Kinfolk House

Inspection report for residential family centre: Kinfolk House 1 Kinfolk House Thrive Childcare Services Limited 87 Grenville Street, Edgeley, Stockport, Cheshire SK3 9ER 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 and is registered to accommodate up to five families at any one time. 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

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2023, when the centre became operational.

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Information about this residential family centre

At the time of this inspection, one family was living at the centre.

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Information about this residential family centre

The inspection started on 16 April 2024. It was paused in line with Ofsted inspections and visits: deferring, pausing and gathering additional evidence policy. The inspectors returned on 18 April 2024 to complete the inspection.

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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 residential family centre is not yet delivering good assessments, help and care for children and parents. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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Overall experiences and progress of

Date of previous 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: Kinfolk House 2

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improvement to be good

Shortfalls in safeguarding practice and the leadership and management of the centre have impacted on the overall experiences and progress of one family placed at the centre. Leaders and managers are working together to implement changes and make improvements. They now have a much better oversight of families’ care and development.

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improvement to be good

Parents are offered weekly babysitting time to support their emotional well-being. However, children have been cared for by staff for sustained lengths of time in the centre, which is outside of the provider’s registration. This demonstrates that the provider does not have a clear understanding of the role of the family centre or its registration.

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improvement to be good

Assessment reports are detailed and reflect parents’ capacity. The assessing social worker is clear and consistent in their findings. They make proportionate recommendations about families’ futures and they prioritise children’s safety. Parents are provided with opportunities to express their views, thoughts and feelings throughout the assessment process.

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improvement to be good

There is evidence of parents making progress during their stay at the centre. For example, staff have supported one parent to work towards positive outcomes, to understand their attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and to develop daily routines to be more independent and less reliant on staff. The staff team collaborates with placing authorities to review regularly and adapt the support provided.

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improvement to be good

When appropriate, staff support parents to develop and sustain family relationships so that they have links and support networks in place. Education and nursery placements are also sourced when younger children come to live in the centre. Staff recognise the need to involve parents in accessing community activities, to assess if families can parent in the community safely without the support of the staff team.

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improvement to be good

Families’ health needs are well met. Staff understand families’ individual health needs and they support families to access specialist health services according to their individual needs. Direct work with families focuses on areas such as healthy diets and lifestyles.

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improvement to be good

The centre provides families with a warm and welcoming place to stay. It is homely and provides lots of space for families. However, the garden and external areas require some maintenance to make them suitable for toddlers and younger children. Inspection report for residential family centre: Kinfolk House 3

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improvement to be good

Following serious safeguarding incidents in the centre, staff did not immediately follow procedures for responding to and reporting concerns about the safety of a child. Once aware of the failings, managers acted promptly and worked in partnership with local authorities, the local authority designated officer and police to protect children. A thorough investigation by senior managers has been carried out. They have taken appropriate and proportionate action to address the significant practice concerns.

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improvement to be good

When families move into the centre, pre-admission risk assessments do not always consider all families’ individual risks or circumstances to determine if they are compatible and safe to live with one another. Specifically, one parent’s risk of physical aggression has not been considered in relation to other families and children living in the centre.

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improvement to be good

Since the serious incidents, policies and procedures, including closed-circuit television (CCTV) monitoring, have been strengthened. Staff recognise and respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns. For example, when incidents of parents co- sleeping with their children have been seen by staff, they have taken immediate action to ensure that children are safe. Work has then been carried out with parents to help them to understand the risks.

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improvement to be good

Physical restraint is rarely used in the centre. When it is used, it is proportionate and as a last resort to keep children safe. Equally, parents do not go missing from the centre frequently. Managers review all records and carry out a review following any incidents to identify any improvements that can be made to support families and to improve staff responses.

