Blossom House

Inspection report for residential family centre: Fairways Residential Family Centre 1 Fairways Residential Family Centre Fairways Care (UK) Limited 20 Salerno Road, Southampton, Hampshire SO16 5PJ Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential family centre

The centre can accommodate up to five families, offering a service to parents and children of all ages who are referred by the courts, solicitors and local authorities. The registered manager has been in post since 25 January 2018.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and parents, taking into account outstanding

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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 outstanding

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Overall experiences and progress of

The residential family centre provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the residential family centre contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and parents.

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Overall experiences and progress of

Date of previous inspection: 21 June 2016

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Overall experiences and progress of

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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Overall experiences and progress of

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for residential family centre: Fairways Residential Family Centre 2

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Recommendations

 Prior to a placement, a risk assessment is carried out to ensure both that the centre is well placed to meet the family’s needs and that the family is able to fit in with the centre’s other residents. It informs the level of supervision necessary for the parents and is kept under review throughout the placement. (NMS 9.1) In particular, the registered person should ensure that the pre-admission assessments staff complete of a family’s need include detail of their review of the potential impact on those families living at the centre.  The residential family centre has a record of the recruitment and vetting checks which have been carried out on those working (including as volunteers) for the residential family centre which includes: a. identity checks; b. DBS Disclosures, including the level of the Disclosure, the unique reference number, and the outcome of the check including whether the individual is barred (in line with

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Recommendations

eligibility to obtain such checks); c. checks to confirm qualifications which are a requirement and those that are considered by the residential family centre to be relevant; d. at least two references, preferably one from a current employer and, where possible, a statement from each referee as to their opinion of the person’s suitability to work with vulnerable adults and children; e. checks to confirm the right to work in the UK; and f. where the person has lived outside the UK, further checks, as are considered appropriate, where obtaining a DBS Disclosure is not sufficient to establish suitability to work with children. (NMS 14.3) In particular, the registered person should ensure that all evidence of how managers decide internal appointments are made are kept on the staff’s recruitment record for the centre.  The registered manager exercises effective leadership of the centre’s staff and operation, so that the centre is organised, managed and staffed in a manner that

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Recommendations

delivers the best possible outcomes for parents and children. (NMS 12.4) In particular, the registered person should ensure that: − they follow up any safeguarding referrals other agencies are responsible for to ensure that these have been appropriately referred. If the agency has not made a referral, the registered person should do so. − the actions staff take to review the facilities and risks in the local area are recorded on the location assessment. Inspection report for residential family centre: Fairways Residential Family Centre 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: outstanding

Assessments are thorough, individual and clear. The child’s needs are paramount throughout the assessment, but there is a strong emphasis on sensitively meeting parents’ needs as well. Staff develop positive relationships with families, which encourages them to participate in the assessment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: outstanding

Care is given to the way in which parents are welcomed to the centre. Parents said that, while nervous, they felt reassured by the ways in which the staff supported them when they arrived. There are planned developments to increase parents’ knowledge of the centre and to provide as much information as possible before they arrive. For instance, the managers are planning to produce a short film which shows what the centre is like.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: outstanding

Bespoke assessments are delivered sensitively and effectively. The assessments of how the centre can meet the needs of the family prior to their arrival support a smooth introduction to the centre. Managers, however, do not record the actions they take to assess the impact a family might have on parents and children who are already here. This is a missed opportunity to record all the ways that the managers inform their decisions about which families come to the centre.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: outstanding

Effective teamwork helps the staff to focus on the needs of the child, to look at the different aspects of the court instruction from different viewpoints and to fine tune their assessments to ensure that their evidence is wide ranging and meets a family’s needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: outstanding

The various elements of the assessment process unpick the ways in which a parent provides care to a child effectively. This results in appropriate and individualised support plans that are continually re-evaluated. The plans are developed in partnership with families who are kept well informed of what is being found and the next steps of the assessment. The theories staff use to underpin the assessment are clearly adopted and help them to arrive at their conclusions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: outstanding

Excellent quality court reports are valued by professionals. These detailed, balanced and clear reports respond well to the issues that the assessment commissioner requires. The report’s conclusions offer clear recommendations about what support is needed for each person in the family.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: outstanding

