Foundations Stalybridge

Inspection report for residential family centre: Foundations Stalybridge 1 Foundations Stalybridge Progressive Care Limited 217 Mottram Road, Stalybridge SK15 2QX 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 support for up to seven families at any one time. The centre is privately owned.

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Information about this residential family centre

Families access the centre at the direction of the family court or the local authority for the purpose of assessment. Parenting assessments are usually completed over a 12 week period but may be extended if agreed with the local authority or following court instruction.

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Information about this residential family centre

The centre registered with Ofsted in April 2019 and the manager registered in September 2023.

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Information about this residential family centre

There were five families living at the centre at the time of this inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and parents, taking into account good

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Overall experiences and progress of

How well children and parents are helped and protected good

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Overall experiences and progress of

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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Overall experiences and progress of

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

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Overall experiences and progress of

Date of previous inspection: 4 February 2020

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Overall experiences and progress of

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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Overall experiences and progress of

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for residential family centre: Foundations Stalybridge 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Children and parents are welcomed in a sensitive way and are helped to understand the centre’s expectations and the assessment process. One parent described how they were made to feel at ease and encouraged to ask questions and voice any worries.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Parenting assessments are carried out by experienced, qualified social workers. Families engage meaningfully. Assessments are of good quality, have a strong social work analysis and include clear recommendations.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Families receive well-planned support and structure. Placement plans are personalised and are regularly reviewed to capture ongoing progress and support needs. Parents are responsive to the guidance from the staff team. Most parents make progress and children thrive at the centre. Social workers are complimentary about the level of support provided to families and how this helps parents to adapt to their parenting role.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Children and parents are treated with dignity and respect. They experience assessments that are responsive to their identity and family history. For example, an interpreter was employed for one family to help in their understanding of where it may be possible to act on their wishes and to safeguard their child’s best interests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Children and parents benefit from the structured routine and variety of communal activities and learning. During the inspection, inspectors observed a baby massage class and a group activity for Mother’s Day, which all the families engaged with.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Parents benefit from having a multi-disciplinary staff team that includes a therapist and a teacher. The additional support they provide, particularly to parents, is invaluable to further assessing if families can parent in the community safely without the support of the staff team.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Parents know how to make a complaint. The centre’s complaints policy is easy to understand and accessible. Families understand what has happened as a result of their complaint. Their complaints are treated seriously and are responded to clearly. Urgent action is taken, and improvements happen for children and families. However, further scrutiny and analysis would ensure that patterns and trends are identified and acted on by the leadership team.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

There is a robust focus on safeguarding at the centre. Careful management of a family’s care ensures that safeguarding concerns are identified and addressed immediately. This ensures children’s safety. Transparency around safeguarding practice is promoted. Inspection report for residential family centre: Foundations Stalybridge 3 Risks are clearly understood, and risk management plans begin at the pre-placement stage. Processes are in place to ensure that staff and professionals are fully aware of any risks that families may present. The management team has a strong mental health strategy, which ensures that the team takes a positive approach to supporting the families to maintain positive mental health.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Each family has a carefully planned schedule at the centre; this includes supporting parents with basic skills. Depending on the individual needs of the family, this could include understanding the risks relating to domestic violence, the effects of criminality and reducing drug and alcohol misuse.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

While any allegations against staff are appropriately referred to the designated officer, there is no management summary of how allegations are followed up and resolved, no record of any action taken, or of the decisions reached. This does not ensure total transparency with staff and families.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Some families are involved in The Freedom Programme, which supports families who have suffered domestic abuse and violence. The programme has resulted in improved practice for staff and parents in recognising the effects of domestic abuse and violence as well as safeguarding and protecting the needs of families.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Risks for families are clearly identified. Staff spoken to during the inspection spoke with confidence about risk management strategies. Risk assessments and impact risk assessments could be improved by adding more detailed analysis. This is specifically in relation to ensuring that the centre is well placed to meet families’ needs and that families are able to fit in with the centre’s other residents.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

The building is safe and secure, and staff conduct regular checks to ensure that there are no health and safety concerns for the families. Staff make use of surveillance, including CCTV, which is appropriately risk assessed, regularly reviewed and individual to each family. All families are fully aware of the need for CCTV to be present during their assessments. This ensures transparency with staff and families.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Managers follow safer recruitment processes when they recruit new staff. When any potential safeguarding concerns arise at the recruitment stage, managers ensure that these are investigated. However, the rationale for decision-making has not been recorded in one recruitment file.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management and leadership of the residential family centre are strong. Managers and staff place the well-being and safety of families at the centre of their practice. Staff know and understand the needs of families and tailor their assessments accordingly. The registered manager is suitably experienced to manage the centre and does so effectively. Inspection report for residential family centre: Foundations Stalybridge 4 The registered manager is supported by a strong deputy; together, they share the same vision and high standards. They offer ongoing support and meaningful supervision to staff.’ Staff say that they are very well supported by the management team. One staff member said that she had received the best induction she had ever had. The manager and deputy manager focus on staff development and well-being. However, the management team does not ensure that staff receive an appraisal each year; therefore, there is no record of how they review and appraise staff

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and staff work effectively and in close partnership with other professionals, which helps them to coordinate and conduct their work with families thoroughly. Most families are visited regularly by their placing authority social worker. However, one family was not visited by their allocated social worker for the whole period of their assessment. This was not escalated by the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The training provided to staff is good. The training offered is specialised and tailored to working in a residential family centre. Managers are present in the centre. Staff report that managers are approachable and supportive as they coach and mentor staff to achieve their goals and objectives. Investment is given to training and development, and staff report that managers pay attention to their welfare.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings have a focused agenda that includes monitoring families’ progress and exploring any safeguarding issues. Staff report that there is a good team culture where people respect and support each other. This was observed by the inspectors throughout the inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The statement of purpose does not fully demonstrate the qualifications, competence and experience of some staff working at the centre. It does not record fees and charges as defined in Schedule 1; however, this information is available for local authorities but should also be present in the statement of purpose. Inspection report for residential family centre: Foundations Stalybridge 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, 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 shall ensure that all persons employed by him—

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Requirement Due date

receive appropriate training, supervision and appraisal. (Regulation 17 (5)) 1 July 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they regularly monitor, in line with the Residential Family Centre Regulations 2002 as amended, all records kept by the centre to ensure compliance with the centre’s policies, to identify any concerns about specific incidents and to identify patterns and trends. (‘Residential family centres: NMS, 19.2)  The registered person should ensure that prior to a placement, a risk assessment is carried out to ensure that the centre is well placed to meet the family’s needs and that the family is able to fit in with the centre’s other residents. (‘Residential family centres: NMS, 9.1)  The registered person should ensure that there is a clear and comprehensive summary on file of any allegations made against a particular member of staff, parent or child. The summary should include details of how the allegation was followed up and resolved, a record of any action taken and the decisions reached.

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Recommendations

(‘Residential family centres: NMS, 18.4)

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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: Foundations Stalybridge 6

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider: Progressive Care Limited

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider address: 51 Attercliffe Common, Sheffield S9 2AE

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Residential family centre details

Email address: Deborah.griffin@progressivecare.co.uk

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Inspectors

Jessica Higginson, Social Care Inspector Claire Mason, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for residential family centre: Foundations Stalybridge 7 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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