St Michael's Fellowship

St Michael's Fellowship Inspection report for residential family centre

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Unique reference number SC047199 Inspection date 15/12/2011 Inspector Cheryl Carter Type of inspection Social Care Inspection

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Setting address 84 Herne Hill Road, LONDON, SE24 0AN

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Telephone number 020 7733 8153 Email eighty.four@stmichaelsfellowship.org.uk Registered person St .Michael's Fellowship Registered manager Joan Muir Responsible individual Susan Patricia Pettigrew Date of last inspection 15/01/2008 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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You can obtain copies of The Children Act 2004, Every Child Matters and The National Minimum Standards for Children’s Services from: The Stationery Office (TSO) PO Box 29, St Crispins, Duke Street, Norwich, NR3 1GN. Tel: 0870 600 5522. Online ordering: www.tso.co.uk/bookshop

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About this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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About this inspection

This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcomes for children set out in the Children Act 2004 and the relevant National Minimum Standards for the service.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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Brief description of the service

This service is a residential family centre providing support and parenting assessment to families with complex needs.

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Summary

The overall quality rating is outstanding.

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Summary

This is an overview of what the inspector found during the inspection.

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Summary

This was an unannounced inspection and all key standards were judged. The service is judged to provide excellent outcomes for the families using this service. The centre is well managed and efficiently organised to meet the individual needs of each family and its outstanding level of practice is underpinned by the management's strong commitment to continuous improvement.

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Summary

Safeguarding is robust with all staff having an excellent understanding of their roles and responsibilities, with clear systems in place which promote and protect the welfare of the children. A strength of the service is its assessment process and complex risk management systems which offer significant protection to all involved. The centre is staffed by a competent and experienced team who understand the importance of competent and reflective practice. This ensures the needs of the families accommodated are extremely well supported. Parents are treated with respect and empowered to care for their children during their assessment.

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Summary

Well-written policies, procedures and records contribute to promoting the welfare of families and safeguarding children; they support the centre's sound working practices. Two omissions in documentation were identified during the inspection. As a result, recommendations are made to further improve practice in relation to improving the complaints system and ensuring that consent for emergency medical treatment are agreed by the person with parental responsibility. Neither had impacted adversely on safe practice nor detrimentally affected outcomes for families.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Two actions and one recommendation were made at the previous inspection and all have been addressed by the centre. Complaints are now recorded and all the taps in the centre have been fitted with thermostatic valves to ensure that water temperatures are safe and records are now maintained of the manager's audit/building checks.

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Helping children to be healthy

Families benefit from the excellent level of health care and health promotion provided at the centre. Staff enable parents to take responsibility for maintaining their own and their children's good health. Staff assist parents to recognise health issues by providing advice and guidance which supports parents in making informed choices about how to meet their family's health needs. The staff team demonstrate a good understanding of both physical and emotional health issues. All staff have completed first aid training, and a number of staff have completed food hygiene and safe food handling training. Individual staff members are qualified in specialist areas, for example psychotherapy and social work.

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Helping children to be healthy

The centre makes arrangements for families to be registered with local General Practitioners and families are supported to access specialist medical services as required. Staff ensure that children's health needs are promoted and met. For example, staff ensure that the centre's placement plans which outline children's identified health needs and record their development are implemented. However there is no system in place to obtain consent for emergency treatment. Staff encourage parents to work closely with the community health visitor to ensure that children receive regular developmental checks, vaccinations and immunisations. One parent said, 'the health visitor and midwife comes to the centre to see me and my baby'.

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Helping children to be healthy

Medication is securely stored and there is clear guidance and policies on medication administration and homely remedies which are competently followed. Staff have a clear understanding of their own responsibilities which are focused upon encouraging parents to take a lead role in the care of their children. The staff however do not routinely obtain prior written permission from parents for each child, should a staff member need to give first aid or medication to a child at any time. First aid boxes are placed on each floor and also in the staff offices. This provision enables parents to quickly respond to their family's minor injuries.

