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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC018238 1 SC018238 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

A private company owns the home. The home is registered to provide care for one child who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in January 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

One child has lived at the home since the last inspection. The child moved on to semi-independent living accommodation the day before the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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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.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC018238 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/03/2023 Full Good 16/11/2021 Full Outstanding 18/02/2020 Interim Improved effectiveness 15/04/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC018238 3

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outstanding

The children who come to live at the home thrive as a result of the care they receive. The child said that they have thoroughly enjoyed living at the home and have received excellent care.

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outstanding

Staff are dedicated to providing the children with a nurturing and family environment. Since living in this home, the child has made tremendous progress from their starting point. This is particularly in respect of their education, their health and well-being outcomes, independence skills and self-confidence.

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outstanding

The child receives the highest level of care and support, with staff offering them new experiences and opportunities. This has been achieved by establishing extremely strong relationships between the child and the staff. These strong bonds have enabled the child to fully trust the staff. As a result, the child has responded positively to the nurturing care, support and guidance that the staff provide.

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outstanding

This house is a home. The home is decorated and furnished to a high standard. There are photos on display of the child and staff out on activities. Soft furnishings and ornaments give a homely, welcoming feel that positively provides everyday comforts for family life.

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outstanding

A prominent focus has been to support the child’s well-being and health needs. The child has accessed all routine health check-ups along with emotional well-being mental health services. This professional health support, along with that of the therapeutic care from the staff, has improved the child’s current and long-term health needs.

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outstanding

The child has responded positively to all the encouragement and support from the staff to undertake their studies and aspire to do well. The child has achieved very good attainment levels at college, succeeding to pass exams, including a course at level 2 in hairdressing. This has enabled the continuation of academic studies and will help support the child’s employment opportunities into adulthood.

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outstanding

The child benefits from developing hobbies, interests and establishing new friendships, which have extended their social experiences. The child takes part in many art and craft activities including crochet and accessing community activities with friends. This has increased the child’s confidence and assisted in making happy childhood memories.

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outstanding

The child benefits from learning a wealth of everyday life skills. Staff have assisted the child to gain appropriate independence skills. These include learning to cook, self- travel and budget. The child has completed an extensive independence skills pack. This has further increased their knowledge and skills in readiness for adulthood. In Inspection report for children’s home: SC018238 4 addition, the child has commenced driving lessons. This has prepared the child for living independently and further built their confidence.

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outstanding

Importance is given to children seeing their family. The child confirmed that staff have supported them to routinely see their family, as well has having telephone contact. Without question, it has been a given that staff support the child and their family by helping with journeys due to the distance to ensure that family visits take place. This makes certain that the children feel connected to those who are important to them and helps them to maintain positive support networks.

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

Children are protected from harm. Staff know the child extremely well and this assists them to keep the child safe. Staff immediately follow the provider’s safeguarding procedures when a safeguarding concern arises. This is confirmed by professionals, who state that the manager and staff respond effectively to safeguard children.

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

The child has meticulous risk assessments and plans in place that reflect their very specific needs. These plans provide the staff with the actions that they must follow to safeguard the child. This assists in minimising risks and ensuring that the child remains safe. The manager and staff routinely review these risk assessments and plans. Over time, the risk levels have reduced significantly. This makes certain that the needs of the child are fully understood, and that staff are able to better protect the child.

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

Staff demonstrate that they have a detailed understanding of the child’s needs and vulnerabilities. This means that they are better able to manage problematic situations. They have the knowledge and understand the child’s triggers, knowing the strategies that are the most effective in managing the child’s anxieties. This has assisted in reducing the number of safety concerns, maintaining the child’s well-being and safety.

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

The child benefits enormously from the consistent structure, routines and boundaries that the staff implement. Staff reinforce this, by using their in-depth knowledge and skills. This helps the child to feel safer and more secure in their home environment. Over time, the impact of this has dramatically enabled the child to become settled and be able to better manage their emotions, self-regulate and build self-confidence.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager leads by example and is dedicated to wanting the very best for children in her care. This disseminates to the staff, and ensures that children living at the home receive excellent care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has built on the home’s auditing system. This system reinforces the manager’s oversight of the home. The requirements and recommendations made at the last inspection have been implemented. In addition, the support from the head of care and the scrutiny from the independent regulation 44 visitor further improve the Inspection report for children’s home: SC018238 5 management of the home. Deficits are swifty detected and addressed. This enhances and maintains the quality of care provided to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff have built effective working relationships with other professionals and agencies. This increases the support network available to the children and the staff. This makes sure that the staff can provide that essential consistent approach in caring for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from good training opportunities. They have all undertaken the provider’s mandatory training that includes first aid, behaviour management and safeguarding. The staff access more specialist training, relating to the individual needs of the children they care for. They have been equipped with the knowledge to provide good care to children who have suffered from emotional abuse or self-harm, and now better understand the provider’s chosen therapeutic model of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager encourages staff to reflect on their practice through formal supervision sessions, staff meetings, handovers and open discussions. There is an established support and learning structure for staff. The staff say this begins at the point of their probationary period and continues through the communication forums and formal supervision. Therefore, staff flourish in this learning and open environment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Excellent teamwork exists, using everyone’s individual skills. This is a result of the staff feeling valued by their manager. There is an inclusive management style, where staff views are valued and taken on board to provide the best care approaches that support the child’s progress and experiences. This has created good staff morale throughout the team. Staff are committed and aspire to do their absolute best for children in their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff collaborate cohesively with professionals. There is frequent communication and sharing of information to best support the child. The manager has advocated strongly for one child, to the child’s placing local authority, to ensure that appropriate local semi-independent accommodation was sought. While this was challenging, the manager did secure local accommodation for the child to successfully move on to. This allowed the child to continue their studies. Inspection report for children’s home: SC018238 6

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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: SC018238 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, Hanbury Road, Stoke Prior, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire B60 4AD

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Inspector

Debbie Foster, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC018238 8 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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