Foundations Walsall

Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Foundations Walsall 1 Foundations Walsall Parklands, 12-14 Little Aston Road, Walsall WS9 0NN

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential family centre

This service is privately run and is registered to provide parenting assessments for up to 10 families.

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Information about this residential family centre

The registered manager has recently resigned from her post. An experienced and qualified interim manager is currently overseeing the service until a permanent manager is recruited.

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Inspection date: 14 February 2023

Date of previous inspection: not applicable

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This monitoring visit

The residential family centre was registered in December 2022 and this is the centre’s first inspection. The registered manager left her post with immediate effect three weeks after registration. The provider is actively recruiting for a new manager. Day-to-day management of the service is being provided by the service manager, who has been a registered manager in the past.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was undertaken in response to concerns raised with Ofsted about safeguarding processes and staff sufficiency when admitting new families to the centre.

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This monitoring visit

There were six families living at the centre on the day of the inspection. This reduced to five families as one family moved out the same day. Assessments were at varying stages. Two parents spoke to the inspector and shared very positive accounts of moving into the centre and their experiences so far. They reported good relationships with staff, regular support and feedback, and opportunities to engage in activities in the local community. Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Foundations Walsall 2 Before new families are admitted to the centre this is carefully considered in partnership with safeguarding agencies and those who know the families best. Additional information and meetings have been requested to ensure that as much information as possible is available to inform the risk assessment process. However, pre-placement risk assessments are poorly recorded and do not provide the rationale

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This monitoring visit

behind decision-making. It is not clear how the manager has taken account of staff’s skills and experience, and whether they have considered any further training staff may need to equip them to meet the needs of new families moving into the centre.

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This monitoring visit

Minimum staffing levels are maintained to meet the needs of children and parents. However, initial plans for more experienced staff to support newer staff did not materialise. This has left some staff feeling vulnerable. Occupancy levels increased quickly and this has felt overwhelming at times for the staff team. Staff had mixed views about how prepared they were when new families moved into the centre. The manager has reflected and concluded that the pace of admitting families has been too fast. As a result, the provider has made the decision not to admit new families to the centre until the staff have been provided with a period of stability and had opportunities for further training.

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This monitoring visit

Parents are given clear information about the rules and boundaries of the centre, and about their assessments. They contribute to their placement plan and understand the steps that staff will take to keep their children safe. Appropriate levels of surveillance are agreed prior to the assessment. This helps to ensure that vulnerable adults and children are safeguarded. Surveillance levels are reviewed regularly and increased or decreased in line with progress.

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This monitoring visit

Risk assessments are in place for each family and these help staff to understand how to keep children and vulnerable adults safe. However, the manager has not implemented a risk assessment for lone working, in line with the organisation’s lone working policy. Consequently, staff are not provided with guidance about how to meet the individual needs of families at such times. This leaves children, parents and staff vulnerable. Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Foundations Walsall 3

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the overall number, competence and deployment of staff, both as a staff group and on individual shifts, can fulfil the centre’s statement of purpose and meet the individual needs of all the parents and children resident at the centre. The staffing numbers should be increased and the rota kept under review to ensure it can meet the needs of children and parents consistently. (Residential family centres: NMS 15.1)  The registered person should ensure that when only one member of staff is on duty at any time, a risk assessment has been carried out and is recorded in writing, identifying any likely risks to parents, children, staff and members of the public and how these are to be minimised. (Residential family centres: NMS 15.5)  The registered person should ensure that staff are equipped with the skills and have the experience required to meet the needs of the parents and their children

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Recommendations

and the purpose of the centre. This relates to staff having sufficient support to meet the individual needs of families. (Residential family centres: NMS 16.1)  The registered person should ensure that records such as risk assessments clearly record the rationale for decision-making. (Residential family centres: NMS 20.5)

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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: Foundations Walsall 4

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider: Progressive Care Limited

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider address: 51 Attercliffe Common, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S9 2AE

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Inspector

Natasha Skinner, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Foundations Walsall 5 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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