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

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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 four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2018.

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Information about this children’s home

Four children were living in the home at the time of this 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 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

Date of last inspection: 7 February 2024

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

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

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/02/2024 Full Outstanding 06/03/2023 Full Outstanding 09/02/2022 Full Outstanding 21/01/2020 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC018241 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children live in a home that is full of laughter and positivity. They have strong, trusting relationships with staff. This helps children to continue to make exceptional progress in every area of their lives. All children were spoken to during this inspection. Children flourish and enjoy living in this home. Spending quality time with children is a priority for staff, who show a genuine interest in the children’s day. One child said, ‘There is nothing they could do better.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children feel valued and appreciated and seek out staff for reassurance and affection. Care and support are child-centred and highly individual. Staff understand how past experiences may affect the lives of children. One child said, ‘There is always someone to talk to.’ Another said, ‘Staff make lots of time for us, help with anything. When I struggle with stuff, they help me understand and when I feel more confident, I have a go myself.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Aspirational staff help children to make excellent and sustained progress with their education and future plans. When children experience setbacks, the staff work swiftly with psychologists, therapists, and external professionals to address any issues or concerns. This ensures that children continue on a positive path.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are supported with all aspects of their mental and physical health. Staff were described as ‘going the extra mile’ to ensure that children attend appointments and have positive family time. One parent said, ‘We get absolutely fantastic support.’ Staff and managers attend regular therapeutic meetings with, and for, children. Some meetings take place a long distance from the home. Staff work with external professionals to understand the children’s needs, learn how children can be better supported, and question what else they can do. There is a highly effective ongoing multi-disciplinary review of care for all children. Staff look beyond behaviour and are curious regarding any underlying concerns.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The views and wishes of children are of paramount importance. Children have progressed to be an integral part of their meetings. Staff advocate on behalf of the children to ensure that their needs are met. For more complex meetings, staff write an overview for children to help them reflect and understand the outcome. These are creative, fun and child friendly. In addition, a wide range of research-based books, resources and self-soothe items are at hand for children to read, support their own well- being and to help them develop coping strategies. Children are offered regular, late- evening meditation sessions to promote healthy sleep and a restful night.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Significant importance is given to ensuring that children experience a wide range of activities and enjoyable experiences. These include holidays, nature walks, swimming, and favourite meals. These opportunities are enhanced by enthusiastic staff who want the very best for children. Children develop a positive identity and happy memories. Staff also use these opportunities to help children to talk in a relaxed atmosphere. Inspection report for children’s home: SC018241 4 Staff recognise the importance of happy childhood memories and capture these around the home and in photo albums. Additionally, the manager completes bright and colourful reviews of each month for the children. These documents show reflection, achievements and how staff will help children with any worries. These records are for children to keep when they move on from the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Feedback from professionals and family members is exceptionally positive. They describe excellent communication with staff who have an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the children. Professionals and families describe exceptional progress for children who receive intensive support. They have excellent relationships with staff, who have high aspirations for children. Children go from strength to strength.

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

Children benefit from consistently high-quality care from staff. Children said that they feel safe living in a homely, nurturing, and tolerant home. Staff go above and beyond to ensure the safety of children. They are curious and alert to any changes in the children’s presentation or friendship groups.

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

There are plans in place to reduce harm, including when children go missing from home. Plans are clear and detailed. Confident, skilled staff manage missing-from-home episodes effectively. Staff continually look for children when they are missing, using their knowledge and contacts to bring children home. When children do return home, they are offered support and comfort. Children have regular and relevant talks with staff. These encourage children to find new ways of experiencing life and freedom in a safe manner.

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

Positive relationships and excellent communication with professionals and families keep children safer and protected from harm. Concerns and information are immediately shared with external professionals. Staff are viewed as essential partners in the children’s care. Their support is respected and actively sought. Professionals describe the staff as an excellent example of ‘team around the child’ working. One parent said that staff were ‘professional, listen and are vigilant and consistent.’

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

Children very rarely need staff to intervene to keep them safer. When children need to be held or guided by staff, there are detailed records in place. The manager has highly effective oversight of all issues in the home and ensures that the right steps have been taken. When issues do happen, children and staff are supported and listened to. Staff work with children to prevent the same thing happening again.

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

There are detailed risk assessments in place that are consistently updated and communicated to the team. They reflect all known individual risks to children. Therapeutic input is valued and encouraged. Strategies to support children are supported by research. This is seen threaded throughout care plans and facilitates good practice. There is highly effective planning and support that manages and minimises risk. Inspection report for children’s home: SC018241 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is an inspirational role model who demonstrates enhanced leadership skills and the modelling of excellent practice. She has continued oversight of the home and speaks enthusiastically about the children and their welfare. The manager is highly ambitious for the children and her staff. She advocates confidently for the rights of children, providing challenge where necessary. This leads to better outcomes for children. Staff are inspired to be creative in their support for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager ensures that research supports staff’s practice in a practical and meaningful way. Staff feel empowered by the manager to inspire children to want to take care of themselves, physically and mentally. Staff said that the management team ‘encourages a curiosity about children and shares knowledge,’ fostering what staff describe as ‘brilliant’ teamwork.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff are overwhelmingly positive about the management of the home. They said managers embody ‘kindness and caring.’ Staff are proud of the skills that they have acquired and their ability to safeguard children. They said coming to work is a privilege. Parents describe a real home with staff who ‘work tirelessly, are great communicators and never give up.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager ensures that the look and feel of the home are reflective of a normal family home. It is happy, homely, and welcoming, with the decoration, personalised items and furnishings being in good order. The physical environment for children is safe and well maintained. There is clear oversight of any health and safety issues. The local area risk assessment is a comprehensive, working document that is updated to reflect all known risks. There is regular consultation with external agencies.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff meetings are held monthly and include a review of the views and wishes of children. There are regular bite-size training sessions held and therapeutic input. Supportive supervision sessions are an integral part of ensuring that staff are skilled and well-trained. Training is revisited in supervision sessions and all aspects of the life of the child are reviewed. These supervision sessions enable excellent management oversight of the staff and their goals and actions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager completes detailed regular audits to ensure that there is continual oversight of the home. However, one document viewed on inspection had been updated and previous information contained in the protocol was not visible. This did not have any impact on children but required further review. Inspection report for children’s home: SC018241 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that all children’s case records (regulation 36) are kept up to date. In particular, they should ensure that when records are updated the previous information contained in the document is visible. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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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: SC018241 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: SC018241 8 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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