Ohana Parental Assessment Centre

Inspection report for residential family centre: Ohana Parental Assessment Centre 1 Ohana Parental Assessment Centre Ohana Parental Assessment Centre Limited 53 Palmers Drive, Grays RM17 5RA Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential family centre

The centre is owned by a private organisation. It provides care, accommodation and residential parenting assessments for two families. The centre can provide parent manual assessments (PAMS). Parenting assessments take a minimum of 12 weeks.

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Information about this residential family centre

The manager registered in December 2021 at the same time as the centre opened.

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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: 16 October 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: Ohana Parental Assessment Centre 2

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improvement to be good

The registered manager was absent during this inspection. At the time of the inspection, one parent was living at the centre. This parent contributed to the inspection.

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improvement to be good

Significant weaknesses identified in the manager’s monitoring and oversight mean that children and parents are not yet receiving good enough support or help and protection at the centre.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have not consistently provided parents with opportunities to comment on, or challenge the information recorded in their weekly observation summaries. One parent confirmed that they do not receive these reports and are not helped to understand them. As a result, this parent is not fully equipped to understand any areas of concern during their assessment.

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improvement to be good

The staff provide support sessions to parents. However, the content of these sessions is not always monitored. When parent’s raise concerns, it is unclear how leaders and managers have explored these on each occasion. This includes reasonable requests from a parent in relation to the availability of leisure resources at the centre.

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improvement to be good

Families receive a warm welcome from staff when they arrive. Parents follow a planned induction and are made aware of relevant policies and procedures. Staff complete detailed family placement plans. These consider families individual needs and the court instructions from the placing auhtority.

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improvement to be good

One parent has recently finished their assessment. The parents’ capacity was assessed within an agreed timeframe. The final report was written by a qualified social worker and incorporates evidence-based methods that demonstrate how the final recommendations are made.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage parents to attend external groups with their children. These provide parents with opportunities to develop their parenting skills and increase their social network.

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improvement to be good

Feedback from external professionals is positive. Social workers and a health visitor report that communication with leaders, managers and staff is effective.

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improvement to be good

There is a suitable procedure that guides parents in how to raise formal complaints. The manager responds to these complaints in accordance with these procedures. Inspection report for residential family centre: Ohana Parental Assessment Centre 3

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers compile and review risk management plans for families. However, the organisation of these are unwieldly. There are several formats that contain conflicting strategies for staff to respond to identified risks. These include response strategies in relation to domestic violence and mental health issues for parents. One parent’s assesment does not reflect the agreed staffing ratios and the arrangements for staff to take care of a child during the night. There has been recent staffing turnover. The absence of clear guidance increases the potential for staff to be inconsistent in their responses to identified risks.

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improvement to be good

There has been issues of mice at the centre. The manager has recently sourced and implemented a pest control system. This includes electronic devices that could pose a risk to children and vulnerable adults. The manager has not identified the pest control system as a potential hazard. As a result, there is no agreed strategy to reduce the risks associated with their use.

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improvement to be good

All staff receive safeguarding training. However, some staff fail to show a full understanding of the centre’s safeguarding policy. Staff did not immediately alert the manager to a potential safeguarding concern that was identified in a child’s body map. No harm was identified in relation to the child on this occasion. However, delays in staff alerting and escalating potential safeguarding concerns can hinder the effectiveness of multi-agency responses to protect children.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have failed to review the surveillance methods. The continued use of surveillance without consideration of proportionality in line with parent’s progress infringes on parents’ dignity and privacy.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers took prompt action when an allegation was made against a staff member. The manager referred this concern to the local auhtority designated officer and completed an appropriate investigation. This identified further learning areas to address poor staff practice.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have improved checking systems for staff to identify fire hazards. Fire drills are completed, and fire safety equipment is now suitably maintained.

