Inwood Residential Services - Yahweh House

Inspection report for residential family centre: Inwood Residential Services - Yahweh House 1 Inwood Residential Services - Yahweh House Kattz (YH) Limited 9 London Road, Sandy SG19 1EX Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential family centre

The centre is owned by a private organisation. It provides care, accommodation and residential parenting assessments for up to six families. Assessments are implemented in accordance with a strengths-based framework (ParentAssess) and take a minimum of 12 weeks.

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Information about this residential family centre

The centre and the manager registered with Ofsted in November 2022.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and parents, taking into account requires improvement to be good

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Overall experiences and progress of

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

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Overall experiences and progress of

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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Overall experiences and progress of

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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Overall experiences and progress of

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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Overall experiences and progress of

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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Overall experiences and progress of

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for residential family centre: Inwood Residential Services - Yahweh House 2

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improvement to be good

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

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improvement to be good

At the time of the inspection, four families were at the centre. The overall judgement of requires improvement to be good reflects shortfalls in the safeguarding responses to serious concerns about a child’s welfare. Despite these shortfalls, there is a well-planned and structured approach to parenting assessments, which professionals have commented favourably on.

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improvement to be good

Managers and staff have established strong connections with a local children’s centre. Parents regularly attend local group sessions that develop their parenting skills and increase their wider support network. Parents attend toddler groups, specialist domestic violence programmes, and gain support to help with their emotional resilience.

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improvement to be good

Staff follow detailed family placement plans. Full referral information is carefully considered and includes court instructions or objectives from the local authority. Clear aims are formed, and parents’ individual needs and backgrounds are understood. Plans are regularly reviewed and successfully support the objectives of each family’s assessment.

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improvement to be good

Assessments are overseen by two qualified assessment leads. The parents’ capacity is assessed in a clear time frame. Any delays are justified and agreed with placing authorities. The reports are written by qualified social workers and incorporate thorough evidence-based methods that demonstrate how the final recommendations are made. The court reports are well written and provide a reliable and transparent process.

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improvement to be good

Parents say that their introductions to the centre are generally well managed. Procedures are made clear. Parents receive weekly reports which incorporate adapted information in line with their individual learning needs. This ensures that they understand their assessment progress. Regular residents’ meetings take place which support parents to share their views. As a result, managers are looking into maximising the variety of leisure opportunities available in the community to support parents’ and children’s well-being.

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improvement to be good

Staff provide several support sessions each week, including mindfulness sessions. Staff also provide a varied range of sessions that are tailored to parents’ learning needs and encourage self-care.

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improvement to be good

The detached house provides a choice of communal spaces and spacious family bedrooms. The house is well decorated and welcoming. There is a good range of Inspection report for residential family centre: Inwood Residential Services - Yahweh House 3 play resources for children which encourage parents to support children’s development. Daily health and safety checks are carried out, and maintenance work is undertaken when required.

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improvement to be good

On one occasion, staff did not intervene quickly enough when a concerning incident between a parent and a child was observed. When staff did intervene, there was a delay in informing managers and the placing authority of this incident. This meant that appropriate medical attention for the child was not advised or sought to protect the child’s welfare. The failure to recognise this incident as serious does not provide assurance that careful monitoring and intervention of children always take place when necessary.

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improvement to be good

Managers did not review this incident to gather further information in an appropriate time frame. This failure means that staff practice shortfalls were not initially recognised, and necessary safeguards were not implemented in line with the safeguarding policy. The management of the concern deviates from the agreed procedure. This means that external oversight from the local authority designated officer was not in place when it should be.

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improvement to be good

Most risk assessments are comprehensively compiled and detail families’ individual risks. This guides staff by providing clear strategies to reduce these. Strategies to reduce risk are usually reviewed regularly. However, one family’s assessment was not updated when concerns were raised by a social worker. This means that staff were not updated of this concern and were not appropriately vigilant when monitoring the child, which placed the child at risk.

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improvement to be good

Managers carefully assess each new family’s vulnerabilities and associated risks by obtaining a wide range of information before the family’s arrival. The management team uses this information to assess any known risks and ensure that families are compatible to live communally. When conflicts between parents occur, there is support from staff to enable parents to resolve their differences.

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improvement to be good

Closed-circuit television surveillance is subject to regular review. Monitoring is reduced when appropriately assessed and safe to do so. This protects parents’ privacy and dignity.

