Newington Manor Family Support Service

Inspection report for residential family centre: Newington Manor Family Support Service 1 Newington Manor Family Support Service Symbol Family Support Services Limited Newington Manor, Callaways Lane, Newington, Sittingbourne, Kent ME9 7LU Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential family centre

This privately owned service is registered to conduct residential assessments for a maximum of 13 families. At the time of this inspection, two families were in residence.

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Information about this residential family centre

Parents usually have a learning disability diagnosis, and some have additional mental health needs.

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Information about this residential family centre

Ofsted registered the manager on 26 September 2022.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and parents, taking into account

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good

How well children and parents are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The residential family centre provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 2 November 2021

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for residential family centre: Newington Manor Family Support Service 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Families receive a good level of support in this centre. The staff work in partnership with the families throughout the assessment process. As a result, they make good progress.. Parents spoken to are positive about their assessment. They value the guidance that staff give them. One family had a much-needed period of stability at the centre. The children build trusting relationships with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

There are good relationships between staff and families. The small number of low- level complaints about staff are swiftly and effectively dealt with by the registered manager. Complaint records showed the complainants were satisfied with the process and the outcome.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Feedback from external professionals about the service is positive. They value the relationships that they have with staff at the centre. One said that they were particularly impressed with staff’s level of professionalism and conduct. One parent said that she liked the way that the staff work with them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Staff understand the families’ views and they promote them well. They provide a range of opportunities for families to express their wishes and feelings. These opportunities range from regular feedback forms and surveys to one-to-one discussions and residents’ meetings. The records of these meetings are clear, and parents know where they can view them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Families have good day-to-day experiences that help to promote their growth and development. They attend groups and activities, such as a relaxation group which involves mindfulness and baby massage. They also have the opportunity to attend cookery group, bingo sessions and movie night. These groups serve to build relationships and promote working and learning together.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Staff go to great lengths to ensure that the families have well-planned moves into the centre. They complete baseline and cognitive assessments as early as possible. This is to establish parents’ cognition and understanding of language. The staff also work closely with families when they are due to move on, whether with their child or not. The staff recognise the difficulties and challenges that the move involves for parents and manage this sensitively.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Parenting assessments are undertaken by a multidisciplinary team and the family support team . They work together to ensure the highest quality assessment. This enables parents to feel helped and supported to meet their parenting potential. Parents feel involved in the process and appreciate the feedback that they receive at the end of each day. This helps them understand how they are doing. The aim of the centre is to keep families together where possible. However, the assessment team makes whatever recommendations are appropriate to keep children safe. Inspection report for residential family centre: Newington Manor Family Support Service 3 Assessment reports to the court are comprehensive. They provide an extensive view of the families’ parenting capacity. The reports clearly show how the team has come to the conclusions and recommendations made. The reports are sensitive and respectful of the parents and their experiences. They are robust and address the

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

issues raised in the letter of instruction from the courts. As a result, feedback from responsible authorities is positive. One commissioner stated, ‘The quality of their final report has been thorough, balanced, and clear in the recommendations.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Staff receive training on issues that impact parenting capacity, for example, advanced training around attachment. Staff induction covers the assessment process and the needs of the families that the centre supports. This enables staff to have an early understanding of the centre’s work.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Safeguarding children and the management of risk are at the centre of the work the staff do. They identify risks early in the assessment process. Risk management plans are rigorous, clear and easy to understand. There is strong guidance for parents around caring for their children and keeping them safe. This information is available in communal areas of the centre as well as in family rooms. For example, there is clear guidance around safe sleeping, storing food and sterilising bottles. Additionally, parents attend groups on how to safeguard their children.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

The centre is aware of placing authorities’ concerns and work closely to address these. They review their policies regularly to ensure that they are fit for purpose, including after any incidents.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Staff are responsive when children leave the centre without permission. There is a procedure in place to ensure that all staff know what to do in these circumstances. On one occasion when a child ran away, staff followed and worked together with the parent to bring the child back. This was a positive piece of work. The staff and parent worked together to ensure the child’s safety.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Behaviour is well managed. There are clear and consistent boundaries in place. These promote working together to ensure the best possible outcomes for families. Consistent guidance, for example on how to perform certain tasks, serves to lessen conflict and enables parents to better understand how to manage difficult situations.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Safeguarding arrangements are in place to protect and promote the welfare of children and parents. Staff notify relevant agencies of any safeguarding incidents in a timely way. Managers and staff review and reflect on practice following safeguarding incidents. This helps to inform decision-making in the future. There is a good process in place for investigating complaints or allegations.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

The centre is in a fifteenth century manor house that requires constant checks and maintenance. There was a trip hazard in one bedroom which the manager had not been aware of. However, no families were using this room at the time of inspection and rooms are checked by maintenance before new families move in. The centre Inspection report for residential family centre: Newington Manor Family Support Service 4 received a complaint from a former resident around safety and risk. Following a review of accidents in the centre, the leadership found there had been three instances when two children had sustained an injury to a finger caused by doors. Additionally, some rooms were in a poor state of repair and require redecorating.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers are ambitious. They have a clear commitment to the development of the centre and for children and their parents to receive the best possible care and support. The managers set realistic goals for parents to achieve, and they do this through a clear and effective assessment process.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The leadership team is aware of the progress that each family is making. The managers are aware of what each family needs to do ensure that the staff can support them with this. Leaders and managers have a good understanding of the progress of each assessment, through regular multidisciplinary team meetings. As a result, reports are completed quickly and submitted without delay.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers provide the staff with regular and consistently reflective supervision. Group supervision and team debriefs provide a space for reflecting on, and learning from, challenging assessments. This area of work is a particular strength of this service. There are a range of training opportunities to ensure the continuous development of all staff. There is a strong focus on staff well-being. The staff feel respected and valued.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The leadership team understands the centre’s strengths and areas for development. Leaders are working to address these and as a team they are strong. However, the reports of the registered provider visits are not sufficiently evaluative and do not form an opinion about the quality of the care provided. This is a missed opportunity for reflection and driving improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The centre is achieving its stated aims and objectives. The staff provide high-quality assessments. The managers are responsive to changes in service demand and are marketing themselves to the wider community.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers liaise well with a range of professionals to ensure that they provide the best possible care and support to the families assessed. Partner professionals are impressed with the work that the centre does to encourage good outcomes for families.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers are effective in promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion. Assessment tools are specific to families where there is a learning difficulty or who have additional needs. There is a strong and diverse staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have been thorough in their response to the requirements and recommendations of the last inspection. They have now been met. Inspection report for residential family centre: Newington Manor Family Support Service 5 Inspection report for residential family centre: Newington Manor Family Support Service 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, The 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

Where the registered provider is an individual, but is not in day to day charge of the residential family centre, he shall visit the residential family centre in accordance with this regulation.

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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. (Regulation 25 (1) (4)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that the regulation 25 visitor forms an opinion from their visit leading to a clear evaluation of the standard of care provided. 6 September 2023

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure the centre provides a comfortable and homely environment and is well maintained and decorated. Avoidable hazards should be removed as consistent with a domestic setting. Risk reduction should not lead to an institutional feel to the centre. (Residential family centres: NMS 11.2)

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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: Newington Manor Family Support Service 7

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider: Symbol Family Support Services Limited

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider address: Unit 3, Little Caring Farm, Caring Road, Bearsted, Maidstone, Kent ME17 1TH

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Inspector

Vevene Muhammad, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for residential family centre: Newington Manor Family Support Service 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 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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