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good

The manager is qualified and supported by a responsible individual who is an experienced social care professional. Although leaders and managers were aware of some weaknesses, they were not aware of all of the shortfalls identified at this inspection. Internal monitoring has not been strong enough to make the improvements necessary to provide consistent good-quality support and assessment for families. Inspection report for residential family centre: Ohana Parental Assessment Centre 4 The centre is not being managed with the competence and skill required. There is a lack of quality in relation to some records which has led to unclear written information. Final parenting assessment reports contain several grammatical errors which have misgendered parents. There are factual inaccuracies in the centre’s statement of purpose regarding the level of training staff have in line with the model of assessments provided. Some written guidelines for parents outlining the

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good

behavioural expectations at the centre are confusing and illogical.

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good

There are discrepancies in relation to an incident report involving a parent and a child. The manager has independently reviewed this incident but has failed to follow up these discrepancies with the staff member. The responsible individual has not monitored these reports to establish the facts and resolve the inconsistencies in the information provided. The lack of effective monitoring can delay the prompt identification of any further action needed to safeguard the child.

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good

There are general improvements in the depth contained in the manager’s internal review of the care provided. However, the manager’s evaluations are overly optimistic. Targets identified for further improvement are not assessed between these reviews, meaning that progress in these areas is unclear.

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good

The quality of external monitoring needs to improve. Visits by the independent person have not taken place every month, as required. The inspection of the premises is not thorough, and the independent person does not speak to staff frequently enough. This reduces the reliability and effectivness intended by these visits.

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good

Staff complete a range of training courses to increase their skills in accordance with the centre’s development plans. Leaders and managers are planning to improve the quality of the training provided to staff in relation to responding to a parent’s mental health needs. This will further equip staff with the skills they need to meet the parent’s needs.

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good

Staff receive appropriate supervision sessions from the manager to reflect on their practice. Staff say that they feel sufficiently supported.

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good

Leaders and managers have now ensured notifications to placing authorities and Ofsted are made when requried. Inspection report for residential family centre: Ohana Parental Assessment Centre 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 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 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

ensure all written communication is monitored and professionally compiled.

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Requirement Due date

ensure that individual risk assessments contain clear and consistent guidance and are reviewed to reflect the agreed reduction strategies;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective oversight of parenting sessions. If parents raise concerns through these sessions a documented response must be considered and provided;

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Requirement Due date

ensure improvement objectives identified in quality-of-care reviews are assessed. 31 December

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall maintain in respect of each family accommodated in the residential family centre a record which—

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Requirement Due date

includes the information, documents and other records specified in Schedule 3 relating to the members of the family;

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Requirement Due date

is kept up to date. (Regulation 19 (1) (a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that parents are able to review, understand and comment on weekly reports. 31 December Inspection report for residential family centre: Ohana Parental Assessment Centre 6 Visits under paragraph (1) or (2) shall take place at least once a month and may be unannounced. The person carrying out the visit shall—

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Requirement Due date

interview, with their consent and in private, such of the residents and persons working at the residential family centre as appears necessary in order to form an opinion of the standard of care provided in the residential family centre;

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Requirement Due date

inspect the premises of the residential family centre. (Regulation 25 (3) (4)(a)(b)) 31 December

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the surveillance policy actively considers a system to review the proportionality of its use. (Residential family centres: NMS 10.1)  The registered person should ensure that potential hazards are identified, risk assessed and mitigated (Residential family centres: NMS 11.2)  The registered person should ensure that all staff are aware of safeguarding procedures, including the duty to report and escalate any concerns about a child’s safety. (Residential family centres: NMS 18.2)  The registered person should ensure that the manager regularly monitors, 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 and to identify any concerns about specific incidents. Immediate action should be taken to address any issues raised by this monitoring. (Residential family centres: NMS 19.2)

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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: Ohana Parental Assessment Centre 7

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider: Ohana Parental Assessment Centre Limited

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider address: 53 Palmers Drive, Grays RM17 5RA

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Residential family centre details

Email address: ohanacarecentre@outlook.com

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Inspectors

Mark Anderton, Social Care Inspector Andrea Bounden, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for residential family centre: Ohana Parental Assessment Centre 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 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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