Chrysalis Assessment and Support Centre

Chrysalis Assessment and Support Centre Inspection report for residential family centre

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Unique reference number SC435330 Inspection date 29/11/2012 Inspector Russell Shackford Type of inspection Social Care Inspection

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Setting address 12 Tennyson Avenue, BRIDLINGTON, North Humberside, YO15 2EP

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Telephone number 012626777727 Email teresa@chrysalisassessmentcentre.co.uk Registered person Dragonfly Childrens Services Limited Registered manager Emma Jayne Karkeek Responsible individual Teresa June Scarlett Date of last inspection 09/11/2011 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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Brief description of the service

This service is a Residential Family Centre. It comprises of four family rooms over two floors. Each room has a sink and two of them have en suite facilities. The communal space includes a bath/shower room, a kitchen/dining room, a separate dining room and a living room. There is a storage area for prams and an outside garden and soft play area.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding: a service that significantly exceeds minimum requirements Good: a service that exceeds minimum requirements Adequate: a service that only meets minimum requirements Inadequate: a service that does not meet minimum requirements

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Summary

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

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Summary

This is the centre’s first inspection since their registration in 2011.There is an established assessment model in place, which enables parenting capability to be assessed, without losing sight of a parent’s rights to both care for and nurture their child. Parents get good access to health care to meet the needs of their children and improve family well-being. Careful consideration is given to providing accommodation that balances the rights of privacy, support and comfort, without compromising the safety or welfare of children.

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Summary

Some national minimum standards are being met, although there are a few where shortfalls do exist. These shortfalls include families not being provided with adequate information on their arrival about what they can expect from the centre. Also there is no systematic, rigorous monitoring and reporting system in place to improve the quality of care provided at the residential family centre. There are slight shortfalls in staff training.

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions, which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Residential Family Centres Regulations 2002 and the National Minimum Standards. The Registered Provider(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Reg Statutory Requirement Due date

17 (2002) ensure that all persons employed at the centre receive appropriate training; in particular in safe medication, first aid, fire safety and sexual exploitation. (Regulation 17(5)(a)) 14/01/2013

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Reg Statutory Requirement Due date

23 (2002) establish and maintain a system for reviewing at appropriate intervals, and improving the quality of care provided at the residential family centre (Regulation 23(1)) 14/01/2013

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Reg Statutory Requirement Due date

25 (2002) ensure that where the registered individual is not in day to day charge of the residential family centre, she shall visit the residential family centre in accordance with this regulation (Regulation 25) 14/01/2013

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Reg Statutory Requirement Due date

25 (2002) prepare a written report on the conduct of the residential family centre (Regulation 25 (4) (c)) 21/01/2013

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Reg Statutory Requirement Due date

25 (2002) supply a copy of the report required to be made under Regulation 25 (4) (c) to Ofsted and the registered manager. (Regulation 25 (5)(a) and (b)) 31/01/2013

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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 parents are encouraged and supported to pursue, or continue particular interests which develop their confidence and skills. The placement plan should make specific reference to such activities and the skills they are intended to enhance (NMS 4.7)  consider further how parents and children know what they can expect, how they will be treated, how the centre operates and have had this information in a written format that meets their needs prior to admission. (NMS 1.5)

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Improvements since the last inspection

Not applicable. This is the first inspection since registration.

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Helping children to be healthy

Resident families benefit greatly from staff having a good understanding of their different health needs. Staff support parents in learning about health, nutrition and exercise, and understanding babies' health needs and how to meet them. Support workers provide information and run a variety of health care sessions, such as hygiene, bottle demonstrations, sterilising, healthy eating and smoking cessation. Parents are encouraged to practice cooking and also learn about nutrition. Information is provided according to the level of understanding of parents; for example, custom made pictorial meal planners and event diaries.

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Helping children to be healthy

Parents and families have access to the services and support they need to meet their physical, emotional and psychological health needs. The staff have worked hard to identify different services in the local community that parents can choose to access. Some parents have attended baby massage classes and achieved certification awards. There are good links and arrangements with local primary care centres and services to help ensure that families' health needs are met. Health visitors and a midwife service visit the centre regularly to support parents and staff in meeting health needs. Information about health advice centres is displayed on information boards. Activities, such as Zumba exercise class, swimming, gym and beach walking, help to keep parents fit and healthy.

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Helping children to be healthy

Arrangements for dealing with medication are safe and effective. Appropriate permission is obtained from parents to enable staff to administer medication and first aid to children when required. Good records are kept which clearly indicate where staff or the parent have administered medication. The majority of staff have received up-to-date training in first aid and the safe medication practices.

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Helping children to be healthy

Parents have access to a good range of books and other learning materials. Some parents have pursued or continued particular interests and leisure activities which develop their confidence and skills. However, the promotion of education is not fully embedded into the centre’s practice which limits parents’ opportunities. Staff organise activities with parents, such as arts and crafts, walking, swimming and visiting local parks. There is a good range of children's toys in the centre that meet their needs, and outside there is a garden area with more toys and children's outdoor play equipment.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

There are clearly written policies and procedures relating to the standard of behaviour expected in the centre. Staff help to ensure that parents have a good understanding of acceptable behaviour and conduct while living in the family centre by providing a family handbook and explaining the content. Weekly residents meetings are used to reiterate these matters. Parents and staff are clear on the rules for visitors, which ensures the welfare and safety of those using the centre.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Parents said: 'privacy is respected well, and staff always knock on doors before entering.' Telephone calls can be made in private subject to individual risk assessments. Information is privately stored and computers are password protected to help ensure that electronic records are secure.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Written policies and procedures about complaints help staff to ensure that they know what to do if a person complains about the service. Parents understand how and are confident to make a complaint. Parents know how to make a complaint because staff have explained what to do and there is information in the parent handbook about how to complain.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Strong measures protect parents and children from abuse. The provider has a good safeguarding procedure for staff to follow in the event of any allegation or suspicion of abuse. This is supported by staff having access to the local child and adult safeguarding procedures. All staff have received safeguarding training. This helps ensure that children's and vulnerable adults' welfare and safety are protected. However, the training does not cover sexual exploitation or online safety which would help staff to more fully safeguard the welfare of families.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provider has good vetting and recruitment procedures. Staff recruitment records contain all of the required information. This helps to prevent families from being cared for by unsuitable staff.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

