PAFA (Parenting Assessments For All) Ltd

Inspection report for residential family centre: Pafa (parenting Assessments For All) Ltd 1 Pafa (parenting Assessments For All) Ltd Pafa (parenting Assessments For All) Ltd 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 accommodate up to four families at any one time. The residential family centre is privately owned. Families access the centre at the direction of the family court and/or the local authority for the purposes of assessment. The manager was registered with Ofsted in August 2019 and holds a social work qualification.

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Information about this residential family centre

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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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 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: 15 October 2019

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Overall experiences and progress of

Overall judgement at last inspection: good Inspection report for residential family centre: Pafa (parenting Assessments For All) Ltd 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Parents are given individualised support at the centre. Staff help them to make the most of the opportunities available to them. This, in turn, helps them to improve their parenting skills and to understand how to meet their children’s care and safeguarding needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

The centre offers families good-quality accommodation. It feels warm, welcoming and homely. This helps families to settle and focus on the reasons why they are there. Families have their own private space, but generally congregate in the communal areas where they can engage with staff and other residents.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

In the main, parents spoke positively about their relationships with staff. Social workers also commented on how well staff develop helpful and supportive relationships with parents. The inspector observed staff being calm and attentive to parents and babies. One family specifically commented that staff offered care and support to them when they had experienced upsetting news.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

The centre’s social workers produce high-quality parenting assessments. These are in line with court directions and focus on the specific issues to be addressed. Assessment reports have been praised by social workers, judges and children’s guardians. The assessment process is thorough. Parents are regularly updated about their progress. They know where they are doing well and where they need to improve.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Staff spoken to were knowledgeable about the families residing in the centre. They are confident about performing their roles. They understand what is expected of them in relation to direct work and observations as part of the parenting assessment. High staffing levels mean that parents get lots of support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

The centre also commissions specialist services to ensure that the holistic needs of the parents and children are met. Examples of such services include clinical psychology, a holistic health and mediator practitioner, a person who delivers the Duluth programme and a healthy relationship specialist.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

There is a strong focus on safeguarding throughout all the centre’s activities. Rigorous scrutiny of parents’ care of their children ensures that safeguarding concerns get identified immediately. This ensures children’s safety. The centre maintains good lines of communication with placing authorities so that they are aware of any emerging concerns. Inspection report for residential family centre: Pafa (parenting Assessments For All) Ltd 3 Assessment work is underpinned by safeguarding. There is a clear thread throughout the final assessment reports relating to whether parents can safely meet their children’s needs.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Risks are understood and risk assessment starts in the pre-placement stage. This means that families have risk assessments in place from the moment they arrive at the centre. Robust processes are in place to ensure that staff are aware of risks. Staff are made aware of any recently identified risks and subsequent changes to the families’ risk assessments. Matching activity includes an assessment of whether identified risks for families are compatible with each other. As a result, families are generally well matched and there is minimal inter-family conflict.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Transparency around safeguarding practice is promoted. There are good lines of communication between the centre, the designated officer, the placing authority and the regulator. This has resulted in improved practice around allegation management, as well as strong safeguarding practice in general.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Safe recruitment procedures are followed. This means that people who work in the centre are safe and suitable to do so. Parents have been included in the selection process for new staff. This helps them to feel valued and to know that their views are important.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Some errors have been made in the administration of medication. While there are good systems in place for administering and recording medication administration, staff have not always followed these systems and errors have occurred. Managers have made every effort to address this to prevent the likelihood of recurrence.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have an ambitious vision for the service. They are constantly looking at ways that they can develop and improve. Significant investment in staffing and commissioned services has taken place since the last inspection of the centre. This has driven continuous improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers are visible in the centre and staff report them to be both supportive and approachable. Staff feel that they work in a supportive environment where managers pay attention to their welfare as well as that of the residents. Staff report high levels of job satisfaction.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Most staff receive supervision at a level of frequency that is in line with their needs. One member of staff was noted not to have been supervised for a relatively lengthy period when she was new to the role. A higher frequency of supervision would be in line with good practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers are clear about the progress that parents make while in the centre. They are realistic about what they can achieve in the short time during their assessment. Managers understand that the centre does not work in isolation and that parents Inspection report for residential family centre: Pafa (parenting Assessments For All) Ltd 4 need to access the community in order to provide a realistic assessment of whether they can parent safely without the support of staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Social workers spoken to as part of this inspection were positive about all aspects of the centre and the assessment process. This shows that managers develop good professional relationships and that they communicate well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The centre’s strengths and weaknesses are understood by managers. However, reports under regulation 25 have not been sent to the regulator over a significant period. This hinders monitoring of the service. A requirement is made to reflect this shortfall. Inspection report for residential family centre: Pafa (parenting Assessments For All) Ltd 5

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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 make arrangements for the recording, handling, safe keeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines into the residential family centre. (Regulation 11 (2)) 1 December 2021

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

The person carrying out the visit shall —

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider shall supply a copy of the report required to be made under paragraph (4)(c) to —

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Requirement Due date

the commission. (Regulation 25 (3)(4)(c)(5)(a)) 1 December 2021

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are provided with regular supervision by appropriately qualified and experienced staff. (Residential Family Centres National Minimum Standards 17.5).

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and parents 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: Pafa (parenting Assessments For All) Ltd 6

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider: Pafa (parenting Assessments For All) Ltd

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Inspector

Charlie Bamber, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for residential family centre: Pafa (parenting Assessments For All) Ltd 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

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Inspector

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Inspector

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