Family Beginnings

Name and address removed at request of provider 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 provide support for up to three families at any one time. The centre is privately owned.

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Information about this residential family centre

Families access the centre at the direction of the family court or local authority for the purpose of assessment. Parenting assessments are usually completed over a 12-week period but may be extended if agreed with the local authority or following court instruction.

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Information about this residential family centre

The manager registered with Ofsted in January 2022, when the service began operating.

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Information about this residential family centre

There were two families living at the centre at the time of this inspection.

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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

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

The manager and staff are skilled in developing positive relationships with families. These good-quality relationships help to create a supportive environment where families feel safe and able to share any concerns they may have.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Parenting assessments are carried out by a qualified social worker and are of good quality. Assessments are evidence based and include clear outcomes and recommendations. Staff take time to ensure that parents understand the assessment process and are kept updated throughout it.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Families benefit from well-structured support. Staff have a good understanding of parents’ and family’s needs and the challenges they face. However, placement plans vary in quality and in some cases lack detail about the individualised support being provided.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Parents spoke about how they have been supported to develop their skills and grow in confidence. One parent described how she felt able to make better use of community resources due to feeling more confident. Families are also offered opportunities to have fun and enjoy themselves, such as day trips and social events.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Families receive an excellent level of support when moving out of the centre. For example, they are helped to secure appropriate housing and, when appropriate, given financial assistance for bonds and initial rent payments. A social worker described the help provided to the families moving in and out of the centre as ‘outstanding’.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Families live in calm and safe surroundings. There are good systems in place which help to ensure that the health and safety of people who live, work or visit the centre are protected.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Staff have a clear understanding of safeguarding practice and are vigilant. There are clear monitoring arrangements in place, which are individually assessed for each family and regularly reviewed. This helps to ensure that there is a suitable balance between safety and people’s privacy.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Children’s safety and welfare are promoted through effective assessment and through the good levels of support provided to parents. However, the quality of risk management plans is variable and they are not always updated when new information is obtained. This means that staff may not be fully aware of the action required to support families’ safety and well-being. Relationships between families are good. The manager ensures that all families joining the centre are clear about behaviour expectations and addresses any potential conflict quickly and effectively. A challenging situation that recently occurred was managed well. However, there was no risk assessment in relation to any possible future incidents involving this same person.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

The manager has completed safer recruitment training and there are suitable procedures in place, which mean prospective employees are subject to appropriate background checks. Some recording shortfalls were identified in two staff members’ personnel files. Gaps in information could result in significant information about a prospective staff member being missed, which does not support safer recruitment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is a registered social worker and has been registered with Ofsted since the centre began operating. She demonstrates a strong vision for the service and a strong commitment to ensure that families benefit from high standards of assessment and support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager works effectively with a range of external partners, which supports good outcomes for parents and children. External professionals speak highly of the service and express confidence in its leadership.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are highly motivated and benefit from a supportive environment. There is a reflective culture, which is promoted by the input of external supervisors who provide one-to-one and group supervisions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Shortfalls were identified in some areas of recording. This includes care planning and risk management documents and staff training and supervision records. The manager has identified this as an area for development and is in the process of addressing the shortfalls.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Some aspects of monitoring are good. For example, oversight of health and safety matters is highly effective and families confirm that they are regularly asked for feedback about their experiences. However, quality assurance processes are limited in their evaluation of outcomes and families’ experiences. Strengthening this area would help to identify areas for development that would most benefit families.

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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 provider and the registered manager shall, having regard to the size of the residential family centre, the statement of purpose, and the number and needs of the residents, carry on or manage the centre (as the case may be) with sufficient care, competence and skill. (Regulation 8 (1))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure internal monitoring arrangements clearly identify shortfalls and are effective in evaluating families’ outcomes and experiences. 20 January 2023

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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 retained in the residential family centre so long as the family to which it relates is accommodated there; and is retained in a place of security for a period of fifteen years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 19 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d)) 20 January 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff complete a written family placement plan, in consultation with the placing authority and agreed, so far as may be practicable, with the parent(s) and, if age appropriate, the child. The plan should specify the objectives and intended outcomes of the placement, details of training, assistance, assessment, supervision and protection to be provided at the centre, and how the child’s welfare will be promoted. (Residential family centres: NMS 9.2)  The registered person should ensure that 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. (Residential family centres: NMS 14.1)  The registered person should ensure that where there has been an assessment

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Recommendations

that a parent could potentially be violent, the family placement plan should include a strategy for responding appropriately to minimise this possibility and to safeguard the child as well as other parents and children in the centre. (Residential family centres: NMS 5.5)

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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.

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Registered provider:

Registered provider address: 71-75 Shelton Street, London WC2H 9JQ

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Registered provider:

Registered manager: Rochelle Osbaldeston

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Inspector

Marie Cordingley, Social Care Inspector 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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