Project Phoenix Ltd

Inspection report for residential family centre: Project Phoenix Ltd 1 Project Phoenix Limited 11 Wentworth Street, Huddersfield, Yorkshire HD1 5PX Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential family centre

This is a privately owned and run residential family centre. The primary purpose of the centre is to support local authorities, courts, parents and children in the provision of robust, fair and evidence-based parenting assessments.

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Information about this residential family centre

The centre is registered to accommodate up to three families. The families have their own bedroom and share the communal rooms. The communal space includes a kitchen/dining room, playroom, a lounge and bathroom with a shower. There is a storage area for prams and a medium-sized garden to the rear of the property with external access.

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Information about this residential family centre

The manager is currently in the process of applying for registration.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and parents, taking into account good

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Overall experiences and progress of

How well children and parents are helped and protected good

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Overall experiences and progress of

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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Overall experiences and progress of

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

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Overall experiences and progress of

Date of previous inspection: first inspection

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Overall experiences and progress of

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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Overall experiences and progress of

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for residential family centre: Project Phoenix Ltd 2

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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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Statutory requirements

Requirement Due date The registered person shall compile in relation to the residential family centre a written statement (in these Regulations referred to as “the statement of purpose”) which shall consist of a statement as to the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Statutory requirements

A statement of the facilities and services, including details of the type of accommodation, to be provided by the residential family centre; and

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Statutory requirements

The number, relevant qualifications and experience of persons working at the residential family centre. (Regulation 4(1)) 31/07/2019

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Statutory requirements

The registered person shall maintain in respect of each family accommodated in the residential family centre a record which—

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Statutory requirements

includes the information, documents and other records specified in Schedule 3 relating to the members of the family; and is kept up to date;

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Statutory requirements

The registered person shall also maintain the records specified in Schedule 4 in respect of the residential family centre;

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Statutory requirements

The registered person shall ensure that the records referred to in paragraph (3) are—

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Statutory requirements

kept up to date. (Regulation 19 (1)(a)(b); (3) and (4)(a)) 31/07/2019

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Statutory requirements

The registered person shall ensure that—

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Statutory requirements

the physical design and layout of the premises to be used as the residential family centre meet the needs of families; 31/07/2019 Inspection report for residential family centre: Project Phoenix Ltd 3 the premises to be used as the residential family centre are of sound construction and kept in a good state of repair externally and internally;

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Statutory requirements

all parts of the residential family centre are kept clean and reasonably decorated;

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Statutory requirements

external grounds which are suitable for, and safe for use by, residents are provided and appropriately maintained. (Regulation 21 (2)(a)(b)(c) and (j)) Where the registered provider is an organisation or a partnership, the residential family centre shall be visited in accordance with this regulation by—

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Statutory requirements

the responsible individual or one of the partners, as the case may be;

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Statutory requirements

another of the directors or other persons responsible for the management of the organisation or partnership; or an employee of the organisation or partnership who is not directly concerned with the conduct of the residential family centre.

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Statutory requirements

Visits under paragraph (1) or (2) shall take place at least once a month and may be unannounced.

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Statutory requirements

The person carrying out the visit shall—

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Statutory requirements

interview, with their consent and in private, such of the residents and persons working at the residential family centre as appears necessary in order to form an opinion of the standard of care provided in the residential family centre;

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Statutory requirements

inspect the premises of the residential family centre, its daily log of events and records of any complaints; and

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Statutory requirements

prepare a written report on the conduct of the residential family centre.

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Statutory requirements

The registered provider shall supply a copy of the report required to be made under paragraph (4)(c) to— the Commission; the registered manager; and in the case of a visit under paragraph (2)—

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Statutory requirements

where the registered provider is an organisation, to each of the directors or other persons responsible for the management of the organisation; and where the registered 31/07/2019 Inspection report for residential family centre: Project Phoenix Ltd 4 provider is a partnership, to each of the partners.

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Statutory requirements

(Regulation 25 (1)(2)(a)(b) and (c); (3); (4)(a)(b) and (c); (5)(a)(b) and (c)(i)(ii)) The registered person shall ensure that the residential family centre is conducted so as to—

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Statutory requirements

make such provision for the care, treatment, education and supervision of residents as is appropriate to their age and needs.

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Statutory requirements

The registered person shall, so far as is practicable, ascertain and take into account the wishes and feelings of residents when making decisions concerning their health and welfare, or the manner in which they are treated.

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Statutory requirements

The registered person shall make suitable arrangements to ensure that the residential family centre is conducted— in a manner which respects the privacy and dignity of residents. (Regulation 10 (1)(b); (2) and (3)(a)) 31/07/2019

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Recommendations

 All people working in or for the residential family centre are interviewed as part of the selection process and have references checked to assess suitability before taking on responsibilities. Telephone enquiries are made as well as obtaining written references. (NMS 14.1)  Except in an emergency, parents and children are given information, before arrival, about the centre and the placement, training, supervision, assistance and assessment they can expect, in a format which meets their needs. Parents and their children should visit the centre prior to a placement decision being made. (NMS 7.3)  The registered person prepares a resident‟s guide which includes a summary of the statement of purpose and provides a copy for every parent and child (of appropriate age) resident in the centre and for prospective residents. (NMS 8.6)  There are good quality learning and development opportunities which staff and

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Recommendations

volunteers are supported to undertake. These may include induction, post- qualifying and in-service training to enhance individual skills and to keep staff up- to-date with professional and legal developments. (NMS 16.2) Inspection report for residential family centre: Project Phoenix Ltd 5

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Parents are actively involved from the onset in the planning of their placement. Their views and opinions are valued and where possible promoted and acted upon. Parents commented that they were made to feel welcome right from the beginning and said: „We were involved in all the meetings. We had our say and we were told what to expect.‟

