Oak House New Spring Residential Centre

Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Oak House New Spring Residential Centre 1 Oak House New Spring Residential Centre New Spring Family Care (Preston) Limited

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316 Blackpool Road, Fulwood, Preston, Lancashire PR2 3AE

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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 accommodate up to five families at any one time. The residential family centre is privately owned. Families access the centre at the direction of the family court or the local authority for the purposes of assessment.

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Information about this residential family centre

There were two families staying at the centre at the time of this visit.

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Information about this residential family centre

The residential family centre started operating in April 2020. There is currently no registered manager. The previous registered manager left in March 2023. The acting manager has applied to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this residential family centre

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

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Inspection date: 6 December 2023

Date of previous inspection: 10 October 2023 Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Oak House New Spring Residential Centre 2

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This monitoring visit

Following a full inspection on 10 and 11 October 2023, Ofsted judged the residential family centre to be inadequate. Serious shortfalls were identified in relation to the quality and oversight of parenting assessments, the leadership and management of the centre and the oversight of safeguarding practices. Three compliance notices were served, under regulation 8, registered person general requirements, regulation 12, arrangements for the protection of children, and regulation 13A, assessments.

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This monitoring visit

At a monitoring visit on 1 November 2023, the inspector found that the provider had acted to meet all the steps in the compliance notice under regulation 12, arrangements for the protection of children.

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This monitoring visit

At this latest monitoring visit, the inspectors looked at progress made in relation to the compliance notices under regulation 8, registered person general requirements, and regulation 13A, assessments. The inspectors found that the provider has acted to meet all the steps in the two compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

From the parenting assessments sampled, inspectors found that they are written in line with the letter of instruction from placing authorities and consider the parents’ capacity to sustain change. The assessments adequately address the risks parents may pose to their children, set out the work undertaken with parents and evaluate how well parents are able to meet their child’s needs. The assessment conclusions and recommendations are clear and consistent with the body of the report.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual is in the process of formalising arrangements for all parents’ assessments to be quality assured by an externally commissioned social work organisation. In the interim, it is unclear whether leaders and managers oversee or review the quality of the assessment reports, as there is no recorded evidence of this. Furthermore, one parenting assessment has been quality assured by a social worker who has no professional connection to the provider. This means that a family’s personal information and confidentiality has potentially been compromised.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, there have been no serious incidents that have required notification to Ofsted. However, the manager has addressed the reportable incidents policy in a team meeting to ensure that all staff understand what a notifiable incident is. This ensures that safeguarding procedures are consistently followed to keep children safe from harm.

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This monitoring visit

Safer recruitment checks are more rigorous. The provider has made amendments to their application form and members of the senior leadership team have all undertaken safer recruitment training. This has strengthened the recruitment process and assures the provider that they are employing safe and suitable people to work in the centre. Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Oak House New Spring Residential Centre 3 Leaders and managers have reviewed their conflict of interest policy. Individualised risk assessments have been introduced when staff members who are related to each other work together in the centre. This promotes an open culture and a transparent approach to safeguarding.

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This monitoring visit

The senior leadership team continues to monitor the recording, handling and administration of medicines in the centre effectively. There have been no further medication errors since the last inspection. This demonstrates that staff have an improved understanding of the necessity for the accurate recording of medication and how to safely administer medication.

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This monitoring visit

The staff team is now trained in conflict management. Supervision and appraisal training has also been undertaken by all members of the senior team who are responsible for carrying out practice-related supervisions with staff. The manager is taking a more proactive approach to identifying additional resources and learning opportunities for staff, to enable them to meet the specific needs of families until specialist external training can be accessed.

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This monitoring visit

Clear guidance has been implemented to ensure that new residents participate in a fire drill within 48 hours of them moving into the centre. This means that parents are provided with clear instructions and guidance about emergency evacuation procedures, to keep themselves and their children safe in the event of a fire.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders’ and managers’ oversight of monitoring and review systems has improved. There is a more effective system in place to ensure that the manager’s review of the quality of care reports and the reports of visits undertaken by the registered provider are consistently sent to Ofsted without delay. Arrangements have been made for an independent company to undertake the visits, to provide additional oversight and scrutiny of the quality of care.

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This monitoring visit

A restriction of accommodation notice was served on 17 October 2023. The provider has complied with this notice, as no families have been admitted to the centre since the full inspection. At a case review on 7 December 2023, it was agreed that leaders’ and managers’ oversight of the quality of parenting assessments, the monitoring of systems and safeguarding practice has improved. Therefore, the restriction of accommodation notice has been lifted, as the grounds for the notice no longer apply. Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Oak House New Spring Residential Centre 4

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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

The registered person must ensure that conclusions or recommendations are made as a result of the assessment or monitoring and that—

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Requirement Due date

such conclusions or recommendations are objective and based on verifiable evidence; and

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Requirement Due date

the evidence on which they are based is capable of being presented in a manner that is clear, accessible and appropriate to the persons who will need to consider them. (Regulation 13A (4)(a)(b)) 19 January 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall make suitable arrangements to ensure that the residential family centre is conducted—

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Requirement Due date

in a manner which respects the privacy and dignity of residents. (Regulation 10 (3)(a))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, parenting assessments and residents’ personal information should only be accessed by professionals who have been commissioned to do so by the provider, to ensure that families’ confidentiality is not compromised. 19 January 2024

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Information about this inspection

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. Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Oak House New Spring Residential Centre 5

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider: New Spring Family Care (Preston) Limited

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider address: 316 Blackpool Road, Fulwood, Preston, Lancashire PR2 3AE

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Inspectors

Cheryl Field, Social Care Inspector Charlie Bamber, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for residential family centre - monitoring visit: Oak House New Spring Residential Centre 6 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 looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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