Oikos Family Assessment Centres

Inspection report for residential family centre: Oikos Family Assessment Centres 1 Oikos Family Assessment Centres Oikos Family Centres Limited Walk Hill Farm, Apperley Lane, Bradford, Yorkshire BD10 0PD Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential family centre

This service is privately owned and managed and is registered to provide parenting assessments for up to four families. It is operating currently at full capacity.

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Information about this residential family centre

The families have their own bedrooms and share the communal rooms. The communal space includes two kitchen/dining rooms, two lounges and bathrooms with some of the bedrooms being en suite. The property is situated in a semi-rural setting with a large garden to the rear.

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Information about this residential family centre

The residential family centre was registered on 22 September 2020. The registered manager is currently undertaking her level 5 diploma in leadership and management.

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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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Information about this residential family centre

We visited this setting on 11 March 2021 to carry out a monitoring visit. This report is published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about this residential family centre

This is the first full inspection since registration.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and parents, taking into account requires improvement to be good

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Overall experiences and progress of

How well children and parents are helped and protected requires improvement to be good Inspection report for residential family centre: Oikos Family Assessment Centres 2 The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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Overall experiences and progress of

The residential family centre is not yet delivering good assessments, help and care for children and parents. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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Overall experiences and progress of

Date of previous inspection: not applicable

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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: Oikos Family Assessment Centres 3

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improvement to be good

Parents are generally happy with their care and treatment at the centre. They also express satisfaction with the assessment process. However, the quality of the assessment reports is variable, and the inconsistencies have not been improved through the management monitoring systems. In the case of one family, there was no evidence of the detailed recording of the parenting assessment. This does not provide full assurances that the parents understand all of the topics that were covered during the assessment process. Furthermore, there was no evidence to demonstrate that the assessing social worker had completed any work or that any work with the family had been scheduled. Not all parents’ comments have been included in the work that has been completed with them.

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improvement to be good

The staff from the centre welcome families when they arrive. Food and drinks are offered to families, which helps them to unwind after a stressful journey and settle in quickly. Staff members provide parents with clear information about the centre, so that parents understand what is expected of them during the assessment process. Toiletries, clothing and equipment for the children are all available at the centre should parents need it.

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improvement to be good

Families receive individualised care and support from the staff team. This is based on their histories, religious, racial, cultural and linguistic backgrounds. The staff customise the resources to meet the communication needs of families that include pictorial support, plain English documentation, and the use of translation services. This ensures that parents understand and can engage in all aspects of the assessment process.

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improvement to be good

Parents speak positively about their relationships with the staff, which helps them to participate in their assessments. Parents’ wishes, feelings and suggestions are considered during residents’ meetings and one-to-one discussions.

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improvement to be good

Parents engage in a range of sessions during their assessments that help them to understand the concerns that the authorities have about their capacity to parent their children safely. By participating in the activities, parents are learning what they need to do to improve their parenting skills. Emotional support is provided for parents through sessions that focus on topics such as domestic abuse, healthy relationships and emotional well-being. The extra-curricular activities, such as arts and crafts, trips away and celebrating festivals, make parents’ stays positive and memorable.

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improvement to be good

The culturally diverse staff team supports an anti-discriminatory culture at the centre. This includes staff who have interpreted for parents who do not speak English as their first language. Parents are aware of the centre’s complaints Inspection report for residential family centre: Oikos Family Assessment Centres 4 procedures, but they have not used it due to them dealing with minor issues informally with the registered manager and staff.

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improvement to be good

Children are not yet receiving good help and protection, but there are no serious failures that leave them either harmed or at risk of harm.

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improvement to be good

During the inspection, the registered manager could not provide evidence that an updated Disclosure and Barring Service check had been obtained in relation to one staff member. Furthermore, they could not explain the employment gaps. The provider sent further information to Ofsted in response to the identified shortfalls. The information was sent after the inspection feedback had been shared with the provider, and therefore the evidence cannot be considered. The registered manager could not evidence that all written references had been verified. The gaps provide opportunities for unsuitable people to have access to vulnerable children and adults.

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improvement to be good

Families’ written risk assessments are reviewed regularly. These documents provide staff with the strategies to reduce the risks. However, the safety plans are generic and, as a result, they do not address the individual needs of families and could miss some critical risk factors.

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improvement to be good

A recent safeguarding incident was handled appropriately in partnership with other professional agencies, and it was notified to Ofsted. However, the records following the incident did not detail all of the actions that the staff took at the time with the child.

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improvement to be good

The premises offer families safety and security. The staff are vigilant, and they take their safeguarding role seriously. The staff have a coherent understanding about safeguarding children and vulnerable adults and they show sound levels of professional curiosity. Staff conduct regular checks on families which includes them using closed-circuit television monitoring, physical visual checks, and baby monitors. These surveillance mechanisms all contribute to safeguarding children.

