Aontacht Family Services

Inspection report for residential family centre: Aontacht Family Services 1 Aontacht Family Services Aontacht Limited Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential family centre

This residential family centre is owned and managed by a private provider and is registered to accommodate up to three families at any one time.

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Information about this residential family centre

The centre provides residential assessments that assist local authorities and courts in making decisions which promote the welfare of children.

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Information about this residential family centre

At the time of this inspection, there was one family in residence.

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Information about this residential family centre

The provider and manager registered with Ofsted in March 2024. This is the residential family centre’s first inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and parents, taking into account

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good

How well children and parents are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The residential family centre provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for residential family centre: Aontacht Family Services 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Families are welcomed sensitively to the centre. When possible, parents are given the opportunity to visit the centre before they move in. Staff provide parents with information about the centre before they move in. Staff ensure that parents are provided with the required information at the earliest opportunity and they understand what is expected of them during their stay.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Assessments are evidence based and provide a detailed rationale for the recommendations made. Leaders and managers ensure that assessments are of high quality and comprehensively address the needs of the family. This ensures that professionals and courts have accurate and detailed information to make decisions about children’s lives. Following the end of placements, the registered manager carries out a reflective session with staff to consider any areas for development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Staff and the assessing social worker ensure that families are well informed of the assessment process and the expectations of them throughout their time in the centre. Families understand what is working well and what they need to work on next. Staff provide families with regular opportunities to read and challenge anything that is written about them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Staff hold regular meetings with parents to gain their views. Parents are confident in raising issues with staff both in and outside of these meetings. Staff address any concerns promptly, which enables families to feel heard and valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Staff carry out planned direct work with families and children which aligns with their individual plans. Staff use a range of resources and research to create interactive sessions and to help parents identify meaningful strategies to manage their own feelings and emotions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Staff ensure that children and parents have access to a range of activities in and outside of the centre to support the social, developmental and recreational needs of the children. The centre’s development coordinator carries out comprehensive assessments of children’s health and development during their stay. When specialist support for children is required, staff advocate on their behalf to secure the necessary treatment and support. Children who stay at the centre make excellent developmental progress from their starting points.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

The centre is a warm and welcoming environment designed to meet the needs of children and parents who stay there. There are age-appropriate toys and equipment for children and private spaces where parents can meet with professionals. Any maintenance repairs are actioned in a timely manner. Staff make changes to the way that they work and the support they provide to accommodate the needs of the families living there. For one family, this included providing additional space for food storage to meet their religious needs and travelling further afield to support the family to attend specific baby groups with other parents who share their cultural background. Inspection report for residential family centre: Aontacht Family Services 3

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Staff have a good understanding of the risks, vulnerabilities and concerns for each family and how to support them. Before families come to stay at the centre, the registered manager completes a risk assessment. This identifies known risks for the family and considers the staff’s skills and experience to enable them to meet their needs. The registered manager consults with the family’s placing authority and external professionals to inform the assessment. As a result, all matching considerations for the family are appropriately evaluated.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Safeguarding incidents in the centre are rare. However, when they occur, staff manage them appropriately and inform the relevant professionals. Staff are aware of families’ changing risks through alerts on the IT system. Family-specific risk assessments are in place, with detailed guidance for staff to follow. Staff support parents to learn about risks and work with them throughout their stay to reduce these.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

The provider’s chosen model of practice is well embedded across the centre. The registered manager and staff use research-informed practice that helps them understand how to support parents in caring for their children. Staff use lots of encouragement and work in an open and transparent way to get the best out of parents.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Medication is stored safely. There are clear plans in place for administering medication, with detailed guidance for staff to follow. Records of medications administered are clear and daily medication checks are carried out. Accidents at the centre are well managed by staff. Accident records include details of how accidents occurred and any injuries sustained.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

The registered manager ensures that staff are recruited safely and that they receive a good-quality induction. The centre has a stable staff team who are enthusiastic about offering high-quality care and support to families.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Families do not go missing from the centre. However, should parents and children go missing, staff know how to respond.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is committed to providing a high-quality service to families. She is a positive role model for the staff team and is enthusiastic about sharing her practice knowledge to support the development of staff. Staff say that they feel well supported. One member of staff said, ‘Coming to work is a pleasure.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has excellent oversight of the centre. She has a proactive approach and ensures that all plans used to manage and mitigate risk are regularly reviewed and updated. She undertakes regular reviews of the family’s progress with the assessing social worker through assessment mapping and considers any patterns or themes. This ensures that there are realistic expectations of parents’ capacity to Inspection report for residential family centre: Aontacht Family Services 4 change and that support provided to families remains consistent to their individual needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has a good understanding of the needs, vulnerabilities and concerns for each family. She communicates well with partner agencies and appropriately escalates her concerns when she feels a family’s needs are not being met. For one family, this resulted in an extended stay being granted by the court.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular good-quality supervision. Staff have plenty of opportunities to discuss and reflect on their support to families. Any shortfall in practice is raised in supervision and staff are given clear guidance on actions to be completed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager supports staff’s learning and development. Staff are provided with a wide range of training, including specialised courses to meet family’s individual needs. However, the registered manager has not ensured that staff are working towards relevant qualifications within the required time frame. She has plans in place to address this shortfall. Inspection report for residential family centre: Aontacht Family Services 5

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that all new care staff have or are working towards a relevant qualification for their role within six months of confirmation of employment. (Residential family centres: NMS 16.5)

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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: Aontacht Family Services 6

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider address: 107 Ack Lane West, Cheadle Hulme, Cheadle SK8 7EU

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Residential family centre details

Responsible individual: Stephanie Kilheeney

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Inspectors

Leanne Carr, Social Care Inspector Stacey Ilaboya, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for residential family centre: Aontacht Family Services 7 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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