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improvement to be good

The management team holds weekly safeguarding meetings, which provides a proactive approach to understand emerging risks for families.

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improvement to be good

There are occasions where staff have provided good support for children’s safety and welfare. Staff regularly raise concerns with parents regarding daily observations, and they share this information with placing authorities. When parents are at increased risk, staff respond and take necessary action to reduce this. Inspection report for residential family centre: Inwood Residential Services - Yahweh House 4

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good

The manager is qualified. He generally works well with the wider leadership team, including the service manager, responsible individual and assessing social worker. The centre has been establishing and beginning to build a positive reputation. However, there have been recent failures in effective managerial monitoring and information-sharing before the manager went on leave. This has resulted in the safeguarding shortfalls identified at this inspection.

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good

The manager did not share crucial information with staff or senior managers about a concern regarding one family that was reported to the manager. The family’s risk management plan was not updated. The manager has not ensured that the staff’s handover system highlighted safeguarding concerns. This has resulted in important information being missed by senior managers when the registered manager was absent.

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good

The manager has appropriately responded to serious concerns raised by parents against staff. However, on three occasions, they have failed to notify Ofsted about these. This means that Ofsted’s ability to monitor safeguarding arrangements has been reduced.

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good

There is a suitable complaints procedure that guides parents in how to raise concerns. The manager responds to complaints in line with procedures. Most complaints are addressed fairly and objectively. However, learning is not always identified, and parents do not have an accessible way of commenting if they are not satisfied with the manager’s responses. This has resulted in some parents not feeling that their concerns have been fully resolved.

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good

Staff receive a wide range of training. This includes specific training in the model of assessments. However, not all staff have completed understanding autism spectrum disorder and mental health and well-being training in line with identified needs of parents. Some training for staff is not completed swiftly in accordance with staff’s induction plan.

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good

Feedback from external professionals is mixed. Generally, social workers identify good communication and support for families. Staff work well with health visitors and ensure that parents attend important appointments. However, one placing authority raised concerns about the staff’s recent response relating to the welfare of a child, which has also been identified at this inspection.

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good

Staff receive good-quality supervision sessions from the manager. This provides opportunities for staff to develop their practice and work towards their learning objectives. Staff say that they feel well supported. High staff retention provides appropriate continuity for families throughout parenting assessments.

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good

Senior managers understand and have immediate plans in place to address the shortfalls identified at this inspection. Inspection report for residential family centre: Inwood Residential Services - Yahweh House 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 person shall ensure that the residential family centre is conducted so as to—

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Requirement Due date

promote and make proper provision for the health and welfare of residents;

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Requirement Due date

make such provision for the care, treatment, education and supervision of residents as is appropriate to their age and needs. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that family risk management plans are updated following incidents and when emerging concerns are shared by professionals. 29 September

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall make arrangements for residents to have access to such medical advice or treatment as may be necessary.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall make arrangements, by training persons working at the residential family centre or by other measures, to prevent residents being harmed or suffering abuse or being placed at risk of harm or abuse. (Regulation 11 (1) (5))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that: staff have the skills to recognise and act on concerns about a child’s welfare; on-call and handover systems enable concerns about a child’s welfare to be shared immediately; staff seek medical attention for a child, when required. 29 September

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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; and 29 September Inspection report for residential family centre: Inwood Residential Services - Yahweh House 6 sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of any allegation of abuse or neglect. (Regulation 12 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that any allegation of staff neglect is promptly referred to the local authority designated officer.

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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))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that Ofsted is notified without delay of any serious complaints made against staff. 29 September

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff complete mandatory training in accordance with their induction and that autism spectrum disorder and mental health and well-being training is attended by all staff. (Residential family centres: national minimum standards’, 16.1)  The registered person should ensure that responses to complaints are consistently objective and that processes allow an accessible way for parents to comment on their satisfaction of the matters being resolved. (Residential family centres: national minimum standards’, 19.8)

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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: Inwood Residential Services - Yahweh House 7

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider address: 51 Station Road, Letchworth SG6 3BQ

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Residential family centre details

Responsible individual: Kofoworola Ibitoye

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Inspectors

Mark Anderton, Social Care Inspector Eileen Bultitude, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for residential family centre: Inwood Residential Services - Yahweh House 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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