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Helping children to be healthy

Health information is always available in the home. Individual key worker sessions with families are used to address issues such as self esteem, healthy eating or a particular aspect of caring for the baby. The service also encourages healthy eating and where necessary, provides advice on meal planning, shopping, budgeting and cooking lessons. Such input is invaluable in terms of equipping parents with the skills they will need upon leaving.

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Helping children to be healthy

The centre's assessment programme includes opportunities for parents and children to attend community activities, for example, the local children's centre and baby and toddler groups. A range of leisure activities are available within close proximity to the centre and staff encourage parents to support and sustain their interests and build their confidence and skills.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Families are safeguarded because clear and comprehensive guidance regarding expectations around behaviour is implemented. This is explicitly stated within the parent's welcome pack and is applicable to all visitors entering the home. The consequences of unacceptable behaviour are made clear alongside a consistent approach from the staff team. This practice helps to manage anger and high risk issues. Physical restraint is not used in the centre and this promotes a positive culture.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The staff expect and encourage respect for differences within the group work and key working sessions. For example staff ensure that parents with a learning difficulty are assessed in the context of support being given and with the recruitment of a diverse staff group. All parents are assessed in their own right with assumptions and prejudices on capacity actively discouraged.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The privacy of families is respected while still maintaining excellent safeguarding measures. Supervisory techniques are clear but as unobtrusive as possible. Parents state, 'they are clear about how observations will be carried out' and, 'staff are honest in the way that they inform and explain the outcome of sessions'. All information is appropriately shared with external agencies in the best interests of safeguarding the children in residence. Clear guidance about who has access to the content of reports and files further ensures confidentiality.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Parents are encouraged and reminded of their rights to make complaints. They know who to talk to, both formally and informally. Parents say they are confident that their concerns, however minor, are effectively listened and responded to. Written procedures on this topic include the service's undertaking to respond to such concerns in writing; however, this is not always being demonstrated as those complaints that are seen as grumbles although they are dealt with, they are not recorded with the action taken and the outcome.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Families are effectively safeguarded and staff receive safeguarding training that is regularly updated. The manager critically reviews the service's safeguarding procedures, appraises the service's performance and keeps up to date with research and legislation. Vulnerable adults and the resident children are being effectively safeguarded by the staff team, including those who undertake waking nights. All staff are clear about the roles and responsibilities of everyone within the service. Individuals know what to report and to whom. Excellent links with the local authority and placing authorities ensures any concerns are swiftly dealt with in order for prompt action to be taken.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The families benefit from a service which is conducted so as to make proper provision for managing ongoing risk. The quality of risk assessment is robust and comprehensive and subject to daily scrutiny. The service is aware of the need to be vigilant and ensures all assessments are updated following any concerns. Staff demonstrate a heightened awareness and clarity of risk management in ensuring the safety of all residents.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Families benefit from robust and comprehensive selection and vetting of all staff, this ensures their suitability and the safety of all residents. Staff files contained all the required information and all checks are in place prior to any staff starting work. Visitors to the home are not given unsupervised access to the building or other residents, and a clear system records who is in the building, which ensures the protection of the other residents.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Families benefit from staying in accommodation that provides physical safety and security. Positive steps are taken to keep everyone safe from any hazards, risk assessments for the premises are completed, and fire checks and evacuations occur on a regular basis. All gas and electrical checks are up to date and the home is compliant with all required legislation ensuring the premises are safe for families.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Admissions to the centre are given a considerable amount of thought. Detailed viability and risk assessments are undertaken to ensure that admissions are only made that are considered to be in the best interest of the child. Staff demonstrate very caring and sensitive responses when dealing with families moving into or leaving the centre. Staff take into consideration other families resident at the centre and the impact this may have on their assessment process. Staff support families well and demonstrate excellent practice in ensuring that parents who may be required to leave the centre without their children are helped to move on and hold onto the positive aspects of their assessment.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Families benefit from effective and very well written placement plans that are very detailed. These clearly specify services to be provided, assessment and supervision arrangements and contact agreements. The service ensures regular case management planning meetings in line with the needs of the family. These clearly outline how the assessment is developing and ensure all parties are clear on reviewing progress at every stage before moving on. Parents are kept informed and are told of all the decisions being made. Staff take into account any learning difficulties and make sure communication is clear and appropriate to their abilities. During feedback parents have the opportunity to comment.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Parents said that, 'the staff are honest with me, tell me exactly how it is'. Families can express their views about the assessment and the operation of the home in a number of ways. For example, in key worker meetings, house meetings, private interviews with staff, using the suggestion box as well as using the centre's complaints procedure and the completion of a questionnaire at the end of their placement.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Empowering parents is fundamental within the assessment placement. The centre promotes opportunities for parents to make everyday choices for themselves and their children. Staff work flexibly to provide support to families who wish to spend time outside of the centre participating in community activities.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The accommodation is of good standard and the environment is homely. All rooms have a double bed with wardrobes and storage space. a cot and mattress. The families can bring in belongings to personalise their rooms. There are communal areas for families include a large lounge, a fully furnished kitchen with dining table and another lounge with another television, laundry room with washer and dryer for families to use. The communal areas of the centre are kept clean. There is a good range of baby and toddler equipment and children's toys. The kitchen provides refrigerators, freezers and cupboard space for each family to store their food items in and there is a laundry and utility room with washing machines and dryers. The staff bedroom has separate shower facilities.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The centre is located within easy access to the town's facilities which are in close proximity. The premises provide sufficient space and resources to meet the needs of up to five resident families. The house is well decorated and appropriately furnished, providing families with a pleasant domestic environment maintained to a good standard. The garden area is secure to provide a safe play area. The centre provides a range of outside play items for children to enjoy.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