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improvement to be good

No parents or children have gone missing, nor has anyone been physically restrained. The staff are skilled in de-escalating challenging behaviours. This enables the staff to manage any conflicts between parents effectively, which promotes a harmonious environment for everyone.

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good

The responsible individual and registered manager both have an ambitious vision for the continued development of the service, which is rooted in its culture.

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good

The registered manager understands the progress that families are making. They have realistic expectations for what parents can accomplish. The collaborative Inspection report for residential family centre: Oikos Family Assessment Centres 5 relationship between the provider and local authorities ensures that the decisions are made in the children’s best interests, safety and welfare.

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good

The staff are well trained, skilled and motivated, and they want to provide the best outcomes for the families. However, staff vacancies have made it more challenging for the registered manager to lead the staff team and the service efficiently and effectively. Despite the commitment of the registered manager and the staff team to cover the rota, this is not a plan that can be sustained in the absence of insufficient staff. A variation that the provider has submitted to Ofsted to increase the number of places from four to seven is on hold currently until the staffing situation is resolved.

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good

Management monitoring systems have not identified and addressed the shortfalls quickly enough, which has led to some unsafe practices. The reports produced by the independent visitor are not consistently robust. They do not always report on the actual findings of the visit or confirm that families are safe. This does not help the registered manager to prioritise the work that needs to be done to improve the services for children and families.

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good

Clinical supervision provides opportunities for the registered manager and social work staff to reflect on their practice. However, new staff have not received a formal induction. None of the staff have had regular supervision for several months and staff appraisals have not taken place. This prevents the staff from having opportunities to reflect on their practice and continue to develop their skills and improve their professional practice. The recommendation that was raised at the monitoring visit regarding staff supervision has been escalated to a statutory requirement due to the lack of improvement in this area.

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good

The provider does not have a policy in place about family members working at the centre. This does not promote proper levels of transparency and protection within the staff team.

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good

The statement of purpose does not accurately reflect the type of parenting assessments that the centre carries out with families.

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good

The accommodation at the centre is furnished and maintained to a very good standard. This enables families to be assessed in a comfortable environment that values them. The recommendation made at the monitoring visit regarding the removal of avoidable hazards during building work has been addressed.

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good

The staff team works well with other professionals and the strength of the work of the team is reflected in the many compliments that professionals have made. Similarly, parents who have left the centre have sent ‘thank you’ cards to the staff team. Parents express their gratitude for the care and support that they received during their stay at the centre. Inspection report for residential family centre: Oikos Family Assessment Centres 6

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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

Where the following conditions apply, the registered person may permit a person to start work at the residential family centre notwithstanding paragraph (4)(b)—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person has taken all reasonable steps to obtain full information in respect of each of the matters specified in Schedule 2 in respect of that person, but the enquiries in relation to any of the matters specified in paragraphs 3 to 6 of Schedule 2 are incomplete; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information in respect of that person has been obtained in relation to the matters specified in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 2. (Regulation 16 (5)(a)(b)) 31 January 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall ensure that all persons employed by him—

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Requirement Due date

receive appropriate training, supervision and appraisal;

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Requirement Due date

are enabled from time to time to obtain further qualifications appropriate to the work they perform. (Regulation 17 5(a)(b)) 31 January 2022

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6) the registered person shall ensure that the residential family centre is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. (Regulation 4 (5))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the statement of purpose acutely reflects the type of parenting assessments that the centre provides. 31 December

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall establish and maintain a system for—

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Requirement Due date

improving, 31 December Inspection report for residential family centre: Oikos Family Assessment Centres 7 the quality of care provided at the residential family centre. (Regulation 23 (1)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure robust oversight of the practices in the service and challenge the content of the regulation 25 reports to ensure that they are rigorous and support the service improvements.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall ensure that there is, having regard to—

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Requirement Due date

the statement of purpose of the residential family centre, its size and the numbers and needs of its residents; and

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Requirement Due date

the need to safeguard and promote the health and welfare of residents, a sufficient number of suitably qualified, competent and experienced persons working for the residential family centre. (Regulation 15 (a)(b)) 31 January 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should address any issue of concern that they identify, or which is raised with them. (‘Residential family centres national minimum standards’, page 29, paragraph 19.7) In particular, the registered person should ensure that the records are scheduled and completed to support the assessment process. Improve the quality of the assessment reports, so they are to a consistently good standard. Ensure that parents’ comments are included in the work completed with them and ensure that records following incidents include all key information. And implement a policy about family members working at the centre.

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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: Oikos Family Assessment Centres 8

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider: Oikos Family Centres Limited

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider address: Office F06, First Floor, Dawson's House, Owlcotes Lane, Pudsey LS28 6PY

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Residential family centre details

Email address: zahida.parveen@oikosfamilycentres.co.uk

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Inspectors

Jacqueline Malcolm, Social Care Inspector Cath Sikakana, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for residential family centre: Oikos Family Assessment Centres 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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