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Parents and children benefit from the trusted and positive relationships that develop with staff during the course of their assessment. Parents feel able to share their worries, fears and anxieties, and they are listened to and consulted with through each stage of the assessment process. This goes a long way in parents being able to take ownership of their past behaviours, make positive changes and move forward in their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Through tailor-made assessments and the promotion of good parenting techniques, parents are helped to make the necessary changes. This brings understanding, recognition and acceptance in enhancing their ability to provide good care, and in meeting the ever-changing needs of their babies and children as they grow and develop.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

A key strength of this service is the diverse experience and skill set of the staff group. Parents are exposed to a wide range of learning opportunities, such as basic numeracy and literacy, life skills and practical support in, for example, opening a bank account. This contributes to a well-rounded and holistic parenting experience and assessment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Parents, their babies and children are supported to attend activities which promote their socialisation and stimulation, such as baby massage, family centres and playgroups. This gives parents the opportunity to interact with other parents in a friendly non-stigmatising environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Staff offer support to parents and their children to attend all health appointments. During assessment planning, additional help in addressing substance misuse, alcohol misuse, domestic abuse and mental health issues is identified. Parents are supported and encouraged to attend community-based services.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

The overall quality of recording activity through daily observations, weekly reports and the final assessment reports requires improvement and the inspector has identified shortfalls and inconsistencies. The manager has embraced this and has welcomed advice in these areas. Inspection report for residential family centre: Project Phoenix Ltd 6

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

The compelling emphasis on the safety and well-being of children makes the assessment process a nurturing experience. Admission planning for parents and their children is achieved through effective multi-agency consultation and takes into account known risks and vulnerabilities. Placement planning documentation is well recorded. However, referral documents have not routinely been completed in all cases.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Staff spoken to say that they have access to all information pertaining to the families they are working with and are well informed with the identified needs and risks. This contributes to the assessment process. Staff are clear on safeguarding procedures when responding to concerns about the safety of a child or parent.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Risk assessments provide details of known risk factors and parents are clear regarding appropriate conduct and behaviour both in the home and in the community. Risk management plans detail what the parents will need to engage in and conform to during the assessment process. However, risk assessments have not routinely been updated and reviewed. Apart from the verbal feedback, this does not give parents a clear message as to whether risks have increased or reduced, or whether new risks have emerged.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Careful and safe recruitment is taking place and there is a core group of staff who have been employed since the family centre opened. They have a wide range of skills and experience and staff undertake their duties and responsibilities with competence and confidence. There has been one anomaly relating to the verification of a reference that was brought to the manager‟s attention during the inspection. A more robust checking system would rectify this shortfall.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

The home environment is free from hazards and all health and safety equipment has been tested and is in good order, such as fire extinguishers and safety gates. All hazardous materials are stored safely. Equally, fire drills are being undertaken in line with procedures. However, the records need to detail who is present during these drills.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Some areas of the physical environment need attention: the garden requires ongoing maintenance and the „out of bounds‟ utility room needs work doing to make it fit for purpose. There is some general wear and tear in the home. However, the home conveys a warm, calm and welcoming atmosphere. There is equipment, toys and furnishings to meet the needs of families residing here.

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good

This is the first inspection of this residential family centre. There has been a change in the management of the service and the responsible individual is currently applying to be the manager. She is in the process of becoming registered and is completing Inspection report for residential family centre: Project Phoenix Ltd 7 her level 5 qualification in leadership and management.

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good

Leadership of the home is developing, and the manager and the social worker are on a journey of improvement. There is commitment, drive and enthusiasm to achieve high standards of assessment and care. The manager is focusing on establishing strong partnership working with local authorities, specialist services, solicitors and health professionals that ensures a multi-agency approach to the assessment process.

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good

Commissioning services and parents are well informed about the service provided to families through the statement of purpose. The manager does need to keep the statement of purpose updated to reflect staffing levels and their qualifications and detail any additional services the family centre offers, such as non-residential assessments.

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good

The manager needs to ensure that all parents receive the welcome pack and handbook on admission to the family centre. Some parents report this was not the case and although they were given verbal information, one parent said: „It was about two weeks before we got the welcome pack and we couldn‟t remember some of the dos and don‟ts.‟ Some parents, although clear on the level of surveillance and monitoring, had not given signed consent, in particular relating to CCTV that had been set up in communal areas.

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good

External monitoring is not compliant with the regulations and the manager is in the process of addressing this. This shortfall means that the family centre is not having that independent „critical eye‟ that would be of significant benefit in the ongoing development and improvement of the quality of the service provided.

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good

The environment is very supportive, with staff stating that they receive good-quality induction, training and supervision. Team meetings are fortnightly and each month there is in-house training on a range of issues, such as child development, safeguarding and recording. Staff report good morale within the team. The manager and social worker are not currently receiving supervision and this needs to be sourced as a matter of priority.

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good

There are some shortfalls in essential training areas applicable to this client group, such as conflict resolution, self-harm and mental health. Equally, the manager and the social worker need to complete supervision training to ensure that their supervisory responsibilities are satisfactory. Inspection report for residential family centre: Project Phoenix Ltd 8

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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 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: Project Phoenix Ltd 9

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider: Project Phoenix Limited

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider address: 11 Wentworth Street, Huddersfield, Yorkshire HD1 5PX

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Residential family centre details

Responsible individual: Lucille Gabriel-Gilchrist

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Inspectors

Cath Sikakana: social care inspector Debbie Foster: social care inspector Inspection report for residential family centre: Project Phoenix Ltd 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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