Safespace Living Ltd

Inspection report for residential family centre: Safespace Living Ltd 1 Safespace Living Ltd SafeSpace Living Ltd 137 Hither Green Lane, London, SE13 6QF Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential family centre

This residential family centre is owned by a private company which specialises in providing parenting assessments. This centre provides care and support for up to three families. The centre offers a broad range of support including on-site counselling. The centre can also assist with community-based assessments.

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Information about this residential family centre

The centre and the manager registered with Ofsted in November 2023.

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Information about this residential family centre

At the time of the inspection three families were staying at the centre and one of these families were due to move out the next day. The inspector spoke with two parents.

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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: not applicable

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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: Safespace Living Ltd 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Families feel welcome when they first arrive at the centre. Parents say that staff are supportive and sensitive to their initial feelings of anxiety. Families settle in well at the centre. Staff ensure that parents are clear about why they are undergoing parental assessments and ensure that families receive a thorough induction that explains the centre’s purpose and expectations.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Families share trusted relationships with staff and they receive very regular feedback about how they are doing. There are good opportunities for parents and children to share their views about their experiences at the centre. Families are aware of how to make complaints but since the centre opened there have been no complaints made. Staff offer parents individualised parenting support through a series of programmes and planned sessions. These are tailored to meet the assessment needs of each individual family member and to promote the safe care of children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Staff maintain good records of families’ progress and issues arising from the assessments. Reviews of placements are regular. Families fully participate in their individualised assessment programmes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Children access education and play provision that meet their learning and developmental needs. Families regularly attend local children’s centres where chil- dren engage in play activities. Staff work with parents to help them to understand the importance of touch and stimulation in babies’ development. For example, staff run baby massage sessions at the centre. Staff offer families a creative range of activities to take part in. Some of these are centred on parents’ making keepsake personalised baby memorabilia for families to take with them when they leave the centre. For parents, this is highly meaningful.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Recently older children have stayed with their parents at the centre. The children continued to attend local nurseries and schools. One of the children was supported by staff and their parent to complete their GCSE examinations which the child suc- cessfully passed. The centre is well equipped with play and learning materials for children of all ages.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Staff support families to live healthy lifestyles. Children and parents have access to a range of health care services. Staff’s communication with health care professionals is regular and consistent. This helps to ensure that children and parents’ health care needs are well met. Parents receive good support to address both their physical and mental health needs. The centre’s therapist offers parents sessions to explore their mental health well-being and support them to meet their children’s emotional needs. Staff receive training in first aid for both children and adults, and they complete training in the safe administration of medication. Staff manage any accidents and injuries to children appropriately. Inspection report for residential family centre: Safespace Living Ltd 3 Children have contact with other family members that is appropriate, safe and in their best interests. Staff arrange family contact that is in accordance with local

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Final parenting assessment reports are comprehensive, evaluative, and analytical. They are evidenced-based and include recommendations for the safe care of children. Assessments identify what the support children and parents need once they leave the centre.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

The centre’s ‘Next Steps’ programme ensures that families can access staff and appropriate support services once they return to the community. Many families remain in touch with staff when they leave. Staff routinely apply for funding to creatively support families once they return to the community. For example, managers are currently considering funding to support a parent to take driving lessons when they return home.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Staff protect children and their parents from abuse, neglect, and harm. The centre’s child protection policies and procedures are thorough, and staff are very familiar with these. Staff complete regular safeguarding training and the protection of children remains the central focus of all staff’s work.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Staff’s supervision and vigilance of children and their parents is good. As a result, very few incidents occur. Staff are aware of the vulnerabilities of individual family members and ensure that there are safeguards in place that help reduce the risk of harm.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Staff devise risk assessments that address the particular concerns for families and there are effective strategies in place to help mitigate risks. Risk assessments are shared with parents who are invited to contribute their views about the risks they and their children may face. For some families, working agreements are in place to help strengthen this process. There have been no allegations made against staff or others at the residential family centre.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Staff and managers ensure that there is a quick response to any safeguarding concerns. Parents receive help and support to manage their behaviour. Where this help is not accepted by parents, and risks continue to be posed to children, managers formally intervene. For example, one parent received a final warning about their substance misuse and eventually was asked to leave due to the continued risks posed to the child.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Children benefit from the close partnership working between staff in the centre and other professionals. Communication between professionals is consistent and effective. Everyone contributes to key meetings such as placement planning meetings and stability meetings which enables the careful co-ordination of support that families receive and promotes the safe care of children. Inspection report for residential family centre: Safespace Living Ltd 4 The centre’s premises are safe and secure, well-maintained, well-equipped and comfortable for families. Staff conduct weekly health and safety checks and there are good fire prevention systems in place. Risk assessments for the premises are regularly reviewed and updated. However, staff are yet to put in second stairgate on the first-floor landing.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Staff’s use of surveillance and electronic monitoring devises are appropriate. Families are aware of the centre’s surveillance methods. Parents and placing authorities give their consent for Closed Circuit television (CCTV) and baby monitors to be used. Parents are very happy with their surroundings and say that communal living is not problematic. One parent said of the premises, ‘It’s not at all what I was expecting when I heard we were going to a unit. The home’s really nice and we have everything we need.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The leadership and management of the centre are strong. Managers are highly visible to families, who know and were observed to approach managers to answer their queries.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders are ambitious for change and strive for continual improvement. For example, managers have recently focused on improving the quality of staff’s recording. This has highlighted significant shortfalls in the centre’s current recording IT system and software package which staff find difficult to navigate. The current system does not support the recording of work completed with families. Managers acknowledge that this is an area that requires review.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Management oversight is effective. The registered manager and senior staff have developed a series of highly successful monitoring systems that consistently review the quality of support provided to children and their parents. Leaders and managers are yet to finalise a service development plan to help guide the centre’s continued development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The support and supervision of staff is good. Staff receive meaningful support and have good opportunities to share their views with leaders and managers. Regular team meetings and reflective practice sessions support this ethos. Managers ensure that staff receive formal supervision regularly and that staff’s welfare and learning needs are well met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff training opportunities are relevant and wide ranging, ensuring that staff have the skills, knowledge and tools they need to work effectively with families. Staff recruitment and staff vetting processes are safe. This confirms that staff are suitable to work with children and their parents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children and their families have positive experiences and make good progress. Managers and staff share highly effective working relationship with other professionals. Feedback from external partners is positive. One child’s guardian said of their commu- Inspection report for residential family centre: Safespace Living Ltd 5 nication with staff, ‘It’s highly effective, clear and proactive communication. This en- sured that the professional network was fully informed and that families in placement could be supported appropriately. This was a very high standard of communication, without which, the families experience would undoubtedly have been less positive.’ Inspection report for residential family centre: Safespace Living Ltd 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the centre provides facilities for the care of babies and children of all ages. In particular, that a child stairgate should be in place on the first-floor landing. (Residential family centres: NMS 11.4)  The registered person should ensure that the retention of files, the management and access to information held on electronic recording systems meets the needs of the centre. (Residential family centres: NMS 20.2)  The registered person should ensure that there is a written development plan, which is reviewed annually. (Residential family centres: NMS 20.2)

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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: Safespace Living Ltd 7

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider: SafeSpace Living Ltd

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider address: 22 – 26 Bank Street, Herne Bay, Kent CT6 5EA

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Residential family centre details

Registered manager: Regina Gallagher-Sanders

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Residential family centre details

Email address: regina@safespaceliving.co.uk

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Inspector

Sandra Jacobs-Walls, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for residential family centre: Safespace Living Ltd 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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