Serendipity Family Assessment Centre

Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Serendipity Family Assessment Centre 1 Serendipity Family Assessment Centre Serendipity, 24 Victoria Road, Exmouth, Devon EX8 1DW Monitoring visit

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Information about this residential family centre

This residential family centre provides parenting assessments for up to six families. The families are accommodated in two houses, which are a very short distance apart. Parents must be at least 16 years old and the service will accept children up to 10 years old.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to monitor whether the compliance notice, issued on 30 June 2017, was met. The manager and staff have started work to address the shortfalls found at the full inspection and to address the concerns raised in the compliance notice. An action plan has been produced detailing how this will be achieved. There is evidence that some improvement has been made, but this work is not completed to a level that meets the requirements in the compliance notice. Risk assessments and documented control measures are now briefly documented in placement plans, with guidance detailing how the staff are to intervene if they are concerned and when they must intervene to keep a child safe. Managers are now documenting how a family admitted to the family centre may impact on the existing families and, if there are risks, how they will be managed. A comprehensive risk assessment document that will be used to record risks and how they are to be

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This monitoring visit

managed has been produced, but has not been completed for every family. Risk assessments have not yet been undertaken to ascertain the levels of supervision staff need to provide. Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Serendipity Family Assessment Centre 2 The manager and staff have not yet ensured that placement plans are sufficiently individualised. Most of the objectives in the plan could be applied to any family. For example, one plan states: ‘Child to be cared for in a safe, consistent manner where their needs are prioritised.’ The plans do not yet contain sufficient detail about what the staff should be assessing and exactly how this is to be achieved. The plans do not give clear information to families about what is expected of them. The plans do not document timeframes in which the parenting objectives should be achieved, so that families understand if they are making progress with their parenting skills.

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This monitoring visit

The staff are not yet involving parents in the writing of their placement plan. There is no evidence that parents have been involved in writing their plan, that they have been consulted, or that their views are included. Plans do not yet include details of how the staff will provide training and assistance to the families so that they are able to learn parenting skills. The plans do not detail how the staff will support parents to safely care for their children. For one family, the objectives of the assessment are still not clear. This confusion and lack of a clear exit plan is leading to yet more delay for a child. Clear expectations and documentation of routines, such as feeding schedules for babies, are not yet detailed in the placement plan. Session and activity plans for the families are not detailed in the plan. The start, review and end dates of the assessment are now detailed in the placement plans of three of the four families.

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This monitoring visit

Monitoring and supervision levels for families are not clear. The placement plans contain generic explanations of what the residential family centre can provide rather than an individualised plan. For example, plans state: ‘If the level of risk for a family indicates that this (multi staffing) would be unsafe, 24-hour one-to-one supervision can be arranged at additional cost.’ This is inappropriate information to be held in a placement plan, as it does not refer to a child’s needs, but to contracting arrangements. One placement plan details that the family requires one-to-one supervision during its assessment. Their plan states that ‘the family is on one-to-one supervision and shared waking night’. The plan does not detail what time of day the supervision ceases to be one-to-one. Plans do not detail how or when supervision will be reduced as the family progresses through its assessment. Placement plans still fail to give the staff clear direction and strategies for observing

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This monitoring visit

the families during their assessment. One parent said that they were concerned about the agency members of staff. On one occasion, an agency member of staff did not come to the flat to observe the parent feeding and changing her baby, as is the parent’s understanding of the plan. Instead, he just telephoned. On another occasion, an agency member of staff told the parent to feed her baby, but got the timings wrong which confused the parent. The compliance notice issued following the previous full inspection is judged to have not yet been met and has been re-issued. Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Serendipity Family Assessment Centre 3 Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Serendipity Family Assessment Centre 4