There are consistently well-recorded individualised written risk assessments. As a result, staff know what action to take to minimise the risk to each person during their known and likely activities.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

All staff working at the home have received fire safety training to enable them to minimise the risks to families and visitors at the centre. All staff and families have been involved in regular fire drills, and regular fire safety checks are carried out. This helps to ensure that the physical safety of families from fire is robustly protected.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

There are no national minimum standards under this outcome.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Parents and children are usually admitted to the centre in a planned and sensitive manner. For some this includes a visit to the centre prior to admission. Information is explained to the parent at the earliest opportunity about the purpose of their placement. This includes methods of supervision and assessment. Information about the service is available in a written form supported by pictures. It can be reproduced in a variety of languages. An interpreter service can be used to ensure that all families can contribute equally to their assessment.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The centre works to the Framework for Assessment of Children in Need and their families (Department of Health 2000). This assessment model is used in conjunction with a parenting assessment manual which manager’s say is particularly helpful when working with parents with learning difficulties.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

All assessments are individually tailored according to the needs of the family and the requirements of the referring agency. The placement plans clearly explain the objectives of the placement, how these are to be met on a day-to-day basis, the contribution to be made by the staff and how the effectiveness of the placement is to be assessed in relation to the plan. The staff's contributions to the process are well explained. Highly individualised approaches to the assessment process are used by the centre's staff suitable to parents' level of understanding. A support worker said 'we can deliver the same topic in many different ways which helps parents to understand and get involved.' This includes pictorial event diaries, spider diagram and picture based information, key-work sessions and a variety of workshops, such as play, routines, relationships, domestic violence, healthy eating and finances. The

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Helping children make a positive contribution

managers monitor the quality of the workshops delivered and recorded. They re- deliver the session again if there are shortfalls identified. This helps to ensure consistency in the quality of support and assessments provided to families. The use of surveillance is supported by robust policies and procedures governing its use. Parents know about, and where appropriate, agree to its use prior to their placement. Family and key-worker discussion sessions take place on a weekly basis to inform the staff and parents of progress they are making. Action plans around any shortfalls parenting capacity are derived from these discussions. Parents confirm that they have attended review meetings. A parent said, ‘we were given a copy of the review report to read and my keyworker went through the review report with me to make sure I understood what was being said before the review meeting. As a result, reports are robust, fair and evidence-based. Reports are child focused and

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Helping children make a positive contribution

concentrate on the needs and best interests of children. Reports are evaluative and contain only information relevant to parents’ assessments, including drawing information from an appropriate range of sources. The recommendations are clear and flow from the body of the report. All reports are quality assured by the centre's management team. A referring agency described the quality of the centre's reports as, 'fantastic.'

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Achieving economic wellbeing

Parents and children enjoy spacious accommodation which is decorated and furnished to a good standard. They are provided with good quality facilities and equipment suitable for daily living, leisure and educational activities. Families have single occupancy bedrooms with space for children's cots. Some rooms have en suite facilities and all have a sink area. The shared facilities include bathroom, toilet, lounge, dining room, kitchen, conservatory and outside play area, all of which are very well equipped. There are homely touches throughout the accommodation.

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Organisation

A Statement of Purpose is available to inform professionals and members of the public about how care is provided at the home. Parents who are admitted to the centre in a planned manner receive information about the centre and the purpose of their placement. This includes methods of supervision and assessment. Information about the service is available in a written form supported by pictures. It can be reproduced in a variety of languages. However, for those parents who are to be placed at short notice, there is not such a purposeful and effective approach in place because some families arrive with little or no prior understanding of the centre and its function.

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Organisation

Staff receive regular supervision of a good quality. A member of staff said, 'I am well supported, my supervision definitely helps me to do my job well and develops my group work.' Staff are trained and qualified in a wide variety of health, safety and care subjects. An on-going programme of refresher training is provided to enhance the competency in staff. However, not all staff have up-to-date training in safe medication, first aid, fire safety and sexual exploitation. The target of 80% of staff having achieved National Vocational Qualification at level 3 in Caring for Children and Young People or the equivalent is met.

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Organisation

The Registered Manager actively follow up on new legislation and established links with other professionals ensure they are keeping updated on best practice developments. Regular staff meetings provide an excellent opportunity to share this knowledge. This enables staff to enhance their knowledge which they can then deploy in their support of parents and children.

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Organisation

The management team meet regularly to discuss practice matters and service development. There is also some unstructured auditing of records. Shortfalls identified are sometimes fed back into staff supervision and training plans. However, the manager has not established and maintained a systematic, rigorous monitoring and reporting system to improve the quality of care provided at the residential family centre. Regular, systematic monitoring visits are not being carried out by the registered person and subsequently, reports of the findings have not been provided to Ofsted as required. Therefore, planning is not founded on robust evidence and areas of weakness are not systematically tackled. Targets for the development of the service are not always evidence based and evaluative.

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Organisation

The promotion of equality and diversity is good. This is evidenced through practice, supporting policies and procedures, and the production of robust, fair and evidence- based assessments.

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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 for children. 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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