Granary Families Assessment Centre

Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Granary Families Assessment Centre 1 Granary Families Assessment Centre 60 Vaughan Road, Harrow HA1 4EE

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential family centre

Granary Care Limited is a privately owned company. This residential family centre is registered to provide accommodation for up to seven families. The centre provides residential and community-based parenting assessments.

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Information about this residential family centre

The centre registered with Ofsted in July 2016. The manager registered with Ofsted in December 2016.

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Information about this residential family centre

During this visit, inspectors were aware that serious child protection allegations were being investigated by the appropriate authorities. While Ofsted does not have the power to investigate allegations of this kind, actions taken by the centre in response to the allegations were considered alongside other evidence available at the time of the visit to inform inspectors’ judgements.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was carried out following Ofsted receiving complaints about safeguarding practice at the centre.

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This monitoring visit

During the visit, some serious shortfalls were found in the monitoring of two families at the centre that undermined safeguarding practice. The monitoring arrangements for all families are not clearly set out. As a result, two placing authorities were led to believe that the families that they had placed at the centre were being continuously monitored 24 hours a day. This level of monitoring was not in place. Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Granary Families Assessment Centre 2 Despite indicating that an increase in monitoring for one family was agreed, following a serious incident, it became clear that the provider had not ensured that a written agreement and consent were in place to make clear what the arrangements would be. As a result, two families have not been provided with the level of monitoring expected by the placing authorities. This has undermined the local

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This monitoring visit

authorities’ confidence that these families were appropriately placed at the centre, and has compromised children’s safety and well-being.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has access to closed-circuit television coverage off site, from her mobile phone. This practice requires review to ensure that families’ rights are fully maintained, specifically that they are made aware of this practice and that their confidentiality is guaranteed.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual has been unable to supervise the management of the home recently and is unable to continue in this role. The provider had identified the registered manager for this role despite previously being informed by Ofsted that the registered manager and responsible individual roles could not be held by the same person. The provider took action to address this at the monitoring visit.

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This monitoring visit

Some areas of strong practice were identified at the visit. For example, parents spoke positively about the support they receive from staff. They describe staff as ‘caring’, ‘supportive’ and ‘compassionate’. Parents are made to feel welcome. Additionally, staff provide placing authorities with comprehensive weekly progress reports.

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This monitoring visit

A compliance notice has been issued under regulation 12 (arrangements for the protection of children). A further visit will be carried out to monitor the centre’s compliance with this notice.

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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

A person shall not carry on a residential family centre unless he is fit to do so.

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Requirement Due date

A person is not fit to carry on a residential family centre unless the person—

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Requirement Due date

the organisation has given notice to the [Chief Inspector] of the name, address and position in the organisation of an individual (in these Regulations referred to as “the 2 April 2023 Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Granary Families Assessment Centre 3 responsible individual”) who is a director, manager, secretary or other officer of the organisation and is responsible for supervising the management of the residential family centre; and

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Requirement Due date

that individual satisfies the requirements set out in paragraph (3). (Regulation 5 (1) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that they appoint a suitable responsible individual and inform Ofsted of who this person is.

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Requirement Due date

*The registered person shall prepare and implement a written child protection policy which—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the residential family centre from abuse or neglect. (Regulation 12 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the arrangements for monitoring and surveillance are clear to placing authorities and families.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that placing authorities agree to the monitoring and surveillance arrangements in place.

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Requirement Due date

The registered must ensure that the monitoring and surveillance arrangements are always followed to ensure that children are safeguarded effectively. 2 April 2023

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Requirement Due date

*This requirement is subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that there is a clear and effective policy on the use of surveillance in parenting assessments. The policy should set out how the techniques will be used to contribute to assessments, how families will be informed of their use for their particular circumstances, how legitimate privacy will be protected and how residents will be protected from potential abuse of such measures. This relates to managers’ use of remote surveillance systems. (‘Residential family centres: national minimum standards’, 10.1)

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Information about this inspection

Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Granary Families Assessment Centre 4 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.

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Information about this inspection

Registered provider: Granary Care Limited

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Information about this inspection

Registered provider address: 60 Vaughan Road, Harrow HA1 4EE

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Information about this inspection

Responsible individual: Ralph Jean-Jacques

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Information about this inspection

Registered manager: Paullette Jean-Jacques

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Inspectors

Lisa Mulcahy, Social Care Inspector Marina Tully, Social Care Inspector

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Inspectors

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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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 Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Granary Families Assessment Centre 5

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