A refurbishment programme is ongoing, with the aim of making further improvements to the appearance of the premises. Some facilities are shared by the families There are bathrooms on each floor used primarily by families. All taps are fitted with thermostats which ensures that the water temperature is maintained at a safe level for families to use. Each family has a lockable facility in their room in which they can securely store their valuables. Each family's is able to lock their bedroom door which provides security and privacy.

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Organisation

The centre is very well managed with sufficient staff on duty at all times to support the families and to fulfil the centre's Statement of Purpose. Parents find that staff are always very helpful, treat them with respect and listen to their views and include them in the assessment process. The promotion of equality and diversity is excellent. The needs of each family are assessed and recorded so that suitable support can be provided. For example where a family may have learning disabilities, the approach is to ensure that all written information is clearly communicated to them creating an environment that is inclusive. The centre assures fair and equal treatment in the way services are provided and families are treated. The environment is free from bullying and discrimination. Staff are recruited to reflect the diversity of families using the service.

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Organisation

The lines of accountability at this centre are clear. There is a system in place to cover in the absence of the manager. Staff who are in charge of the shifts have the necessary skills and experience to do so. The manager and her deputy take responsibility for the on-call system so families have access to the same level of expertise throughout the day and night. The staff team is well qualified and competent and this ensures the service provided for the families within the home is excellent. All staff have qualifications and experience relevant to working in residential family centres, so families benefit from high-quality ongoing support and guidance.

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Organisation

Staff receive regular supervision and are very well supported to carry out their roles. There are training opportunities to further their professional development and ensure that they can meet the needs of the families they support. Weekly team meetings ensure that there is consistency in how the team works and ensure that all staff are fully informed and supported.

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Organisation

Families benefit from a management team who are able to critically evaluate, monitor and reflect on the service to provide the best outcomes for families. The registered provider and manager conduct monthly and weekly monitoring visits. These visits are centred on the experiences of parents, children and staff, all of whom are fully involved in this process. Findings are fully integrated into the quality assurance systems of the organisation and are used to inform the continuing service development plans.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s):  ensure that there is a system in place to obtain, and retain on file, prior written permission from the parent of each child should a staff member need to administer first aid or prescribed or non-prescribed medicines (NMS 4.3)  ensure any complaint is addressed seriously and without delay, and recorded with actions and outcomes and parents and children are kept informed of progress. (NMS 10.1)

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