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 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 Feb 2012.

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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

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and parents are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The centre is not yet delivering good assessments of parenting capacity and/or is not delivering good care and help. The weaknesses identified need to be addressed to fully support children’s and parents’ progress through the assessment process and to mitigate risk in the medium and long term. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that mean children’s welfare is not safeguarded and promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

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

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

On 25 February 2023, Ofsted carried out a visit to the centre to monitor compliance notices served under regulations 8, 12, 13A and 19 following the centre’s full inspection on 3 January 2023. The compliance notices related to several shortfalls in the leadership and management of the centre in respect to safeguarding children and families. In addition to this, there were several shortfalls regarding the quality, evidence base and oversight of parenting assessments. Inspectors found that the manager had taken suitable action to meet three of the compliance notices. The compliance notice under regulation 12 was not met, and so it was reissued. Inspection report for residential family centre: Kaleidoscope Assessment Services 3

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improvement to be good

There have been no families living in the centre since the last visit. Therefore, the focus of the inspection was to look at the work that has been undertaken to improve the service, safeguarding practice and systems used in preparation for new families being admitted to the centre.

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improvement to be good

The centre has been redecorated and refurnished. It is homely and well equipped, ready for families to move into the individual flats. The senior team has implemented systems to ensure that it is maintained to a high standard and fit for purpose through daily monitoring checks and weekly risk assessments.

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improvement to be good

A new social worker has been recruited to undertake the family assessments. They have not yet started in their role as safer recruitment checks are still being undertaken. The manager plans to admit families to the centre once the social worker is fully inducted to their role.

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improvement to be good

Improvements have been made to the parents’ guide and families’ induction to the centre. Parents are provided with the information they need to help them settle and understand why they are living there. Families also have regular opportunities to express their views and be listened to by staff, through regular consultations and residents’ meetings.

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improvement to be good

Family placement plans are structured to consider the needs and support that families require during their assessment. An easy-to-read placement plan has also been developed for parents to help them understand everyone’s roles and responsibilities in supporting the family, the assessment process and what is expected from parents in return.

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improvement to be good

There is now a clear process in place for social worker assessment sessions and planning direct-work schedules for families. This ensures that there is more structure to individual programmes, and families know what to expect. There is more focus on encouraging families to engage in group activities, community resources for help and support and learning classes, such as cooking groups.

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improvement to be good

The quality of matching risk assessments has improved. The process now considers individual risks for parents to ensure that they can live safely together in the centre with one another. There is also a robust system in place for identifying families’ needs and gathering full information from placing authorities to ensure that all risks are known and considered before families are offered a placement. This information Inspection report for residential family centre: Kaleidoscope Assessment Services 4 is used to tailor the direct work to help develop parenting skills and inform parenting assessments.

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improvement to be good

Direct work with families will use quizzes to test parents’ knowledge and develop their understanding of safe parenting. This includes areas such as domestic violence, drug and alcohol misuse and childhood illnesses. When the court or placing authority requests, the Freedom Programme will be offered to families and start without delay.

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improvement to be good

The manager’s oversight of medication systems has improved. Weekly checks by the manager have been introduced to ensure that when medication is administered by a parent to their child, it is carried out safely. Additional daily safeguards are also in place to ensure that parents administer safe and appropriate dosages of medication to their children.

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improvement to be good

Safer recruitment is not yet robust. For one staff member, sufficient information has not been obtained about the reason for them leaving a previous care role. Another staff member commenced their role before their references were obtained from previous employers. This was a requirement at the last inspection, and so it has been restated.

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improvement to be good

The centre’s safe area risk assessment considers strategies and control measures in place to keep families safe, especially when they may be vulnerable to external risks in the community. The senior team has made links with the local police to clarify if there are any local known areas of risk that parents and the staff team need to be made aware of.

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good

The manager and senior team appeared confident and committed to driving improvement in the standards of care and support for families. They have used lessons learned to make improvements to how the centre will be operated. Inspectors found that suitable action had been taken to meet the compliance notice and all but one of the requirements made at the last full inspection.

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good

A thorough induction process has been developed for new staff. It includes a structured plan to support them through their probationary period. In addition to this, all existing staff have had a reintroduction to their roles. This has provided staff with the opportunity to review their understanding of policies, procedures and any new recording systems in preparation for the centre reopening.

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good

The manager has arranged for staff to have regular supervision sessions on their return to work. She has implemented a new supervision template that promotes reflective practice and provides staff with the opportunity to raise any concerns or share their views. Inspection report for residential family centre: Kaleidoscope Assessment Services 5 There are suitable numbers of permanent staff in place to admit families to the centre. Some staff are undertaking courses to bring their mandatory training up to date. The manager has arranged for the staff team to undertake face-to-face child development training, as most staff have not completed this course. A good practice recommendation has been made to ensure that this is made a priority.

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good

The manager’s monitoring system is improved. There are clear systems in place to make sure that monitoring takes place regularly and is effective. The review of the quality of care report by the manager identifies the improvements made to the centre following its last inspection. However, the report does not include feedback from staff working in the centre, to provide full scrutiny of the impact of the service that is provided to parents and families.

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good

The arrangements for the external monitoring of the centre have significantly improved. A new company undertakes the independent visitor monthly reports. The reports provide a higher level of scrutiny and make appropriate recommendations in relation to improving the service. Inspection report for residential family centre: Kaleidoscope Assessment Services 6

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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 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. (Regulation 13A (1)) 1 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

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)) 1 June 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are equipped with the skills and experience required to meet the needs of the parents and their children and the purpose of the centre. (Residential family centres: NMS 16.1)  The registered person should ensure that there are clear and effective procedures for monitoring the centre. This specifically relates to ensuring that the review of the quality of care report includes feedback from staff working in the centre, to provide full scrutiny of the impact of the service that is provided to parents and families. (Residential family centres: NMS 19.1)

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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 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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Inspector

Cheryl Field, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for residential family centre: Kaleidoscope Assessment Services 8 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 who are 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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