Parents’ opinions are valued and acted on. There are formal and informal ways for the parents to make their views known. If concerns and complaints are known, they are dealt with appropriately. Mediation is used frequently and well to help resolve any issues that arise. Inspection report for residential family centre: Fairways Residential Family Centre 4 The staff carefully plan how to help parents and children when they leave the centre. Staff support parents to make referrals to appropriate services and advise them about community services which are available to meet their individual and collective needs. Staff help parents to record memories of their child, which they can take with them, for example by making a copy of their child’s footprints and taking photos of their child’s first few weeks of life.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Children’s safety is paramount and carefully monitored. The staff know what they are expected to do in respect of each of the families who are at the centre and what risks exist for each.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding and generally use this knowledge well. They provide a range of activities and opportunities for discussions, which support families to develop their awareness and abilities to keep their child and themselves safe. However, on one occasion, managers did not follow up whether an external agency had made all the appropriate referrals to the local safeguarding team.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Planning safe care is integral to all stages of the assessment. For example, the staff take parents through a ‘nurturing’ two-week programme when they arrive. This programme promotes and protects children’s safety and well-being from the time when they arrive and provides a baseline for the assessment process that follows.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

The staff’s and parents’ use of safety plans help to minimise risk. These plans are developed with parents, which supports their commitment to the plan, and provides them with clarity about how concerns will be managed. Two parents were very positive about how the safety plan clarified what they could expect the staff to do.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Risk assessments are generally detailed and frequently updated. The family risk assessments contain good guidance for staff about what they should do to minimise risks. An assessment about the risks and opportunities in the local environment is completed annually. Staff are continually aware of new risks in the community and act to minimise their effects, but these assessments are not recorded.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

The work of the psychotherapist assists parents to talk about past trauma, to consider how their past affects their parenting and to learn coping skills and engage with outside agencies such as drug and alcohol services. The therapist is an integral part of the team that supports and assesses parenting capacity. Her work enables the team to have a greater understanding of the family and parents. This increases their ability to focus on their child’s needs.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Recruitment practice of external applicants is appropriately completed. However, the records of the internal appointments procedure are not always fully evidenced on an employee’s file at the centre. This is a missed opportunity for leaders to demonstrate strong recruitment practice for every appointment made. Inspection report for residential family centre: Fairways Residential Family Centre 5 Health and safety checks are generally undertaken well. However, in one instance managers did not check whether the timescale to address an identified concern was suitable; this was remedied during the inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers have a clear vision for the service, which they achieve well. They provide strong leadership which results in:  a focus on a child’s best interests  parents who can make their views known  a motivated staff team that is positive and reflective  an effective balance between the parenting assessment and support for children and parents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Every opportunity is used by leaders and managers to consider how to continually review and improve practice. The responsible individual is reflecting on how well the monthly visits from an independent person support them to review their practice. The manager looks for changes in the wider political and social environment to consider implications for their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There is a shared learning and inquisitive culture embedded here. This culture supports parents to receive consistent up-to-date advice. For example, staff follow National Health Service guidance regarding babies’ care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers learn from issues that arise and improve any issues they identify. For instance, the induction process for agency staff has been developed further following concerns regarding one person. The managers worked with agencies to improve their understanding of the staff skills, knowledge and experience that are needed. A detailed induction form is now completed when an agency staff member starts work, and managers monitor how well the person manages their role, so they can consider whether the person is right for the centre.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There are good levels of appropriately qualified staff on duty throughout the day and night. Their range of skills, backgrounds and knowledge flexibly meets children’s and their parents’ needs well. Staffing levels are kept under review and change depending on what is happening.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Training plans are well developed. Learning opportunities are various and consist not only of courses. Team meetings include new issues relating to safeguarding. The makeup of staff on a shift represents the balance of newer staff working with more experienced staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff support is good, and the frequency of supervision has improved. Staff said that Inspection report for residential family centre: Fairways Residential Family Centre 6 managers’ support is helpful. Further planned changes to the supervision format aim to ensure that the quality of supervision records becomes consistently good.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Relationships with other professionals are excellent. They describe the staff team as a ‘safe pair of hands’ that works with integrity and honesty about what it can and cannot achieve. Judges requested that local authorities use this service. One professional said that the staff give parents the best chances to show that their care will meet children’s immediate and long-term needs sufficiently well. Inspection report for residential family centre: Fairways Residential Family Centre 7

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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: Fairways Residential Family Centre 8

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider: Fairways Care (UK) Limited

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider address: Fairways House, Mount Pleasant Road, Northam, Southampton SO14 0QB

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Inspector

Ruth Coler, social care inspector Inspection report for residential family centre: Fairways Residential Family Centre 9 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

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Inspector

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Inspector

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