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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC018241 1 SC018241 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 is a privately run children’s home. The home can accommodate up to four children, regardless of gender, who may have emotional and/or social difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered in October 2018. She holds a level 5 diploma in leadership and management.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

There were three children living at the home at the time of the inspection.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

p.1

outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

p.1

outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

p.1

outstanding

Date of last inspection: 9 February 2022

p.1

outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

p.1

outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC018241 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/02/2022 Full Outstanding 21/01/2020 Full Outstanding 07/08/2018 Full Outstanding 08/08/2017 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC018241 3

p.2

outstanding

As a result of living in this nurturing home, the children have made remarkable progress from their starting points. They are thriving and enjoying living together. All the children attend full-time education. They have improved health outcomes and have built positive self-esteem and independence skills. The progress that children make has a positive impact on their future life chances.

p.3

outstanding

The children are happy and settled. They are making exceptional progress because of the high standard of warm, nurturing and supportive care they receive from staff who have high aspirations for them. This helps children to feel that staff care about their safety and well-being, and this provides them with a sense of security and stability.

p.3

outstanding

Staff demonstrate an excellent awareness and understanding of child-centred practice. They understand the importance of building unconditional and trusting relationships with children to make them feel safe. The positive relationships between staff and children are at the heart of the care that the children experience. Children talk openly to staff about how they are feeling, which helps them to process any difficult emotions they may have. Staff respond sensitively and with aspiration. This is communicated to the children in an inclusive way, which helps them to have high expectations and aspirations for themselves.

p.3

outstanding

The planning of children’s care is remarkably strong at this home. Records show a multi-agency approach to the child’s plan. Written documents are child-centred and clearly demonstrate the child’s individual needs and the progress that the child is making.

p.3

outstanding

The progress that children make in their education is exceptional. Children who have a history of disrupted education are now feeling more secure and they are achieving. Staff are aspirational about the children’s education and committed to advocating for children to make sure that they are receiving the right support in school. This collaborative approach has led to improved attendance and attainment for some children.

p.3

outstanding

Children have improved health. There is a strong multi-agency approach to supporting children with their mental and emotional health. When a child has an identified need for support, they are accessing specialist services. Staff understand how children’s past experiences have an impact on their development and emotional well-being. A child mental health professional said, ‘The [members of the] staff team are very educated and skilled in attachment and are trauma informed.’ Inspection report for children’s home: SC018241 4 Children are helped to spend time with the people who are important to them. Staff extend this help and support to families, which for some children has meant that the relationships they have with people who are important to them have flourished. The children have positive peer friendships, they enjoy spending time visiting their friends or welcoming them to their home.

p.3

outstanding

Children take part in social and leisure activities that reflect their age, interests and hobbies, such as swimming lessons, the gym, art and crafts and bike riding. They are encouraged and supported to take part in activities that provide them with new experiences, such as go-karting, horse riding, days out to places of interest and going on holiday. This provides children with the same experiences as their peers.

p.4

outstanding

There is a great importance given to consulting with children. Managers and staff place children’s views, wishes and feelings at the centre of decision-making about the child. This means that children feel listened to and have a say about what happens in their lives.

p.4

outstanding

Children’s day-to-day experiences are captured in life-story journals and individual photo albums. This provides children with positive memories of their childhood and experiences during their stay at the home. One child was proud to show the inspector photographs and spoke fondly about their memories.

p.4

outstanding

The home is maintained and decorated to a high standard. There is an array of photographs of the children, soft furnishings and pictures that make the home warm, welcoming and comfortable. The children are proud of their home and their personalities are reflected throughout.

p.4

outstanding

Children who live at this home are happy and settled. They feel safe and secure because of the positive and trusting relationships that they have built with staff. The predictable and consistent care they receive provides them with stability and means that children feel cared about and have a sense of belonging.

p.4

outstanding

The safeguarding arrangements at this home are effective. Children’s safety and well-being are at the centre of staff practice. Staff demonstrate an excellent understanding of each child’s individual vulnerabilities and needs. Risk assessments provide clear guidance to staff, are up to date and reviewed regularly.

p.4

outstanding

Children who live at this home do not go missing. There is a clear plan of action in place to respond to children if they go missing. Staff are clear on their responsibilities and the steps that they must follow should this occur.

p.4

outstanding

Incidents are rare, but when they do occur staff respond and manage them effectively. Restorative practice helps children to reflect and learn from their behaviours. This helps children to work things out for themselves and take Inspection report for children’s home: SC018241 5 responsibility for their decision-making. Staff encourage children to talk about their feelings and they use praise and rewards to motivate positive behaviour. This helps children to become more equipped to manage difficult feelings.

p.4

outstanding

Managers and staff place a great importance on preventing risks to children. There is a child-centred approach to the discussions staff have with children about risks. They use innovative and enjoyable ways to engage children in these discussions. This educational approach helps children to learn about how to keep themselves safe.

p.5

outstanding

Managers and staff encourage a balanced approach to risk. Children are helped to gain independence and develop the confidence to be able to cope with challenging situations. This positive approach has helped children to make progress with online safety, relationships and independent travel using public transport.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The management and senior staff have a wealth of experience in caring for children. The manager is ambitious about the quality of care children experience. She is committed to ensuring that children have positive outcomes and achieve their full potential. This aspirational vision is embedded in the goals for the whole staff team.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager supports and values her staff. The staff feel appreciated and listened to. Staffing levels are sufficient, and any shortfalls are covered by staff and the manager to ensure that there is consistency of care for the children.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff receive regular high-quality supervision. The manager ensures that staff reflect on their practice and discuss the children’s needs and progress. The manager uses team meetings and supervision to disseminate information and training to promote safeguarding. The children benefit from the care they receive from a supported and well-informed staff team.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager shows professional curiosity when children’s behaviour is not fully understood. She embraces a multi-agency approach and is proactive in seeking support from specialist services with expertise to inform planning for the child’s care and manging the risks to children. This strong partnership working ensures that children are better protected, and they make exceptional progress because they are receiving the right support.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There are strong audit and monitoring tools in place to track and review the quality of care for children and the risks to children. The manager has excellent oversight of the progress the children are making. Records are exceptional in showing tracked changes in relation to the risks to children and to the progress children make. This means that identified shortfalls are swiftly addressed in order to maintain the high standard of care provided for the children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC018241 6 The manager ensures that staff have the knowledge and skills to meet the needs of the children. She sets high expectations for staff practice and there is an importance placed on staff development. The manager ensures that staff have access to resources and training that help them to understand the theory that underpins their practice. However, the written document about the training staff have completed is

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

not clear and does not always demonstrate that staff have completed training in line with the home’s statement of purpose. Inspection report for children’s home: SC018241 7

p.6

Recommendation

 The registered person should have a workforce plan which is updated to include any new training completed by staff while working at the home and used to record the ongoing training and continuing professional development needs of staff, including the home’s manager. The record of the training that staff have completed should be clearly recorded. This should include all sources of training. The plan should record clearly where training has been completed within the timescales in line with the home’s statement of purpose. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

p.7

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: SC018241 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Dove Adolescent Services Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

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

p.8

Inspector

Rachel Webster, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC018241 9 regulates and inspects 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.8

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.9

Inspector

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

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9