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Residential Family Centre Regulations 2002 and the national minimum standards. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that whenever there is a conflict between the interests of the members of the family, the welfare of the child must be treated as paramount. (Regulation 10(4)) 28/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that, wherever practicable, the wishes and feelings of residents are taken into account when making decisions concerning their health and welfare, or the manner in which they are treated. In particular, that residents’ meetings regularly take place and residents’ views are incorporated into quality monitoring processes. (Regulation 10(2)) 28/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that proper provision is promoted and put in place regarding the health and welfare of residents. In particular, that any complex health needs are clearly documented in plans, together with the actions staff need to take to address and meet these identified health needs. (Regulation 10(1)(a)) 28/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that the child protection policy is implemented through clear guidance and documentation in placement plans, and safeguards children accommodated in the residential family centre from abuse and neglect. In particular, that clear guidance is given to staff so that they clearly understand their safeguarding responsibilities when observing a parent and child, and it is made clear to them when they must intervene to safeguard a child from physical or emotional harm. (Regulation 12(1)(a)) 14/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that, before providing a family with accommodation in the residential family centre, or if that is not reasonably practicable, as soon as possible thereafter, draw up in consultation with the placing authority a written plan setting out, in particular, an assessment of risks which a resident at the residential family centre may present to their own health, safety and welfare, or that of other residents or staff at the centre. In particular, ensure that effective control measures to address the identified risks are documented in this plan. Also, that the family is able to fit in with the centre’s other residents. It must inform the level of supervision necessary for the parent and be kept under review. (Regulation 28/07/2017 Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Serendipity Family Assessment Centre 5 13(1)(c) Ensure that the aims, objectives and intended outcomes of the placement are documented in the placement plan. In

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Requirement Due date

particular, detailing training, assistance, assessment, supervision and protection to be provided at the centre and how the child’s welfare will be promoted. The plan must set out the level of supervision required and how this will change in time, dependent on progress. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)) 18/08/2017 *

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that an assessment or monitoring of parents’ capacity to respond to children’s needs and to safeguard their welfare is monitored or assessed by a suitably qualified person in accordance with the requirements of this regulation. (Regulation 13(a)(1)) 28/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall not employ a person to work at the residential family centre unless that person is fit to work at the residential family centre. In particular, that the suitability of agency staff is checked and evidenced in the recruitment files. (Regulation 16(1)(a)(3)(a)(b)(c)(d)) 28/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that all persons employed by the registered person receive appropriate supervision and appraisal from a suitably qualified person. (Regulation 17(5)) 28/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that all complaints made under the complaints procedure are fully investigated. (Regulation 20(2)) 28/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that there is a clear and effective policy on the use of surveillance in parenting assessments, and its use is no more intrusive than necessary, and how legitimate privacy will be protected and how residents will be protected from potential abuse of such measures. (Regulation 21(2)(b)) 28/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that a system is established and maintained for reviewing at regular intervals and improving the quality of care provided at the residential family centre, and that a copy of the report is provided to HMCI. (Regulation 23(1)(a)(b)) 28/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that the registered individual visits the residential family centre at least once a month and that a written report on the conduct of the residential family centre is prepared. In addition, that the report is supplied to HMCI. (Regulation 21 (1)(2)(5)(a)) 28/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that if any of the events listed in column 1 of the table in schedule 5 take place, the registered person, without delay, notify Ofsted and the placing authority. (Regulation 26(1)) 28/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that records are clear, up to date and kept in the form of a register containing the information detailed in Schedule 4. (Regulation 19(3)) 28/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject of a compliance notice. Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Serendipity Family Assessment Centre 6

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Recommendations

 Ensure that parents are supported to learn to develop skills, emotional resilience and self-esteem to help them to care safely for their children and promote their welfare. In particular, ensure that assessments focus on the issues of past history that may impact on parenting and attachment. (NMS 3.3)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the residential family centre since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider: Serendipity (Devon) Ltd

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider address: Serendipity, 24 Victoria Road, Exmouth, Devon EX8 1DW

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Inspector(s)

Tina Maddison: Social care regulatory inspector Sarah Canto: Social care regulatory inspector Steve Lowe: Regulatory inspection manager Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Serendipity Family Assessment Centre 7 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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