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

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private provider operates the home. It provides care for up to five children who may experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

The inspector spoke with 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: 13 September 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

13/09/2022 Full Good 01/02/2022 Full Good 05/11/2019 Full Outstanding 11/12/2018 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 good progress. They benefit immensely from nurturing care and a family-style ethos that provides children with a sense of stability and security.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff prioritise establishing strong and positive relationships with children. This helps children trust the staff caring for them. In turn, children begin to share their thoughts, wishes and feelings and better manage their emotions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy seeing their families regularly. Staff support children to rebuild and maintain important relationships by ensuring that suitable contact arrangements are in place. Staff establish good relationships with children’s parents and/or their previous carers. This supports children to rebuild and maintain purposeful links and support networks with those who are significant to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are committed to ensuring that children have suitable school and college placements. They collaborate well with teaching staff and other professionals to overcome barriers to learning that children may face and to promote good levels of engagement. Over time, children’s attendance has increased, which supports their continued learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to express their views about the care that they receive. Staff listen to their opinions regarding any aspects that they do not agree with and, when possible and appropriate, staff take suitable action to address the issues raised. This meaningful consultation means that children are involved in decisions about their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have a good understanding of children’s individual health needs and prioritise meeting these. They ensure that all routine and specialist health services are available for children, including mental health services, when necessary.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to develop independent living skills that are appropriate to their age and understanding. They enjoy baking, do their own laundry and clean and tidy their bedrooms. Some children are learning to budget, do grocery shopping and cook meals. This is helping them develop basic life skills in preparation for adulthood, as well as building their self-confidence to be more independent.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy regular opportunities to expand their social and leisure interests. They enjoy activities such as arts and crafts, playing football, trips to the countryside and the coast and attending beauty appointments. These experiences help children to learn new skills, increase their social networks and to improve their confidence and self-esteem. Inspection report for children’s home: SC471178 4

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

Training in safeguarding, first aid and behaviour management helps to ensure that staff know how to keep children safe. Risk assessments are regularly reviewed, understood and implemented by staff. Staff talk to children and explain in detail the dangers and consequences of their actions and how these may pose a risk to their safety. This helps children to feel secure and to make good choices about their own safety and welfare.

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

Children benefit from good routines and boundaries that are implemented in a balanced and proportionate way. They respond well to praise, and incentives are used well to support and encourage positive behaviour. This approach is reinforced by the constructive and positive relationships between children and staff. This helps children to better manage their emotions, anxieties and frustrations. Consequently, the use of physical restraint or negative consequences is rare. When used, these have been proportionate.

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

The manager and senior team undertake routine health and safety checks to ensure everyone’s safety. The home implements safe recruitment practices to make certain that all staff working with children are deemed safe and suitable to do so.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and senior team lead by example and have high aspirations and expectations for children. This approach cascades to the whole team and provides children with nurturing care and consistent support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Careful thought is given when considering which child to admit to the home. The manager and staff meet with the child, their social workers and carers before admission. This helps to ensure that children will be able to live together and that all of their needs can be met. In most instances, children visit the home before they move in. This familiarity helps them to settle quickly into their new home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and staff understand the importance of establishing strong working relationships with other agencies, including education and health services. Professionals recognise and praise the positive difference that the manager and the staff are making to children’s lives and how this supports the progress that children make.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff complimented the support, guidance and development opportunities that the manager and senior team provide to them. One staff member said, ‘I love coming to work, we are like a family.’ This supportive family culture of compassion and understanding influences both staff and children alike and creates a positive ethos throughout the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from an initial induction, regular supervision and access to extensive mandatory and needs-led training opportunities. However, three staff have not Inspection report for children’s home: SC471178 5 completed self-harm training. This did not meet the strategy identified in a current risk assessment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monthly staff meetings are used to review children’s care. With input from the therapeutic team, managers and staff review children’s progress and consider what, if any, adjustments to the children’s care plans are needed. These meetings, along with detailed daily shift handovers, help staff to provide children with consistent care and good parenting.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager’s monitoring systems in the home are thorough. These make certain that the review of the quality of care provided to children is effective. Any identified shortfalls are quickly addressed to maintain good standards of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home’s children’s guide contains the required information. However, this has not been reviewed for some time. Some information is not up to date or presented in a way that takes account of children’s specific needs or reading abilities. Inspection report for children’s home: SC471178 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should make sure that the children’s guide is age- appropriate and provided in an accessible format that considers the specific needs and reading abilities of each child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 21, paragraph 4.21)  The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs. Specifically, that all staff complete self-harm training, as set out in children’s risk assessments. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 53, paragraph 10.11)

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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 7

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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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Inspectors

Debbie Foster, Social Care Inspector (lead) Lee Riley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC471178 8 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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