Clairmont

Inspection report for residential family centre: Clairmont 1 Clairmont Keys Family Assessment Centre Limited Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential family centre

A large national private company operates this residential family centre. It is registered to provide a service to five families. Families usually stay at the centre for 12 weeks for their assessment. A range of assessment methods are used. The centre specialises in the assessment of mothers who have experienced or are experiencing domestic abuse and/or have complex mental health.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for residential family centre: Clairmont 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

At the time of the inspection, there were four families living at the centre. The environment is nurturing, calm and relaxed. Parents and their children feel comfortable and safe. They attend an array of individual sessions and groups which staff tailor to their needs. There is a focus on parents and their children having fun together. Parents grow in confidence and report positive experiences while living at the centre.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Parents describe positive relationships with staff. They say that staff are helpful and supportive. One parent described feeling anxious and worried when they arrived at the centre. They felt that staff took the time to listen to their concerns and made them feel reassured. Parents receive a welcome book before they arrive. This alleviates any anxiety before they move in as they know what to expect. Sometimes they visit the centre before they move in. One parent lived at a distance and the centre provided them with a live video tour.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Placement plans are of good quality. They identify the individual needs of parents and children and the nature of support staff will provide. Placement plans support effective, person-centred practice. As a result, parents recieve valuable support which improves their parenting capacity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Assessments are well informed by each family’s life journey. They receive education and teaching sessions and monitoring through observation, interaction and discussion. Parents receive weekly updates on their progress. This enables them to see what is working well and how they can improve. It also promotes transparency and consistency.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Final assessment reports contain clear evidence and are evaluative and child- focused. One social worker said they ‘could feel the journey that had occurred’. Reports also consider the future needs of children and their parents. They include a range of recommendations to support them. For example, one child receives care from their parent and grandparents. This is a co-parenting agreement granted by the court. One grandparent said the assessment and recommendation was ‘instrumental’ in the court’s decision. They said staff ‘worked with her [parent] with a more holistic approach. It turned out to be a positive experience and a positive outcome.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

There has been a significant delay in one assessment being completed. This has led to one family spending an extended period of time at the centre. This is because they needed longer to complete specialist work. This improved their parenting capacity and the family remained together. Managers are tenacious and determined. They escalate any concerns about the performance of placing authorities when necessary. They advocate and ensure that plans are in children’s best interests. Inspection report for residential family centre: Clairmont 3 Transitions from the centre are good. They are well planned to ensure that families receive continuity of support. This is particularly evident when families have little or no support network. One social worker said staff went ‘over and above’ when preparing for one family to leave. Staff stayed local to one family who live at a distance from the centre. This was to ensure that the assessment included a period

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

in the community. This meant that decisions about children’s care were not delayed in care proceedings.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Safeguarding practice in the centre keeps families safe. Managers and staff have a good understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities. Staff are vigilant and are able to anticipate risky situations. Monitoring is effective and, as a result, incidents of significant concern rarely occur.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Risks relating to the safety and well-being of families are managed effectively. However, some safety measures are not regularly reviewed, for example, the use of visual baby monitors to monitor children’s safety. The rationale for their use is not always recorded.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Parents feel able to raise concerns and make complaints. The manager responds appropriately and investigates complaints thoroughly. Parents are clear about expectations of behaviour. Clear boundaries help parents to maintain positive relationships with staff and each other.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Staff support parents to make positive changes. For example, they develop an understanding of healthy relationships in which children thrive. They also develop an understanding of what constitutes an unhealthy relationship, including the impact this can have on children. Parents receive support which educates them about their past experiences. This is empowering for parents. As a result, one parent separated from their partner after gaining an insight of the risks they posed.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Thorough risk assessments are undertaken for when families spend time out of the centre. Managers ensure that any risks relating to children’s safety are clearly understood. They put in place strategies to allow parents to demonstrate their progress. This includes exploration of potential scenarios in the community and action for staff to take if parents do not follow their safety plans.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Parents, with the support of staff, devise their own health and safety plans. These plans incorporate triggers and signs which indicate that they may feel unwell. Parents identify strategies for staff to use to support their mental health.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

One family’s risk assessment was not updated promptly when there were significant concerns. These concerns were in relation to a parent’s mental health. This had the potential to impact on the safety of their children. However, strategies were in place for staff to manage the identified risks. Inspection report for residential family centre: Clairmont 4

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and responsible individual are passionate about the service they provide. Staff feel well supported and enjoy working at the centre. They are highly motivated and child-focused. Staff are highly skilled at helping parents to understand their child’s development. This includes the impact of external factors such as domestic abuse.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff attend social work forums arranged by the responsible individual. The forums provide staff with the opportunity to explore practice. Social workers lead these sessions, on topics such as professional curiosity. They provide staff with the opportunity for reflection. As a result, staff know families well. They recognise risk and are able to take appropriate action to keep children safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision which reviews their practice. Supervision also reflects on the progress of each family’s assessment. However, the quality of supervision recording varies. Actions to improve practice are not always recorded or revisited. This could hinder the continuous development of some staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel supported by senior managers. They are positive about the manager’s ability to lead the staff team and implement her vision. Team morale is positive, and staff say that they enjoy working with the families. There have been minimal changes to the core staff team since registration. As a result, families receive continuity of care and support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and staff receive training pertinent to the needs of families. As a result, staff are able to fulfil their roles with competency and skill. However, staff have not undertaken training in relation to substance misuse. This has the potential to hinder the quality of a parent’s assessment and support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have a good understanding of the centre’s strengths and weaknesses. Internal monitoring systems provide a clear overview of how the centre functions, including any shortfalls in staff practice. Learning reviews are undertaken frequently. Staff enjoy this reflection, which enhances their practice. As a result, managers and staff have a good understanding of the progress that families make.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager works well with families and external professionals. This approach is central to practice in the home. As a result, the service meets the aims and objectives contained in the statement of purpose. Several professionals said they have recommended the service to others. Inspection report for residential family centre: Clairmont 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 maintain in respect of each family accommodated in the residential family centre a record which—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

is kept up to date. (Regulation 19 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that risk assessments are updated with significant information in a timely manner. Risk assessments must also record the review of any measures in place to reduce risk, such as the use of surveillance, to ensure they remain proportionate. 5 December 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all staff receive training pertinent to the needs of parents. (Residential family centres: NMS 16.1)  The registered person should ensure that all staff receive good-quality supervision which is reflective and enables performance to be measured. (Residential family centres: NMS 17.1 and 17.4)

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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: Clairmont 6

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider: Keys Family Assessment Centre Limited

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider address: Maybrook House, Second Floor, Queensway, Halesowen, West Midlands B63 4AH

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Residential family centre details

Email address: manager.clairmont@keys-group.co.uk

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Inspector

Sarah Berry, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for residential family centre: Clairmont 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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