Crown House

Inspection report for residential family centre: Crown House 1 Crown House Keys Family Assessment Centre Limited 10 Abbey Road, Malvern, Worcestershire WR14 3HG Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential family centre

A large national private company operates this residential family centre. It is registered to provide a service to eight families. Families usually stay at the centre between 12 and 16 weeks for their assessment. A range of assessment methods are used. The service can undertake community-based assessments if families are within travelling distance.

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Information about this residential family centre

The manager registered with Ofsted on 3 March 2022 and has a level 5 diploma in leadership and management. They are social work qualified and registered with Social Work England.

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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 last inspection: 5 December 2023

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Overall experiences and progress of

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Overall experiences and progress of

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for residential family centre: Crown House 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

At the time of the inspection, three families were living at the centre.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

The centre’s environment has much improved since the previous inspection and is more welcoming for families. There is a light and spacious feel throughout. The new sensory room is a positive addition. The room provides a relaxing and calm space for children and their parents. The sensory-friendly environment helps to minimise any overwhelming feelings for parents. This helps them to focus and concentrate on their children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

The centre prepares families well for moving in. Parents receive written information about the centre and the assessment process. Where possible, the registered manager will visit families before they move in. Parents feel welcome and, overall, settle in quickly, despite their circumstances. One parent said that being at the centre was the first time ever that they had felt ‘able to be a mum’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

The registered manager and staff strive to create a harmonious atmosphere. They promote tolerance and acceptance and there is a real sense of togetherness. Overall, interactions between parents are positive. On the few occasions they are not, staff intervene quickly to promote positive relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Qualified and skilled social workers oversee the families’ assessments. Assessments are completed in a timely manner and are reviewed by the registered manager to ensure quality. The model of assessment is adaptable to the learning needs of parents. Assessments adhere to requirements set by the court and the placing authorities. Parents receive adequate support to achieve their potential. Final assessment reports contain clear evidence, are evaluative and child-focused and provide clear recommendations.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

