that the staff are encouraged to think about how practice can be improved, which creates a supportive environment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has effective monitoring and auditing tools in place to track the children’s progress and the staff’s development. This ensures that the children’s needs are reviewed regularly and that any gaps in the staff’s practice are addressed quickly to help improve the outcomes for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Partnership working is a key strength. Professionals say that the staff keep them informed of 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 brings improved outcomes. Inspection report for children’s home: SC471178 5 The manager is confident and will challenge other professionals when the children’s needs and plans are not being met. Consequently, children receive the right support and services, which helps them to make progress in their lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

One child’s statutory care plan and education, health and care plan are not up to date. This means that the plans in place do not provide the manager and staff with all the relevant and up-to-date information about the child. This shortfall hinders the manager’s ability to be assured that they and the staff are working in line with the child’s current local authority care plan.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Most staff have completed training to equip them to meet the needs of the children. Newly appointed staff have access to all the training courses when they start in their role. However, the manager has failed to ensure that all the newly appointed staff prioritise their training to ensure that they can meet the needs of the children. This hinders their ability to provide the best quality of care to children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC471178 6

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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, 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 maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly relates to ensuring that the children’s records include a copy of their up-to-date care plan and their education, health and care plan. 11 October 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children have a school place. The local authority has a duty under section 22 (3A) of the Children’s Act 1989 to promote the educational achievements of its children looked after, which includes, as set out in the guidance, seeking a school or other education setting that is best suited to the child’s needs. The local authority’s responsibilities as corporate parent apply wherever the child is placed. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 27, paragraph 5.5)  The registered person should ensure that the staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs, and they should ensure that they understand the key role that they play in the training and development of staff. They should ensure that newly appointed staff complete the training that they need to meet the needs of the children living in the home. (‘Guide to the

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Recommendations

Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11) Inspection report for children’s home: SC471178 7

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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: SC471178 8

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

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Inspector

Rachel Webster, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC471178 9 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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