Kaleidoscope Assessment Services

Inspection report for residential family centre: Kaleidoscope Assessment Services 1 Kaleidoscope Assessment Services Kaleidoscope Assessment Services Limited Finsley House, Finsley Street, Briercliffe, Burnley, Lancashire BB10 2HN 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 three families at any one time. The residential family 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 the local authority for the purposes of assessment. Parenting assessments usually take place over a 12- week period but may be extended if agreed with the referring local authority and/or following court instruction.

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Information about this residential family centre

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2015. She is appropriately qualified.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and parents, taking into account inadequate

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Overall experiences and progress of

How well children and parents are helped and protected inadequate

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Overall experiences and progress of

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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Overall experiences and progress of

There are serious and/or widespread failures that mean children and parents are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and/or the care and experiences of children and parents are poor.

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Overall experiences and progress of

Date of previous inspection: 12 June 2018

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Overall experiences and progress of

Overall judgement at last inspection: good Inspection report for residential family centre: Kaleidoscope Assessment Services 2

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

A monitoring visit was carried out on 15 November 2021, due to concerns raised with Ofsted about the safety and quality of the environment and a parent’s poor experience at the centre. Inspectors found that there were serious shortfalls in relation to the leadership and management of the centre and the fitness of the premises. Compliance notices were served under regulations 8 and 21. At a further monitoring visit on 16 December 2021, the provider had taken inadequate action to meet the notices and so they were reissued. At a monitoring visit on 13 January 2022, the compliance notice under regulation 21 was found to be suitably met, but the compliance notice under regulation 8 was again reissued. The provider had taken suitable action to meet the compliance notice under regulation 8, at the last visit by Ofsted on 25 February 2022. Inspection report for residential family centre: Kaleidoscope Assessment Services 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: inadequate

Several significant shortfalls were identified in safeguarding practice and leadership and management of the centre. These have had a detrimental impact on the overall progress and experiences of families placed there.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: inadequate

Social work assessments of parenting capacity are not underpinned by clear evidence. Assessment sessions held with parents are not documented or recorded. Therefore, it is not possible to establish the evidence base for assessments. It is unclear how many sessions are held with parents to inform the outcome and recommendations of the assessment. Parents spoken to during the inspection reported that they do not know what assessment work they would be doing or when it would be done. This does not help them to plan and prepare for assessment sessions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: inadequate

The social worker informed inspectors that information for assessments is obtained from the daily assessment records for each family. These were found to be chronological logs which do not contain any detail or evaluation about parenting capacity. The senior team has introduced examples of how it expects the records to be recorded by staff. However, this has not been effective in improving the quality of staff recording.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: inadequate

Furthermore, specific court directions relating to the families’ assessments are not always followed. For example, one letter of instruction directed the centre to make use of the psychologist’s recommendations in relation to the parent’s learning needs. The centre did not request the psychologist’s report, nor did it know what the recommendations were.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: inadequate

There is no system in place to quality assure the social work assessments. Managers and placing authorities cannot be assured of the accuracy and quality of the assessments provided to courts to make long-term decisions about children’s future care arrangements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: inadequate

The centre does not hold key local authority documents for children living there. This means that the direct work carried out and assessment of families are not always informed by the placing authority’s objectives for the placement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: inadequate

At the time of the inspection, the manager and the assessing social worker were unclear about the legal status for two of the three children placed at the centre. The legal status was incorrectly recorded for both children. Therefore, managers are unclear on what legal basis the children are looked after.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: inadequate

The parents’ guide does not include all relevant information to provide parents with a summary of the services offered. This means that parents do not know what support to expect during their stay. Key information is not included about the Inspection report for residential family centre: Kaleidoscope Assessment Services 4 assessment process, staffing structure, expectations and rules of acceptable behaviour and fire procedures. The arrangements for payments for utilities are not evidenced as being discussed with parents when they sign placement agreements when they move into the centre, nor are they included in the centre’s statement of purpose.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: inadequate

One family should have had The Freedom Programme delivered to them due to issues within their relationship. This work had not commenced at the time of the inspection, which was less than two weeks before they were due to leave the centre.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: inadequate

