Family Assessment Centre

Inspection report for residential family centre – monitoring visit: Family Assessment Centre 1 Family Assessment Centre 881 Chester Road, Stretford, Manchester M32 0RN

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Information about this residential family centre

This residential family centre is registered to provide care for up to three families at any one time.

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Information about this residential family centre

The residential family centre is privately owned. Families access the centre at the direction of the court and/or the local authority for the purposes of assessment.

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Information about this residential family centre

The residential family centre registered with Ofsted in July 2014.

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Information about this residential family centre

There was no registered manager in place at the time of the inspection. An application to register with Ofsted has been received from the manager.

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Information about this residential family centre

Date of previous inspection: 12 December 2022

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted carried out a visit to the centre to monitor compliance notices served under regulation 8, 15, 17, 21 and 23 following the centre’s full inspection on 12 December 2022. The compliance notices related to the manager’s lack of oversight and monitoring of the centre. In addition to this, the quality and safety of the accommodation for families was poor.

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This monitoring visit

At the time of the monitoring inspection, two families had moved out of the centre and the remaining family were moving out of the centre on the day of the inspection. Inspectors found that suitable action had been taken to meet three of the compliance notices. The compliance notices under regulation 8 and 23 were not met and so they have been reissued.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has taken steps to introduce new monitoring systems to improve his oversight of the operation of the centre. However, the manager’s implementation and oversight of these systems are not consistent. Inspectors found that some daily flat checks and end of day reflection records had not been completed by staff, and furthermore, they had not been reviewed or signed off by the manager. Additionally, Inspection report for residential family centre – monitoring visit: Family Assessment Centre 2 when the manager has identified that staff have not completed specific environment daily checks, he has not addressed this formally with the staff member in supervision. The monitoring, therefore, continues to be ineffective due to the lack of management oversight.

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This monitoring visit

The manager does not always action shortfalls identified at team meetings. In one meeting, it was identified that the centre had not received a parent’s risk assessment from the placing authority. However, there is no evidence that the manager has followed up on the lack of information or escalated requests for the records. This means that the internal placement plan for the family does not contain up-to-date information about the parents risks and the direct work to be undertaken with them.

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This monitoring visit

Furthermore, a document request record given to placing authorities to obtain key documents at the start of a family’s placement does not request that risk assessments for parents are provided to the centre.

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This monitoring visit

Residents’ meeting minutes and residents’ feedback forms are not always reviewed or signed by the manager. Additionally, they do not provide evidence that the manager acknowledges all requests from parents, that requests have been actioned or feedback given to parents to help improve their experience while living in the centre.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual has failed to demonstrate that he has good oversight or supervision of the manager’s practice. Consequently, the responsible individual has failed to identify that the manager’s monitoring of the centre continues to be ineffective.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has implemented a new system for considering the maintenance of the building internally and externally. The environment was observed to be improved since the last inspection and a maintenance log showed that identified work had been done. Improvements have been made to the décor and the centre is being redecorated throughout.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has taken steps to ensure that there are safe and suitable numbers of staff working in the centre. This means that families are now provided with appropriate levels of support and supervision. An on-call system provides staff with additional support, should they require any advice or guidance from managers. Additionally, the provider has implemented a contingency plan by signing up to an agency to provide staff in the event of short notice staff absence.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has a clear system in place to enable him to monitor staff training and development. Face-to-face paediatric first-aid training has now been undertaken by all staff, as has substance misuse and child development training.

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This monitoring visit

The manager’s review of quality-of-care reports has improved in quality. However, they do not include staff’s or professionals’ feedback to be able to effectively evaluate the quality of the service provided for families. The company has a new Inspection report for residential family centre – monitoring visit: Family Assessment Centre 3 independent visitor to complete the regulation 25 reports. However, the visitor has just taken over the visits and so the inspectors were not able to sample a report to assess its quality.

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This monitoring visit

The remaining areas of concern raised at the full inspection were not looked at during this visit. Therefore, they remain requirements until the centre’s next inspection. Inspection report for residential family centre – monitoring visit: Family Assessment Centre 4

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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 with sufficient care, competence, and skill.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that monitoring arrangements for the centre meet requirements, clearly identify shortfalls and provide evidence for the action that has been taken to make improvements. 31 March 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 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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)) 23 January 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall after consultation with the fire authority—

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Requirement Due date

ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that the persons working at the residential family centre and, so far as practicable, residents, are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of fire, including the procedure for saving life. 23 January 2023 Inspection report for residential family centre – monitoring visit: Family Assessment Centre 5 (Regulation 22 (1)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

*The registered person shall establish and maintain a system for—

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Requirement Due date

reviewing at appropriate intervals; and improving,

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided at the residential family centre.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that there are clear and effective procedures for monitoring and reviewing the family centre. 31 March 2023

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Requirement Due date

Where the registered provider is an organisation or a partnership, the residential family centre shall be visited in accordance with this regulation by—

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Requirement Due date

the responsible individual or one of the partners, as the case may be;

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Requirement Due date

another of the directors or other persons responsible for the management of the organisation or partnership; or

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Requirement Due date

an employee of the organisation or partnership who is not directly concerned with the conduct of the residential family centre.

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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

interview, with their consent and in private, such of the residents and persons working at the residential family centre as appears necessary in order to form an opinion of the standard of care provided in the residential family centre;

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Requirement Due date

inspect the premises of the residential family centre. . . and records of any complaints; and

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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— 23 January 2023 Inspection report for residential family centre – monitoring visit: Family Assessment Centre 6 the [Chief Inspector].

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 25 (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b)(c) (5)(a))

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the residential family centre since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for residential family centre – monitoring visit: Family Assessment Centre 7

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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

Charlie Bamber, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for residential family centre – monitoring visit: Family Assessment Centre 8 regulates and inspects 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 6188524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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