Foundations Wigan

Inspection report for residential family centre: Foundations Wigan 1 Foundations Wigan Progressive Care Limited 98-100 Atherton Road, Hindley, WIGAN, Lancashire WN2 3RN Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential family centre

This residential family centre is registered to provide care and accommodation for six families. The centre provides residential assessments that assist local authorities and courts in making decisions which promote the welfare of children.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and parents, taking into account

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good

How well children and parents are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The residential family centre provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of previous inspection: 12 January 2016

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Key findings from this inspection

This residential family centre is good because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Parents praise the high level of support they receive from staff. Parents say that they feel happy at the centre and that staff actively promote their welfare.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The staff team is committed to helping parents make meaningful progress and Inspection report for residential family centre: Foundations Wigan 2 overcome barriers that impact on their ability to care for and bond with their children, and keep them safe.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Children and parents engage in a range of social, educational and recreational activities within the centre and in the local community. This builds on parenting skills and enhances the children’s stimulation and their development.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The atmosphere at the centre is relaxed and welcoming, and relationships are mutually respectful. This enables the parents to feel safe and secure throughout their assessment.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Improved links with community teams enable the families to receive specialist support.

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Key findings from this inspection

 External agencies speak positively about the service. They reported that communication and cooperation have improved.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff ensure that final assessment reports are clear and well written. The language used in the reports is jargon-free, evaluative and empathetic. This makes the reports accessible and meaningful to all parents.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff manage challenging behaviour effectively and resolve conflict. This protects families, and contributes to a feeling of well-being and security.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff have access to appropriate training and development opportunities. This ensures that they have the necessary skills and knowledge to support vulnerable families.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Leaders and managers understand the strengths and weaknesses of the centre, and are keen to improve the service. However, some shortfalls require attention. To date, these shortfalls have not impacted on the safety and welfare of children or adults.

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Key findings from this inspection

The residential family centre’s areas for development:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Family support plans are not reviewed on a regular basis.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The quality of care report does not meet the regulatory standards.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The centre does not have a specific risk assessment on how to manage missing episodes. This has the potential to hinder how such risks are managed at the centre.

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Key findings from this inspection

 On at least one occasion, the manager has not notified the regulator as required under regulation 26. Inspection report for residential family centre: Foundations Wigan 3

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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

The registered person shall, 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 an assessment of risk, which a resident may present to their own health, safety and welfare or that of other residents at the centre. (Regulation 13(1)(c)) With particular reference to missing-from-home risk assessments. 01/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall establish and maintain a system for reviewing and improving the quality of care provided at the residential family centre. This system shall provide consultation with residents (Regulation 23 (1)(a)(b)(3)) 01/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

If, in relation to a residential family centre, any of the events listed in column 1 of the table in schedule 5 takes place, the registered person shall without delay notify the persons indicated in respect of the event in column 2 of the table. (Regulation 26(1)) 01/03/2018

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff complete a written family placement plan. The plan should specify the objectives and intended outcomes of the placement, details of training, assistance, assessment, supervision and protection to be provided at the centre, and how the child’s welfare will be promoted. Plans should be reviewed, kept up to date and written in consultation with families. (National Minimum Standard 9.2) Inspection report for residential family centre: Foundations Wigan 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Children and parents build trusting and secure relationships with staff. Parents express that they really like the staff and value the positive relationships they share. One parent reported: ‘The support provided has given me the opportunity to see my self-worth. I will continue to grow in strength because of the guidance I’ve received.’ Another parent said: ‘Staff are friendly, approachable and supportive. I honestly cannot fault them. I feel valued, respected and listened to.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

The centre successfully works with parents, enabling the vast majority of them to leave with their children. During the last twelve months, as a result of ten assessments completed, some families have been supported to return home together.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

In general the quality of case records has improved. For example, files are well structured, organised and stored securely. Individual sessions with parents are good, and demonstrate the work undertaken by staff. In addition, support plans for individual families are also of a good standard, setting out clear aims and objectives of the assessment. However, not all support plans are routinely updated. On balance, this appears to be an administration error. Nevertheless, this fails to demonstrate how support is delivered and reviewed for some families.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Parents have the opportunity to comment formally in weekly progress meetings. Staff help parents to reflect on what has gone well and identify areas for development. Parents also benefit from individualised key-work sessions. This helps them to learn the importance of routine, nutrition, emotional warmth, playful stimulation and basic childcare and development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Staff help parents to take responsibility for their day-to-day lives. Weekly planners are used to help parents plan activities and establish routines. These include child- focused activities, parenting assessment sessions, and household routines. The use of weekly planners helps parents learn how to manage their time and become more independent.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

The centre has recently introduced an independent living skills training pack for all parents. This enables parents to enhance their independent living skills through cooking sessions, budgeting and debt management. They also receive assistance to access useful resources within the community and extend their network of support. This ensures that support is available to families that return to live in the community with their children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Parents receive support to continue with their education. They have access to community resources, online courses and training opportunities. In addition, the centre recently organised a first aid course for parents. This proved beneficial in Inspection report for residential family centre: Foundations Wigan 5 helping parents understand how to administer basic first aid to their children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