The help and support children and their parents receive is excellent. The compassion and dedication shown to families is remarkable. For example, parents who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities are supported by staff using creative resources and helped to design their own pictorial prompts. Staff ensure that they work in a way which considers any cognitive difficulty. Parents receive regular feedback on their progress in a format that they understand. They also receive plenty of opportunity to express their views on their progress. In addition, they gain clarity about how staff can help them develop their parenting skills further.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Staff support parents who have poor mental health. One placing social worker said that a parent’s mental health was the most improved it had been. The social worker said this was due to the support staff provide. They also said that the parent is now able to identify when they need help and will ask for this. The parent and their child are now living together in the community. Inspection report for residential family centre: Crown House 3 The registered manager has plans to enhance the way they assess parents with autism. They have started the accreditation process with the National Autistic Society. This will further improve how parents with autism receive support during their assessment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Staff support young parents exceptionally well. Some of these parents have many professionals involved in their lives. Staff have formed effective links with local education services. This helps these parents to continue engaging in their education during the assessment process.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Children and their parents receive support to meet their health needs. Staff ensure that health professionals regularly see children. Staff also support families to engage in activities outside of the centre. Some parents take their children to local play groups or to seek breastfeeding support. This helps parents to improve their working relationships with professionals in the community.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Children’s safety is paramount, and this is evident throughout the assessment process. Pre-admission risk assessments consider whether parents can live together safely. Risks such as parents’ mental health or domestic abuse are thoroughly considered. This includes the impact on other families resident at the centre.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Staff respond appropriately to ensure children are safe. Since the previous inspection, there has been an emphasis on improving risk assessments. This includes prior to and during the assessment process. There has been much improvement in all aspects of safeguarding practice. There is now a shared risk approach to safeguarding which includes external professionals. This supports the safety and welfare of children and their parents. The manager’s evaluation of safeguarding incidents is good. They take necessary action to ensure that children are safe and that their needs are met. However, on occasion it is not always clear what action has been taken and the effectiveness of this.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Staff respond appropriately to any safeguarding concerns in respect of both children and their parents. Assessments incorporate a balance of help and support to enable parents to succeed. When this is not possible staff prioritise children’s safety. Parents receive good support to understand and navigate next steps.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Risk assessments contain all known risks to children, including known risks which could impact on parenting capacity. They also outline information, guidance and strategies for staff to support parents. The arrangements for monitoring and supervision are in the main effective and proportionate. This promotes the safety and welfare of all children and their parents. However, there is no clear rationale for baby monitors to be in place on babies during the night. The registered manager said this was due to the risk of co-sleeping for all children. However, it is unclear how staff monitor this as there is only one waking night worker. In addition, staff do not record their monitoring of this. The use of baby monitors as surveillance is not Inspection report for residential family centre: Crown House 4 reviewed regularly either. Therefore, it does not serve any purpose in terms of measuring risk and progress.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Staff receive training in areas that are relevant to ensuring families’ safety. Staff help parents to understand risks to their children, and how to care for them safely. This is done through direct work, social work sessions and teaching. They address areas such as safe sleeping, domestic abuse and parental mental health.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Managers and staff do their best to support parents to engage in the assessment process. On rare occasions, parents have chosen to leave the assessment and their baby in staff care. During these times, staff follow the centre’s policy and procedures. They liaise with relevant professionals to ensure they locate parents quickly. Staff prioritise the safety of children and ensure their welfare remains paramount.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is a child-focused and reflective practitioner. They lead with confidence a staff team whose members are dedicated and committed. Staff feel valued and well supported. Each family has a ‘pod’ which consists of staff with varied experience and skill sets. This complements the quality of assessments.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, the senior management team has expanded and restructured. As a result, senior oversight of the centre has significantly improved. The new regional manager and operations manager provide consistent scrutiny of the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager’s review of the quality of care report is detailed and evaluative. This includes feedback from families and professionals. The manager has used this to make improvements to the service. Parents are confident about how to raise a complaint. When they do occur, the registered manager takes appropriate action to resolve them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, staff have received extensive training to support their practice, in particular training in relation to trauma-informed practice. Staff have found this beneficial, and this is evident in their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have a good understanding of the centre’s strengths and weaknesses. They have improved their internal monitoring systems. These systems provide a clear overview of how the centre functions, including any shortfalls in staff practice. Staff are encouraged to reflect on their practice regularly. They attend various workshops and social work forums. Staff enjoy the opportunity to reflect, which enhances their practice. As a result, managers and staff have a good understanding of the progress that families make.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The centre has a new independent visitor. They have been instrumental in improving all aspects of the service. Inspection report for residential family centre: Crown House 5 Management monitoring and oversight of the centre out of hours is much improved. There are new systems which ensure that any decisions are in the best interests of children. However, this remains a work in progress. The recording of decision- making is not consistent. On one occasion, a new member of staff supported a parent to attend the hospital. This was because their baby was unwell. However, the family returned to the centre as the parent did not want to wait. This was not in the child’s best interests. The staff and the on-call manager did not intervene and there was no record of their decision-making. The registered manager, once aware, ensured that the child received medical attention, albeit delayed. However, there was no record of the manager exploring the shortfalls in practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

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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

Subject to paragraph (6) and any requirements for electronic monitoring imposed by a court under any enactment, the registered person must ensure that electronic or mechanical monitoring devices for the surveillance of residents are not used in a residential family centre, except for the purpose of—

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Requirement Due date

safeguarding their welfare, or that of other residents accommodated in the centre; or

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Requirement Due date

assessment or monitoring carried out under regulation 13A.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that any use of such devices is subject to the following conditions:

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Requirement Due date

its use is no more intrusive than necessary.

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Requirement Due date

Where the use of such devices is used for the purpose at paragraph (1)(b), the registered person must also ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

the resident being assessed or monitored consents to the use of the device in question; and

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Requirement Due date

its use is provided for in the placement plan. (Regulation 21A (1)(a)(b) (2)(b) (3)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the centre’s surveillance policy includes consideration of the use of baby monitors. There must be clear and proportionate rationale for the use of baby monitors as surveillance, as well as clear records of how this is monitored and reviewed. The registered person must provide staff with clear guidance and ensure that this is understood. 12 November Inspection report for residential family centre: Crown House 7

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that they clearly record their rationale for decision-making and any action they take when there are concerns about staff practice. (Residential family centres: NMS 21:1 )

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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: Crown House 8

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider: Keys Family Assessment Centre Limited

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider address: Maybrook House, Third Floor, Queensway, Halesowen, West Midlands B63 4AH

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Residential family centre details

Email address: davecarser@keys-group.co.uk

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Inspectors

Sarah Berry, Social Care Inspector Lydia Isaac, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for residential family centre: Crown House 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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