Foundations Derby

Inspection report for residential family centre: Foundations Derby 1 Foundations Derby Progressive Care Limited 60 Village Street, Derby, DE23 8SZ Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential family centre

The family centre is privately owned and is registered to provide accommodation for up to ten families.

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Information about this residential family centre

There were seven families living at the centre at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this residential family centre

This is the centre’s first inspection since registration in October 2023.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: this is the first inspection

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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: Foundations Derby 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Families are made very welcome when they move in. Their flats are well furnished and maintained. Parents say they like staying at the centre despite the stressful circumstances they are under. The staff quickly build relationships with parents and children. This helps them to settle in and feel at ease. There are opportunities for socialising and learning through attending groups including baby massage and sensory sessions. As such, families build relationships with one another and there is a relaxed atmosphere. Several families have achieved positive outcomes to their assessments.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

The manager and staff make effective preparations prior to families moving in. For one family this required specialist equipment and training. The manager ensured that all staff had the required knowledge to ensure the children’s needs could be met. The parent commented how much this had meant to her in terms of the commitment of the team.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Staff ensure that families make progress and learn new skills. Families have a clear understanding of the reasons for their assessment and are regularly updated about their strengths and areas for development. Regular assessment and key work sessions are undertaken regarding relevant topics; however, there is limited evaluation and analysis in the records of the sessions. This can limit the purpose and direction of the work undertaken.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Parents are treated with respect and sensitivity. The manager and staff support parents to attend regular meetings where their wishes and feelings can be expressed. Parents are confident that the manager will deal with any concerns or issues they raise in a timely way. This helps to build trust and maintain a safe and calm environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

A small number of families have stayed longer than the intended assessment period. In these situations, there has not been a clear written agreement between the centre and the placing authority about agreed expectations during this time. This could create confusion for families and staff about how families are to be supported and monitored during this period. It was unclear from the records for one family how they had been supported when they left the centre in an emergency. The details were not made available during inspection.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

The manager and staff prioritise the welfare of children throughout the assessment process. There are clear plans in place in relation to levels of surveillance and monitoring to ensure children are safe. Risks are understood by the manager and staff; however, this knowledge has not been translated well into some risk management plans. For example, helpful information has not been included in one Inspection report for residential family centre: Foundations Derby 3 child’s plan relating to an ongoing health condition. This has not impacted on children however there is potential to cause confusion for staff and place children at increased risk of harm.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

The manager and staff have the skills and experience to ensure the centre is a safe place. Incidents seldom happen and when they do, they are managed effectively. Children’s safety is always the priority. Parents are also well supported to overcome difficult feelings or relationship difficulties. There have been no allegations of harm or complaints made against the staff team.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Parents feel confident to approach staff if they notice changes in their children’s presentation. Any new marks, or skin conditions are recorded clearly, and body maps are completed if required. Staff ensure that children are comfortable and offer parents reassurance so that they can meet their child’s needs. Staff are clear about the process to follow if they are concerned that a child has been harmed. This contributes to effective safeguarding practice in the centre.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

One child stayed at the centre without his parent overnight in an emergency. The manager had not obtained a written agreement with the local authority about their expectations of staff caring for the child in this situation. This could lead to misunderstandings of how children’s care is to be carried out.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

The manager is currently required to store specialist medical equipment to meet a child’s needs. This has the potential to increase the risk of fire if not stored correctly. The fire risk assessment has not been updated following this significant change in circumstances.

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good

The manager is passionate about her work. She is committed to providing the best conditions for families to achieve their potential. The manager has achieved this in some areas. For example, she has recruited and retained a skilled staff team who have high aspirations for families. She has also created a homely environment where families feel accepted for who they are. However, there are several areas for improvement which have impacted on the judgement in this area.

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good

The manager has not ensured that all final assessment reports are of good quality. One report was returned to the centre by a local authority for improvements to be made. Another report reviewed by inspectors did not meet the national minimum standards. Recommendations about children’s futures were not clear. This has the potential to cause delay in decision making about children’s care plans.

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good

Leaders and managers are not yet routinely obtaining letters of instruction regarding the work they are to carry out with families. This is mitigated by helpful planning prior to placements commencing, however there is potential for misunderstandings to occur without this document which directs work with families. As a result, the Inspection report for residential family centre: Foundations Derby 4 work undertaken could be vulnerable to challenge in court and impact on the decisions being made about children’s care.

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good

Staff say they are happy in their work and feel supported by the manager. However, support and supervision are not yet effective for all members of the team. One temporary member of staff works at the centre regularly but has only had one informal supervision session. Another member of staff is not yet receiving sufficient professional oversight to help her develop in her role. This is affecting her current performance in some areas of her practice.

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good

The manager has not ensured that records held at the centre are consistent and easily accessible. Daily logs show some inconsistencies and there was a gap in the information relating to a significant event affecting one family. The manager has attempted to improve the content provided in daily logs however her efforts have not yet been effective. A significant incident involving parents and a child which had been recorded in the daily logs had not been recorded on a specific incident form. If missed this practice could inadvertently mask the level of incidents happening at the centre. This can limit opportunities to identify any emerging patterns.

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good

A risk assessment pertaining to a member of staff lacked sufficient detail of measures in place and frequency of review. The document had not been signed by the employee and the manager was unsure if they had seen it. This limits the level of accountability in this process. Inspection report for residential family centre: Foundations Derby 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 methods of assessment or monitoring must be capable of evaluating the parents' capacity to change.

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

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that assessment reports meet the required standard to submit to court and contain clear evaluation of evidence gathered and recommendations based on the evidence. 20 August 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall after consultation with the fire authority—

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Requirement Due date

take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment;

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Requirement Due date

The specifically relates to ensuring that the centre's fire risk assessment is updated to include measures to safely store and use oxygen tanks. 25 June 2024 Inspection report for residential family centre: Foundations Derby 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the centre has a written family placement plan, in consultation with the placing authority and agreed, so far as may be practicable, with the parent(s) and, if age appropriate, the child. The plan should specify the objectives and intended outcomes of the placement, details of training, assistance, assessment, supervision and protection to be provided at the centre, and how the child's welfare will be promoted. This particularly relates to routinely obtaining a letter of instruction from the local authority. (Residential family centres: NMS 9.2)  The registered person should ensure that staff have access to support and advice (including from external specialists) to provide a comprehensive service for parents and their children and are provided with regular supervision by appropriately qualified and experienced staff. (Residential family centres: NMS 17.4)  The registered person should ensure that the residential family centre has a

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Recommendations

record of the recruitment and vetting checks which have been carried out on those working (including as volunteers) for the residential family centre. This includes having a robust record of risk assessments in place where required. (Residential family centres: NMS 14.3)  The registered person should ensure that staff have clear procedures that promote parents' and children's safety and welfare at the centre and protect them from abuse and other forms of significant harm. (Residential family centres: NMS 5.1)  The registered person should ensure that staff understand the nature of records maintained and follow the centre's policy for the keeping and retention of files, managing confidential information, and access to files (including files removed from the premises). There is a system in place to monitor the quality and adequacy of record keeping and take action when needed. (Residential family centres NMS 20.2)

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Recommendations

Inspection report for residential family centre: Foundations Derby 7

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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 Derby 8

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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: info@progressivecare.co.uk

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Inspectors

Laura Walker, Social Care Inspector Kathryn Hurley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for residential family centre: Foundations Derby 9 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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Inspectors

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