All necessary medical consents are obtained and the arrangements for the administration of medication are made clear and agreed at the point of placement. Families are provided with their own lockable medication cabinet. This ensures that medication is kept safe. The centre has sufficient links with the local doctor’s surgery and health visitor, which ensures that families receive an efficient service from the very start of their assessment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Feedback from professionals is mostly positive. Professionals say that the service has ‘improved lines of communication’ and that ‘the service is more proactive.’ One social worker stated: ‘I am confident that staff take action when concerns arise. Communication is very good and staff present as professional.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Qualified social workers lead assessment processes. Parents confirm that the assessment process is transparent and collaborative. Staff support parents throughout the assessment and appropriately challenge parents when needed. Staff encourage the parents of children to reflect on their own behaviour in order to enhance their understanding of how to maintain their child’s welfare, safety and development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Parents experience very good levels of consultation throughout their assessment. One parent said: ‘Staff are always open and honest with me and this helps me to understand what I’m doing well and what I need help with.’ Staff make good use of a wide range of teaching methods; these include practical learning, key-worker and group sessions. External professionals also visit the centre and undertake regular training workshops. This provides parents with an opportunity to expand their knowledge and learn how to nurture and maintain their children’s welfare.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

The quality of the final assessment report is good. Reports are clear and concise, and include clear evidence about parental capacity. Reports include clear recommendations from the centre for children’s futures, based on their best interests and strong evidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Children and their parents live in a warm, clean environment. One parent said: ‘I understand that it’s an assessment centre. However, the staff do their best to make sure it feels as homely as possible. At times, we all eat together and celebrate birthdays and other achievements as a group. This is nice because it helps us feel at home.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

The use of surveillance systems is made clear to parents from the point of admission. When surveillance systems are not used for the purposes of the assessment, cameras are switched off in order to respect the privacy of parents. Appropriate consent documentation agreements are on file to evidence that parents understand the reasons for surveillance systems being used. Inspection report for residential family centre: Foundations Wigan 6

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Since the last inspection, safeguarding practice has improved. The implementation of improved policies and procedures ensures that staff know what to do in the event of a safeguarding concern. Staff have now had training in safeguarding and are clear about what action they would take in response to any concerns that arise. There is clear evidence that appropriate learning from previous mistakes has taken place.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Staff promote positive behaviour effectively. As such, restraint has not been used. The centre provides clear guidelines and expectations of behaviour that are known to both staff and parents. Parents confirm that the rules are ‘fair’ and that they are there to keep everyone safe.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Each family has a risk assessment that identifies their specific vulnerabilities, such as substance misuse, aggression, violence, exploitation and mental health concerns. In the main, risk assessments are individual, are updated regularly, and effectively address all known and emerging risks. This ensures that the manager and staff can respond effectively to any issues of concern.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

On the rare occasions when children and parents have not returned to the centre at agreed times, the registered manager and the staff team have responded effectively to ensure their safe return to the home. However, not all families benefit from having a detailed risk management plan for going missing. This is not good practice, and has the potential to hinder how staff manage future missing episodes. Parents know how to complain. Their complaints are treated seriously and are responded to promptly. They also benefit from regular house meetings where they can collectively discuss issues. Staff resolve any conflicts between families quickly and effectively. This ensures that the environment remains relaxed and harmonious.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

The centre has effective arrangements in place for recruiting staff. Records demonstrate that the manager undertakes robust recruitment and selection processes. Appropriate checks and references are undertaken prior to employment. This means that, as far as possible, children are protected from unsuitable adults.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A suitably qualified and experienced registered manager manages the centre. The clear ethos within the centre is that all staff do what they can to support parents to improve their parenting skills, and to help them to care safely for their children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Requirements made at the last inspection have been met. There have been improvements in the recording systems and procedures. Families benefit from clear protocols for the safe handling and storage of medication. The centre is now sufficiently resourced in terms of staffing, and assessment reports are presented in a Inspection report for residential family centre: Foundations Wigan 7 manner that is clear, accessible and appropriate for the persons who will need to consider them. This clearly demonstrates appropriate learning from inspection, and a commitment to improve and strengthen the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Families benefit from improved links with specialist services. These include health visitors, advocacy services, housing, and substance misuse practitioners. Services regularly facilitate ‘drop in’ sessions at the centre or at local support groups. This input is used to provide tailored support to families and inform the assessment process.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from regular, good quality training that keeps them well informed. The majority of staff are either fully qualified or working towards their level 3 diploma. Staff say they feel well supported by the management team, and staff morale has improved over the last twelve months. One staff member said: ‘Things have improved 100%. We now have clear systems of work and we all know what is expected. Staff morale is also better. We all work together as a team and communication has improved.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from regular supervision that enables them to reflect on their practice and recognise their strengths and areas of development. Staff are very well supported and feel that good management support enables them to operate successfully as a team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Throughout the inspection, the registered manager demonstrated a good understanding of the centre’s strengths and weaknesses. He also makes effective use of the service development plan. This means that the manager is able to identify priorities, establish goals and measure overall performance.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager’s report of the quality of the service is not sufficiently detailed and does not provide evidence of the positive difference that the centre makes in families’ lives. In addition, consultation with individual parents is not clearly evaluated or captured in the report. This is not in keeping with regulation, and represents a missed opportunity to demonstrate the level of participation with parents throughout their assessments.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

On at least one occasion, the manager has not notified Ofsted of a serious incident. This was an administrative error and has now been addressed by the registered manager. The process for notifying Ofsted in the absence of the manager is not sufficiently robust. Leaders and managers are in the process of identifying improved systems to ensure that all staff are aware of incidents that are notifiable under regulation.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and parents. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the Inspection report for residential family centre: Foundations Wigan 8 lives of children and parents. They watched how professional staff work with children and parents and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and parents. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the residential family centre knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and parents whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

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 Residential Family Centre Regulations 2002 and the national minimum standards. Inspection report for residential family centre: Foundations Wigan 9

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider: Progressive Care Limited

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider address: 51 Attercliffe Common, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S9 2AE

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Residential family centre details

Email address: info@progressivecare.co.uk

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Inspector

Ceri Evans, social care inspector Inspection report for residential family centre: Foundations Wigan 1 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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