Resicare Alliance

Inspection report for residential family centre: Resicare Alliance 1 Resicare Alliance ResiCare Alliance Limited

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Templecroft, Templars Way, Sharnbrook, Bedford MK44 1PY Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential family centre

This residential family centre is privately owned. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for five families. The centre provides parenting assessments that take a minimum of 12 weeks.

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Information about this residential family centre

The manager has been registered since June 2022.

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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 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: 27 February 2023

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Overall experiences and progress of

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Overall experiences and progress of

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for residential family centre: Resicare Alliance 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: inadequate

This inspection was brought forward in order to address specific concerns received by Ofsted.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: inadequate

At the time of the inspection, there were four families at the centre. This inspection has identified serious failures regarding the managerial oversight and monitoring of the centre. Poor decision-making by managers has reduced the overall quality and reliability of parenting assessments. Some of these failures have increased the risk of harm to children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: inadequate

Parents’ capacity is assessed in an agreed time frame by staff and overseen by a qualified assessment lead. One mid-way report significantly minimised recent incidents between parents. As a result, the report findings were challenged by the placing authority, and this has undermined the validity of the assessment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: inadequate

The managers have failed to ensure that suitable placement planning is provided for families. There continues to be unnecessary delays in family placement plans being compiled. One family’s plan does not fully reflect a parent’s diagnosis and learning needs. This fails to guide staff in how support will be adapted to meet this parent’s needs throughout the assessment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: inadequate

There is an appropriate complaints procedure that guides parents in how to raise concerns. Families are encouraged to share their views in residents’ meetings. However, one parent at risk of discrimination has concerns about the group dynamics. These concerns have not been fully resolved. Other parents say that their views are generally respected, and that they feel listened to.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: inadequate

Staff’s interactions with families are warm and respectful. Parents are encouraged to attend external groups with their children. Parents’ independence is supported through one-to-one parenting sessions. Family health is prioritised, and appropriate registrations and referrals are made to healthcare services.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: inadequate

The large, detached house provides a choice of comfortable communal spaces and spacious family bedrooms. There is a good range of play resources for children which encourage parents to support children’s development. Recent maintenance work has ensured that the centre is well maintained and decorated.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: inadequate

Managers have not ensured that there are appropriate systems to notify relevant authorities of safeguarding incidents. There have been substantial delays in notifying authorities of concerning information about parents, including when parents have taken illegal substances and their behaviours have placed children and others at risk. These incidents were not notified within appropriate time frames. Long delays in Inspection report for residential family centre: Resicare Alliance 3 sharing information have prevented local authorities in putting in immediate safeguarding arrangements to protect children.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: inadequate

There is no system to assess new families’ vulnerabilities and risks in relation to the other families. This has left families at risk of discrimination and exploitation. There are concerns about conflicts between families. The failure to consider the impact of communal living does not provide reassurances that all risks are mitigated against.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: inadequate

Managers have not ensured that individual risk management plans for families are undertaken promptly. Family risk management plans are not always responsive to family’s individual needs, and are not reviewed in line with all known individual risks. Practical guidance to reduce the risk of substance misuse and co-sleeping has not been fully considered in accordance with referral information for one family. A risk management plan for another family had not been completed despite the family moving in several weeks ago. This does not guide staff in managing and reducing risks.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: inadequate

Managers do not ensure that safe recruitment processes for permanent staff are consistently followed. Gaps in applicants’ employment histories are not always fully explored. This could lead to unsuitable adults working at the centre.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: inadequate

Staff receive safeguarding training, which includes child and adult protection training. Staff are aware of their safeguarding responsibilities. There are procedures in place to manage any allegations against staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has recently resigned. The manager will aim to provide stability while a new manager is recruited. A high number of the shortfalls identified during this inspection are in regard to the ineffective leadership and management of the centre.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managerial oversight and monitoring are ineffective. The centre is not being managed with the competence or skill required to meet the regulations and ensure safe care and good assessment. Managers have failed to take successful action in relation to the majority of the shortfalls raised at the last inspection. A failure to respond to shortfalls does not demonstrate capacity to make the necessary improvements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The staffing rota does not allow adequate time for crucial administration and planning tasks. As a result, written information is not always completed competently and within required time frames. Ineffective staff roster planning has resulted in a written account of a serious incident not being recorded or shared for eight days. Poor planning has resulted in one child’s care review meeting date being unknown and without the necessary reports to inform the meeting. Weekly schedules are provided to families in formats that they cannot understand. The manager has stated that some staff are overstretched, and her extra hours have had an impact on her ability to manage the service effectively. Inspection report for residential family centre: Resicare Alliance 4 Staff supervision is not delivered in line with the organisation’s policy. There continue to be gaps in staff receiving supervision. Some sessions, including the