There have been some improvements to the home environment, including new bathrooms. There is now better oversight by the manager to ensure that the centre is clean and well maintained. There are some shortfalls in the conditions of the external grounds of the centre. Some rubbish, including a rusty radiator, an inflated paddling pool and an aerosol can were littering the centre’s grounds.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: inadequate

Feedback from most families is positive. They feel that they have good relationships with most staff. Some parents report that staff have helped them to make progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: inadequate

Staff carry out a good amount of relevant direct work with parents. Some of this work is recorded in detail. Weekly appraisals are comprehensive documents. These help families to understand their strengths and weaknesses.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: inadequate

Managers and staff do not take effective action when children are at risk of harm or have suffered harm.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: inadequate

On one occasion, while staff were monitoring the centre’s closed-circuit television, a parent threatened to harm their child. Staff have failed to intervene and so the child has been placed at significant risk of harm. Staff have not followed the child’s risk assessment that requires them to support parents and immediately intervene if the child is at risk of harm. Furthermore, staff have not informed the placing authority emergency duty team of the incident.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: inadequate

Additionally, the manager and staff have failed to ensure that parents administer medication safely to their children. One child has been given medication by their parent that was not in line with the dosage guidance. Staff have failed to identify this as a concern, despite the parent consulting with them about when their child could have a further dose of medication. There was a delay of five days before the manager identified this safeguarding concern and before medical attention was sought for the child. Furthermore, a risk assessment to monitor the safe administration of medication by the parent to their child has not been implemented following this serious incident.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: inadequate

On both occasions, the manager has taken inadequate action to formally address staff’s failure to fulfil their duties to safeguard and protect children. Her response to Inspection report for residential family centre: Kaleidoscope Assessment Services 5 addressing unsafe practice has been ineffective, as staff have not yet been held accountable or supported to understand the serious implications of their practice. Additionally, the manager has failed to share the information in relation to poor staff practice with the local authority designated officer.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: inadequate

The manager’s oversight and evaluation of serious incident records are not robust. On one occasion, she has failed to recognise a delay in the response by staff to an incident of domestic abuse between parents or consider the impact on the child’s safety and well-being.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: inadequate

When families move into the centre, impact and viability risk assessments do not consider families individual risks or circumstances, in relation to being compatible with one another. The assessments also do not identify steps for staff to follow to ensure that any risks posed to each other can be managed safely. This was a recommendation at the last inspection and so has been escalated to a requirement.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: inadequate

The manager’s oversight of children’s risk assessments is poor. This is because some risk assessments omit significant risks. Therefore, staff are not alert to these risks and they do not have strategies to reduce the risks and to safeguard children living in the centre. For example, risk assessments do not contain parents’ significant historical information that could impact on the safety of children or others in the centre.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There are significant concerns about the manager’s oversight, understanding and monitoring of safeguarding in the centre. The manager has failed to demonstrate reflective practice in her oversight of serious incidents and failed to implement further learning with the staff team by ensuring that staff are accountable when they have failed to protect children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has failed to ensure that there are suitable supervision arrangements for the assessing social worker at the centre. The social worker has not been supervised by a qualified social worker who is senior to her. This means that she is not being provided with support and guidance from someone who is qualified to perform this duty, to enable her to carry out her role safely and effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There is no system in place for the independent management of allegations against leaders and managers in the organisation, who are all family members. Therefore, there is no independent person in place to ensure that there is scrutiny and independence when investigating concerns or to implement a disciplinary process when necessary.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has no clear oversight of training records, including when staff have carried out training. Inspectors were unable to ascertain if staff had any mandatory or relevant specialist training. Therefore, it is unclear if the staff team has the skills to ensure that children are safeguarded appropriately and if families are suitably supported with their parenting assessments. Inspection report for residential family centre: Kaleidoscope Assessment Services 6 The manager has acted to ensure that all staff receive suitable police checks prior to their employment and that these are checked annually on the online update service. However, some new members of staff have significant gaps in employment and reasons for leaving childcare positions that have not been accounted for or further explored by the manager. This means that safer recruitment checks are not robust to safeguard the families in the centre.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager uses a placement assessment record to consider lessons learned when families move out of the centre. This has enabled her to implement changes to the operation of the centre, to develop staff practice and support future families living in the centre. Inspection report for residential family centre: Kaleidoscope Assessment Services 7

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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 produce a written guide to the residential family centre (“the resident’s guide”) which shall include:

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Requirement Due date

a summary of the statement of purpose. (Regulation 4 (3)(a)) 12 February 2023

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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.