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improvement to be good

There are plans in place to promote routines and daily structure and to help parents to reduce risks. Guided learning and parenting sessions are used to help educate parents and to develop their parenting capacity. Managers ensure that families’ risk assessment management plans are kept up to date and that the staff team understands strategies to manage specific risks, such as self-harm and substance misuse.

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good

There have been significant shortfalls in relation to managers’ oversight, understanding and monitoring of safeguarding systems and practice in the centre. They have failed to demonstrate professional curiosity in their oversight of serious incidents.

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good

Senior managers have undertaken learning from serious incidents to improve safeguarding practice, procedures and support for families. They have identified areas of improvement and implemented a clear development plan to make changes Inspection report for residential family centre: Kinfolk House 4 to the operation of the centre. They are focused on securing improvements in the standards of care, children’s safety and support for families. Changes that have been implemented require time to become embedded into practice.

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good

There is now more senior management presence in the centre. This means that there has been an improved oversight of the operation of the centre. Staff are now more confident in their use of the on-call system, its purpose and when they should use it. Managers are making changes to ensure that there is a balance of experienced staff working in the centre each day.

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good

Staff are provided with regular practice-related supervision. This has included targeted supervision to address any safeguarding concerns. Staff speak positively about the support that they now receive from leaders and managers and the impact that this has on promoting a positive staff culture. Staff have been responsive to the changes made to improve the service. They attend regular team meetings, where managers provide them with clear guidance and feedback from lessons learned.

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good

Mandatory training is monitored well. Additional training has been facilitated to ensure that all staff have their understanding and competency of safeguarding, monitoring CCTV and effective recording and reporting assessed by a manager.

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good

Leaders and managers respond appropriately and without delay to complaints received from parents and others. They demonstrate a transparent approach to resolving any concerns and ensure that the appropriate people are kept up to date.

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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 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

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Requirement Due date

sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of any allegation of abuse or neglect. 31 May 2024 Inspection report for residential family centre: Kinfolk House 5 The procedure under paragraph (1)(b) must in particular provide for—

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Requirement Due date

liaison and co-operation with any local authority which is making child protection enquiries in relation to any child accommodated in the residential family centre;

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Requirement Due date

the prompt referral to the local authority in whose area the residential family centre is situated, of any allegations of abuse or neglect affecting any child accommodated in the residential family centre;

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Requirement Due date

written records to be kept of any allegation of abuse or neglect and of the action taken in response;

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Requirement Due date

consideration to be given in each case to the measures which may be necessary to protect children in the residential family centre following an allegation of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

a requirement for persons working at the residential family centre to report any concerns about the welfare or safety of any child accommodated in the residential family centre to one of the following—

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Requirement Due date

an officer of the local authority in whose area the residential family centre is situated; or

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Requirement Due date

an officer of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. (Regulation 12 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(d)(e)(f)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person should ensure that: staff follow and understand safeguarding procedures; safeguarding concerns are reported without delay so that prompt referrals can be made to the relevant professionals; staff maintain clear and accurate records about the safeguarding concerns.

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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 31 May 2024 Inspection report for residential family centre: Kinfolk House 6 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

Specifically, the registered person should ensure that managers’ oversight, understanding and monitoring of safeguarding records and staff practice are consistent and effective. They should demonstrate professional curiosity in their oversight of serious incidents.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person should ensure that pre-admission risk assessments consider all families’ individual risks or circumstances to determine if they are compatible and safe to live with one another.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the centre provides a comfortable and homely environment and is well maintained and decorated. Specifically, the external grounds should be well maintained to ensure that they are safe for children to access. (‘Residential family centres: national minimum standards’, page 19, paragraph 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: Kinfolk House 7

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider: Thrive Childcare Services Limited

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider address: 225, 5300 Lakeside, Cheadle SK8 3GP

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Residential family centre details

Email address: manager@kinfolkhouse.co.uk

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Inspectors

Cheryl Field, Social Care Inspector Claire Mason, Regulatory Inspection Manager Inspection report for residential family centre: Kinfolk 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 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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