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

manager’s supervisions, are not recorded. Staff who should have had an appraisal have yet to receive one. This does not ensure that staff consistently receive the support that they should do.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers have not yet completed a full review of the quality of care and support provided since the centre opened in June 2022. This is a missed opportunity to evaluate the wider effectiveness of staff practice in relation to the intended aims.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff receive training and an appropriate induction. Some further training has been attended by staff in response to identified training gaps. However, training in understanding autism spectrum disorder and learning disabilities has not been attended by staff. This does not provide reassurance that staff are fully equipped to meet all the needs of parents and children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

A new responsible individual has recently been appointed. Despite this, the statement of purpose has not been reviewed to reflect this management change. This does not provide stakeholders with up-to-date and accurate information.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

A policy clearly sets out standards and expectations in regard to staff smoking and their scheduled breaks. However, this is not consistently adhered to by staff. There are reported incidents of staff smoking outside with parents. This does not provide families with healthy role models.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

External professional feedback is varied. One social worker raised concerns about delays in important information being received. However, another social worker has said that communication is positive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The responsible individual has taken some immediate steps including producing an action plan to address the shortfalls identified. Inspection report for residential family centre: Resicare Alliance 5

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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 (as the case may be) with sufficient care, competence and skill. (Regulation 8 (1))

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that the senior manager’s internal action plan is implemented at the required pace.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that statutory notifications to relevant authorities are completed when required.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that compatibility risk assessments are completed and that these fully consider the families’ vulnerabilities and provide suitable risk-reduction measures.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure individual risk management plans for families are responsive to known risks and incidents at the centre.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure staffing rotas are organised to allow sufficient administration. This includes planning and reporting time for staff to capture incidents and support sessions.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure staff attend training in understanding learning disabilities and autism spectrum disorders. 30 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)) 30 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall, before providing a family with accommodation in the residential family centre, or if that is 10 July 2023 Inspection report for residential family centre: Resicare Alliance 6 not reasonably practical, as soon as possible thereafter, draw up in consultation with the placing authority a written plan (in these Regulations referred to as “the placement plan”) setting out, in particular—

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Requirement Due date

the facilities and services to be provided during the course of the placement;

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Requirement Due date

the objectives and intended outcomes of the placement. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

If, in relation to a residential family centre, any of the events listed in column 1 of the table in schedule 5 takes place, the registered person shall without delay notify the persons indicated in respect of the event in column 2 of the table. (Regulation 26 (1)) 30 June 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

reviewing at appropriate intervals; and improving, the quality of care provided at the residential family centre.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall supply to the Commission a report in respect of any review conducted by him for the purposes of paragraph and make a copy of the report available to residents.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (1) shall provide for consultation with residents. (Regulation 23 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)) 10 July 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall ensure that all persons employed by him—

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Requirement Due date

receive appropriate training, supervision and appraisal. (Regulation 17 (5)(a)) 10 July 2023

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Requirement Due date

keep under review and where appropriate revise the statement of purpose and resident’s guide; and

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Requirement Due date

notify the Commission within 28 days of any such revision. (Regulation 4 (a)(b)) 10 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for residential family centre: Resicare Alliance 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they take into account parents’ concerns and consider appropriate reparation is actioned between families when managing conflict. (Residential family centres: NMS 2.4)  The registered person should ensure that the centre’s policies in regard to staff smoking are adhered to. (Residential family centres: NMS 4.1)

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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: Resicare Alliance 8

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider: ResiCare Alliance Limited

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider address: 147 Stamford Hill, London N16 5LG

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Residential family centre details

Email address: hello@resicarealliance.co.uk

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Inspector

Mark Anderton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for residential family centre: Resicare Alliance 9 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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