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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC355755 1 SC355755 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 owned and managed by a private provider. The home provides care for up to two children with social and emotional difficulties. There are currently two children living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered with Ofsted on the 14 June 2007. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 29 July 2020.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC355755 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/05/2021 Full Good 24/04/2019 Full Good 23/10/2018 Full Good 13/06/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC355755 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff welcome new children into the home and quickly build positive relationships with them. The needs of new children are well considered against the child already living at the home. This helps to manage any new risks and supports children’s stability at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to attend education and are making good progress. One child has surpassed their predicted expectations, and this has boosted their confidence. Staff are proactive and seek children’s views when identifying new education provisions. This can help children to feel in control and supports a positive experience of education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are healthy and are promptly registered with local health services when they move in to the home. Staff have good links with specialist health services, who build relationships with children. This provides children with support to address their needs as additional professionals to confide in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from consistent routines. For one child, this has supported improved self-care, which has been maintained with the use of incentives and praise. This helps to improve children’s confidence and self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have friends who are encouraged to spend time at the home. Children spend time with their family and maintain relationships. Staff support children to have family time even when face-to-face time is not possible. This has helped one child to re-establish relationships with people who they have not seen for a long time.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children engage in activities based on their individual interests. Staff also encourage children to explore new hobbies and experiences. One professional said, ‘I have never known [child’s name] to have a hobby. However, since moving in to the home, she is enjoying arts and craft, baking and has been on holiday.’

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

Children feel safe in the home and have trusted adults who they can talk to if they have any worries. Staff develop good relationships with children that help to promote positive behaviour.

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

Missing-from-home episodes are low. When children do go missing, the staff respond in line with children’s plans. On one occasion, the proactive response of the staff team supported the police to locate the child and ensure a safe return home. The manager has not always escalated concerns when no independent return interview has been conducted. This can reduce the opportunity to seek children’s views and reduce future risk. Inspection report for children’s home: SC355755 4 Children are supported to develop independence skills in line with their age and ability. Staff speak openly with children about online risks, to enable them to keep themselves safe and reduce risks. Direct work to improve independence skills is specific to each child. This is helping to prepare children for adulthood.

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

All staff are employed following a safer recruitment process. The new staff work alongside existing staff to mitigate any impact on children.

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good

The experienced and qualified manager has good relationships and communicates well with the staff team, children and professionals.

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good

Staff receive regular supervision, providing them with the opportunity to reflect on their practice. Staff feel well supported and understand their role. This helps to ensure the care provided to children is consistent and of a high standard.

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good

Not all staff have completed refresher training in the required timescales. In some cases, this includes the level 3 diploma or equivalent. The lack of oversight can reduce the manager’s ability to ensure there is a suitably qualified and experienced staff team. This can impact on the care provided to children.

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good

Children’s views on the care provided at the home are captured through direct consultations. However, the manager’s bi-annual review of the care provided does not include these views. The report does not identify actions relevant to the review period. This reduces the manager’s ability to accurately evaluate the care provided.

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good

The home has an up-to-date statement of purpose. However, the manager has not sent notification of the updates within the required timescales. This can reduce the oversight of the regulator. Inspection report for children’s home: SC355755 5

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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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that —

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must challenge the local authority if a child is not offered the opportunity to have an independent return interview following a missing episode. 25 November

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the training and development plan must accurately reflect the training that staff have undertaken. The mandatory training must be reviewed in the timescales set out in the home’s policies and procedures. 25 November

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained— 25 November Inspection report for children’s home: SC355755 6 the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must review the progress of staff who have not yet achieved the appropriate qualification to ensure this is achieved by the relevant date.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45 (2)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children’s opinions about the care provided are considered when reviewing the quality of care. Any actions set should reflect the findings of the review. 25 November

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Recommendations

 As set out in Regulation 16, the registered person is responsible for notifying the HMCI of any revisions to the statement of purpose within 28 days of the revision. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 14, paragraph 3.5) Inspection report for children’s home: SC355755 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: SC355755 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

Sadie Mulkeen, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC355755 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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