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Requirement Due date

The registered manager shall undertake from time to time such training as is appropriate to ensure that she has the skills necessary for managing the residential family centre. (Regulation 8 (1) (3)) 12 February 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall ensure that the residential family centre is conducted so as to—

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Requirement Due date

promote and make proper provision for the health (including physical, mental and emotional health) and welfare of residents;

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Requirement Due date

make such provision for the care, treatment, education and supervision of residents as is appropriate to their age and needs. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)) 12 February 2023

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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 received into the residential family centre. (Regulation 11 (2)) 12 February 2023

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Requirement Due date

*The registered person shall prepare and implement a written child protection policy which— 12 February 2023 Inspection report for residential family centre: Kaleidoscope Assessment Services 8 is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the residential family centre from abuse or neglect; and

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Requirement Due date

sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of any allegation of abuse or neglect.

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Requirement Due date

The procedure under paragraph (1)(b) must in particular provide for—

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Requirement Due date

the prompt referral to the local authority in whose area the residential family centre is situated, of any allegations of abuse or neglect affecting any child accommodated in the residential family centre;

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Requirement Due date

written records to be kept of any allegation of abuse or neglect, and of the action taken in response;

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Requirement Due date

consideration to be given in each case to the measures which may be necessary to protect children in the residential family centre following an allegation of abuse or neglect. (Regulation 12 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

*The registered person must ensure that the parents’ capacity to respond to the children’s needs and to safeguard their welfare is monitored or assessed by a suitably qualified person in accordance with the requirements of this regulation.

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Requirement Due date

All assessment or monitoring of parents’ capacity to respond to the children’s needs and to safeguard their welfare must be carried out in accordance with appropriate and generally recognised methods for such assessment and, in particular, having due regard to guidance issued by the Secretary of State relating to the assessment of children in need and their parents under section 7(1) of the Local Authority Social Services Act 1970.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that conclusions or recommendations are made as a result of the assessment or monitoring and that—

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Requirement Due date

such conclusions or recommendations are objective and based on verifiable evidence; and

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Requirement Due date

the evidence on which they are based is capable of being presented in a manner that is clear, accessible and appropriate to the persons who will need to consider them. (Regulation 13A (1) (2) (4)(a)(b)) 12 February 2023 Inspection report for residential family centre: Kaleidoscope Assessment Services 9 For the purposes of paragraph (1), a person is not fit to work at a residential family centre unless—

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to him in respect of each of the matters specified in Schedule 2. (Regulation 16 (3)(d)) 12 February 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. (Regulation 19 (1)(a)) 12 February 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

the premises to be used as the residential family centre are of sound construction and kept in a good state of repair externally and internally. (Regulation 21 (2)(b)) 12 February 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall establish and maintain a system for—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided at the residential family centre. (Regulation 23 (1)(a)(b)) 12 February 2023

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff understand the nature of records maintained and that there is a system in place to monitor the quality and adequacy of record-keeping and take action when needed. (‘Residential family centres: national minimum standards’, page 30, paragraph 20.2) Inspection report for residential family centre: Kaleidoscope Assessment Services 1

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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: Kaleidoscope Assessment Services 1

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider: Kaleidoscope Assessment Services Limited

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider address: Finsley House, Finsley Street, Briercliffe, Burnley, Lancashire BB10 2HN

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Inspectors

Cheryl Field, Social Care Inspector Charlie Bamber, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for residential family centre: Kaleidoscope Assessment Services 1 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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