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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC064934 1 SC064934 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 home is owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care for up to three children who may experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Two children were living at the home at the time of the inspection.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2019.

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: 11 January 2023

p.1

outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

p.1

outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC064934 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/01/2023 Full Outstanding 15/03/2022 Full Good 18/02/2020 Full Good 11/09/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC064934 3

p.2

outstanding

Children thrive and make exceptional progress from their starting points. This is because of the high-quality care that they receive from committed, caring and resolute staff. Since living in this home, the children have made excellent progress with their education. Children enjoy improved health, have gained more self-care skills and have more secure relationships with the people who are important to them.

p.3

outstanding

The staff are constantly positive and nurturing in their approach and responses to the children. There is a ‘can-do’ approach that is delivered with warmth, understanding and enthusiasm towards the children. This helps the children to feel at the centre of all that the staff do. Children say that this makes them feel safe and well cared for.

p.3

outstanding

Children have strong and trusting relationships with staff. There is a warm and welcoming family environment which focuses on promoting positive outcomes for children. Children continue to be settled and enjoy the nurturing company of the staff. A child said, ‘I’m happy living here and want to stay at least until I finish school.’ This is an environment where children feel safe, secure and cared for and have the confidence to give their views.

p.3

outstanding

School-age children are supported to continue with their learning as they attend school full time. Older children have passed exams in key subjects of English and mathematics and are applying for jobs. This supports children’s longer-term goals and improves their ability to access further education and employment going forward as they approach adulthood.

p.3

outstanding

Children receive all health checks and have accessed additional health support to significantly improve their current and long-term health needs. Where further health assessments have been identified to take place, the manager has strongly advocated for these to be carried out with the relevant professionals for the child concerned. The outcome of these assessments will improve the child’s opportunity of receiving the right support into adulthood. This will further enhance the quality of the child’s life going forward.

p.3

outstanding

Staff recognise the importance of childhood memories to children living away from their family. Each child is helped to collect memories of trips and activities. Photos and other items are collected and kept in memory books.

p.3

outstanding

Children’s voices are strongly promoted. Staff listen to the children’s views and act on their suggestions. Children are fully involved in discussions about their care. Their views are captured in several ways. These are recorded in the many key-work sessions that take place, everyday chats and, more formally, in their care reviews. Inspection report for children’s home: SC064934 4 Children make decisions about the activities that they want to do. Each week, their requests are gathered about the meals they would like and any changes they would like in the home. Other important matters have also been actioned, such as a child’s request to remain living at the home longer term. This demonstrates that the children are constantly consulted about their day-to-day care and plans for their future.

p.3

outstanding

Over time, children build confidence in their abilities to be more self-sufficient in readiness for adulthood, through learning independence skills. With support from staff, children are given tasks and are encouraged to take accountability for their home, in addition to acquiring useful skills. Children keep their bedrooms tidy and learn how to cook, use public transport and better budget their money. This improves their ability to be more independent and provides them with a sense of responsibility.

p.4

outstanding

Children live in a domestic house that is well furnished with soft furnishings, pictures and photos of the children and staff. The children’s bedrooms are personalised and reflect their interests and choices. However, the front and rear gardens look unkempt. Some hedges and shrubs are overgrown and there are areas with weeds. This detracts from the otherwise positive environment that children grow up in.

p.4

outstanding

Children are kept safe by the elevated level of protection provided to them. High staffing levels provide the children with appropriate supervision. Staff are clear and follow the safeguarding procedures. As a result, children are safeguarded effectively.

p.4

outstanding

Staff have a comprehensive understanding of the children’s vulnerabilities and risks. This assists staff to implement the children’s individual risk assessments to maintain each child’s safety. Each child’s care plan and risk assessments are kept under frequent review. In addition, risk assessments are discussed at daily handovers as well as at the monthly team meeting. This ensures that the staff are fully aware and kept consistently up to date to provide the most effective protection of the children.

p.4

outstanding

Safeguarding training and updates keep staff prepared to respond effectively to all safeguarding concerns. Staff know what to do in the event of any developing concerns. This was demonstrated well by staff, who responded appropriately when a child went missing.

p.4

outstanding

Staff respond immediately to any concerns they have and have meaningful discussions with the children. The staff discuss any potential or recognised vulnerabilities, dangers and risks and then provide the children with the necessary guidance and support. This enables the child to better understand the identified dangers. In addition, the staff contribute to multi-agency meetings when required. The staff’s training in health and safety, medication management, first aid, child Inspection report for children’s home: SC064934 5 sexual and criminal exploitation assists them to have better skills and knowledge to keep the children safer.

p.4

outstanding

Staff are well trained to support the children when they are emotionally distressed. The staff respond to the children with care, and they work to de-escalate such presenting behaviour effectively. As a result, there have been no physical interventions. There are no known child exploitation concerns.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The children benefit from strong leadership. The manager’s enthusiasm, commitment and vigour, that only the best will do, means that the staff follow these high expectations for the children.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager and senior worker promote an ethos to be innovative and look to use new approaches to improve the quality of care provided to children. This is achieved through research that is shared and presented to staff during staff meetings, which is then used in practice. There are open discussions that help them to better understand the children’s past experiences and how these may affect them. Reflection of staff practice is routine and takes place during team meetings, supervision sessions, handovers and general discussions. This results in continued and improved practice. In turn, this provides the staff with the knowledge that helps them to achieve the best care, support and outcomes for children.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

A stable and knowledgeable staff team provides the children with consistent care. This has ensured that strong and trusting relationships are developed between the staff and children. Each child can identify several staff members who they trust. The children are confident that these trusted staff will address any concerns that they have.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff enjoy regular formal supervision sessions, training and support. There is importance given to their personal and professional development. The manager recognises staff’s knowledge and skills and how they contribute to the team. This makes staff feel valued. Therefore, children receive care from a highly skilled and positive staff team.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home excels in collaborating with other professionals. Professionals confirm this excellent partnership working. The manager and staff have highly effective communication skills and systems. In some instances, it has been necessary to challenge the children’s placing authorities. The manager and staff have been determined and have sustained their sterling efforts to advocate for children exceptionally well. This has resulted in children receiving additional assessments, longer-term placements being sourced and an independent advocate being contacted to support a child’s wishes. This demonstrates that all relevant parties are kept up to date about each child’s care and the areas where additional support is required. Inspection report for children’s home: SC064934 6 There are embedded and established thorough internal and external monitoring systems that include the progress of children, practices and records. This means

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

that any deficits are swiftly identified and corrected. The requirements made at the last inspection have been met. This makes certain that the quality of care provided to the children remains exceptionally high. Inspection report for children’s home: SC064934 7

p.6

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets children’s needs. Children’s homes will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. This specifically relates to ensuring that the garden hedges, grass and shrubs are well maintained. This will ensure that children can make best use of this area and will provide a positive external environment that will also fit in with the neighbouring houses. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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: SC064934 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Dove Adolescent Services Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Malvern View, Hanbury Road, Stoke Prior, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire B60 4AD

p.8

Inspector

Debbie Foster, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC064934 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 looked after children, 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: 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