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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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. It offers care for up to five children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Two children were living in the home at the time of this inspection. Both children were spoken with during 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 good

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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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: SC471178 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/06/2023 Full Good 13/09/2022 Full Good 01/02/2022 Full Good 05/11/2019 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC471178 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children live in a fun-filled, creative home where they are supported to build trusting and warm relationships with staff. One child said, ‘There is no better place for me to be right now. Staff listen to me a lot. They respect me 100%.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children experience individualised and sensitive care, which enables them to make significant progress. Research-informed practice is threaded throughout the home, which informs staff practice and benefits the lives of the children. Staff are always available to children to ensure that their needs are met. Additionally, there are numerous tools to support children to understand their journey. This includes easy-read versions of care plans and colourful monthly progress updates. Children in this home are partners in their care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff are aspirational and nurturing. They help children to make excellent, sustained progress with their social, emotional, and mental health needs. Support and learning is imaginative and meets the children’s individual needs. One child, for whom communication can be challenging, composes songs and rhymes with the staff. These songs aid the child’s understanding and learning. Social stories are also used to empower children. Children are flourishing, happy and confident in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children make good progress with their education. Staff advocate for children and offer guidance, support, and incentives. As a result, children make excellent progress from their original starting points. One child, who found school distressing, would often decline to attend. With consistent support from staff, they are now achieving full attendance. Staff work very closely with professionals to share concerns and achievements. The experience of living in the home significantly enhances children’s life chances.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are supported to take risks appropriate to their age and level of understanding as part of their development. Staff have used a stepped approach to enable one child, who became quickly frustrated with technology, to manage their emotions. This progress has meant the child now has their own mobile phone. This offers the child an additional way to communicate with others and speak with their family independently.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Feedback from professionals is overwhelmingly positive. Staff were described as consistent, positive, and thoughtful. For one child, who had recently experienced a significant life event, the support from the staff was described as amazing. The child described the staff support as ‘really, really good.’ The child also said, ‘It was unconditional; I was never judged.’ Another child commented on how well staff support distressed or emotional peers in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good. Inspection report for children’s home: SC471178 4 Children have a trusted adult they can talk to about any concerns. Staff have meaningful conversations with children. They are helped to communicate their feelings and understand and manage their emotions. Staff are consistently responsive to the children’s needs. They quickly adapt their approach to reduce the impact of change and alleviate anxiety. Staff successfully use de-escalation and distraction techniques and very rarely need to physically intervene to keep everyone safe. Children show a sense of security and safety in their discussions with staff and seek them out for comfort. One child said, ‘I always feel safe here.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children at this home very rarely go missing from the home. Missing-from-home protocols are clear and detailed, and direct staff to the right course of action. Responsive and attentive staff support, and a homely environment, reduces the likelihood of children going missing. However, staff understand the risks posed to children should this occur.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home is a calm and safe environment for children to live. Risk assessments are regularly reviewed. Care plans and strategies are in place to keep children safe. The careful recruitment of new staff prevents unsuitable people from being recruited. Children are kept safe from harm.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

When children make allegations, the right action is taken. The right people are spoken with, and information is shared with the appropriate authorities. Children are supported with any concerns by professionals. However, the outcome of one allegation was not recorded and the child had not received any feedback.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager of the home is highly ambitious for the children in his care. He advocates strongly for children and ensures that the right people are involved in their lives, including family and friends when appropriate. There is a drive and expectation that children will achieve their full potential and the support that is in place enables children to have fun, is nurturing and highly individual.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is a strong role model and has high expectations of himself and the team. Regular research-based staff meetings and supervision sessions that enable staff to develop and learn are valued. Children are the focus of the meetings. One member of staff emphatically described the personalised support they have received from the manager. Staff speak very positively about the manager and the deputy manager. Staff said they work very well together and have a wide range of skills and strengths. Staff are supportive of each other. The culture in the home is one of support and learning and staff are happy in their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers have excellent working relationships with partner agencies and schools. These relationships ensure the best possible care, experiences, and futures for children. There is strong liaison with schools, and strategies and good practice are shared. The manager is creative and innovative in his approach to meeting children’s needs. Children are given every opportunity to communicate their needs, wishes and feelings. Children at this home are heard. Inspection report for children’s home: SC471178 5 Children are supported by highly skilled and effective staff. The training, skills and experience of the staff are comprehensive, and reflect the needs of the children. When new risks or concerns are identified, the manger ensures that staff have the support, knowledge, and skills to respond. When children may benefit from additional information on topics such as sexual health, they are included in team training sessions, where

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Close working links to external support agencies and resources aid staff knowledge and their continual learning. A significant person in the life of one child said, ‘The staff are doing everything they can to support my child.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is welcoming, homely, and calm. The decorations and furnishings are reflective of a comfortable family home. The manager has ongoing development plans for the environment, which is safe and well-maintained. The management monitoring of the home is thorough and organised, and any issues are dealt with immediately. Management audits and reviews are used effectively to enable the manager and staff to make ongoing improvements to further enhance the lives of children in their care. Inspection report for children’s home: SC471178 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that any allegation of abuse is addressed in line with the home’s child protection policy. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 44, paragraph 9.17)

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

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Inspector

Jo Cansfield, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC471178 8 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 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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