Foundations Sheffield

Inspection report for residential family centre: Foundations Sheffield 1 Foundations Sheffield Progressive Care Limited Victoria Gardens, 117 Manchester Road, Sheffield S10 5DN Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential family centre

This is a privately run residential family centre. The primary purpose of the centre is to support local authorities in completing fair and evidence-based assessments of parenting capacity and skills.

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Information about this residential family centre

The centre is registered to accommodate up to 20 families over two properties. At the time of the inspection, there were eight families staying at the centre. Each family has their own self-contained apartment and share the communal rooms.

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Information about this residential family centre

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2024.

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Information about this residential family centre

This is the first full inspection since the service was registered with Ofsted in April 2024.

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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 requires improvement to be 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 previous 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: Foundations Sheffield 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Children and parents benefit from a warm welcome from the manager and staff when they arrive at the centre. They are provided with all essential items, toys and equipment. This helps parents and their children to settle quickly in their new environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

The family centre is divided across two properties. The physical environment of both properties is exceptionally well maintained and furnished to a high standard. Each property has self-contained apartments of various sizes, enabling older children to have their own bedroom. Communal areas offer families the flexibility to socialise with other families yet still maintaining privacy in their own surroundings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Parents are provided with information about the centre, including the resident’s guide and the parenting assessment process. Communication with placing local authorities is timely and helps to reduce delay in the admission and planning process. If possible, the manager will speak to parents and reassure them before they arrive at the centre.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Closed-circuit television (CCTV) is in operation throughout the family centre. Surveillance and monitoring via CCTV is used with the agreement and consent of placing local authorities and parents. The level of monitoring for families is discussed at each review and this is reduced when it is safe to do so.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Residents’ meetings take place monthly. They inform parents of activities on offer and parents are able to share any issues or suggestions. Minutes of the meetings and other documents are translated for parents who speak English as an additional language. This helps parents to feel involved in the centre and engage in additional activities on offer.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

In addition to their formal parenting assessment, the parents have opportunities to participate in education and therapy. The centre employs a qualified teacher who focuses on teaching life skills and core subjects, such as English and mathematics. This gives parents confidence and aspirations for their future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Parents said they have good relationships with staff and this is reflected through their positive engagement in key-work sessions and daily observations. Qualified assessing social workers set out the parenting assessment process and plans for this are discussed with parents. This facilitates positive engagement and parents know their strengths and areas of concern.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Weekly reports, interim reports and final assessment reports are non-judgemental and evidence based. They detail the work completed with the parent and make recommendations to inform future planning in the best interests of children. Placing Inspection report for residential family centre: Foundations Sheffield 3 local authorities were positive; a typical comment was that ‘Assessments are analytical, easy to read and give clear recommendations.’

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How children and parents are helped and protected: good

Impact and compatibility assessments are completed on parents and children as part of the referral and admission process. This informs safe decision-making and considers the dynamic of families in the centre. When emergency admissions occur, the manager needs to be mindful of the intentions of the placing authority and be clear that the admission conforms with the centre’s statement of purpose regarding the parents and children whose assessed needs the centre can expect to meet.

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How children and parents are helped and protected: good

The safety and well-being of parents and children are central to the ethos of the centre. The environment is safe and staff understand the risks associated with each family. The risk and vulnerabilities of parents are documented in their risk assessment and captured in their placement plans. These documents inform the parenting assessment, key-working discussions and the required level of observations and surveillance.

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How children and parents are helped and protected: good

There have been very few safeguarding incidents since the centre was registered. Those that have taken place have been well managed and investigated and lessons have been learned. Staff have received further training to help them manage challenging behaviours and learn de-escalation techniques. This has enabled staff to respond using a restorative approach.

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How children and parents are helped and protected: good

Any complaints or allegations raised by parents or staff are investigated and resolved without delay and in accordance with internal policies and procedures. Parents know how to make a complaint and are confident in expressing themselves. This lends itself to an open and transparent culture and includes consultation and advice from external agencies. However, a concern raised by a child was not followed up by the manager until she was prompted to do so. The manager recognised this shortfall and addressed this during the inspection.

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How children and parents are helped and protected: good

Despite the centre being in its first year of registration, there has been a spate of staff leaving the service. The centre has undergone a recruitment campaign and appointed staff to a number of roles, including family support workers and assessing social workers. The staff have varying levels of knowledge and experience. Safe recruitment practice is effective, and checks undertaken confirm staff’s suitability to work with vulnerable children and adults.

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good

The manager is skilled and experienced and holds a leadership and management qualification. The manager is ‘hands on’ and provides visible and self-assured leadership. The manager is at the forefront of a developing service and is aware she is on a continuous journey of improvement. Inspection report for residential family centre: Foundations Sheffield 4 Leaders and managers make the decision to move families into the centre. On occasion, these decisions are not always in line with the statement of purpose because moving-on arrangements are not always in place when parents have already completed their parenting assessment. Although the manager’s intentions are good, there is a lack of effective challenge to placing local authorities in progressing plans once the assessment has been completed.

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good

Staff say that they feel well supported. Their induction and subsequent supervision sessions provide them with an understanding of the service. Staff’s knowledge and skills vary, and some staff need support and guidance to understand and fulfil their role. Staff are beginning to have more opportunities for continuous learning and development and all staff are undertaking their diploma level 3 qualification. However, this needs to be fully embedded into practice.

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good

The quality of the staff’s recording in families’ records has significantly improved since registration. Parents review their records and have regular discussions with staff about their progress and areas of continued learning. However, these discussions are not always reflected in the family’s placement plan and risk assessment, and this can affect staff practice as they do not have the current information and guidance. However, staff do hold a daily handover meeting where the sharing of information is effective.

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good

External audits are conducted by an independent visitor which provide an overview of the service. However, issues or concerns in the body of the audit report are not sufficiently explored to be able to confirm that they have been addressed. This does not support the service to develop and does not evidence effective dialogue between the independent visitor and the manager. Inspection report for residential family centre: Foundations Sheffield 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, 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

Where the registered provider is an organisation or a partnership, the residential family centre shall be visited in accordance with this regulation by—

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Requirement Due date

an employee of the organisation or partnership who is not directly concerned with the conduct of the residential family centre.

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Requirement Due date

Visits under paragraph (1) or (2) shall, as far as reasonably practicable, take place at least once a month and may be unannounced.

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Requirement Due date

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, its daily log of events and records of any complaints; and

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Requirement Due date

prepare a written report on the conduct of the residential family centre. (Regulation 25 (2)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered provider must provide evidence in their regulation 25 report of the actions taken when issues and/or concerns have been identified.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider’s written report of a visit carried out by the independent visitor under regulation 25 must be lodged in the centre for the manager and staff to read and to respond to. It must also made available to inspectors, as required. 14 March 2025 Inspection report for residential family centre: Foundations Sheffield 6 The registered person must take action to address any issue of concern that they identify or which is raised with them.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall ensure that there is, having regard to—

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Requirement Due date

the need to safeguard and promote the health and welfare of residents,

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Requirement Due date

a sufficient number of suitably qualified, competent and experienced persons working for the residential family centre. (Regulation 15 (1)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered provider must ensure that staff are equipped with the skills and experience required to meet the needs of the parents and their children and the purpose of the centre. 14 March 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered provider should ensure that the centre only provides admission to parents and children whose assessed needs they can expect to meet, consistent with the centre’s statement of purpose. (Residential family centres: NMS 7.2)  The registered provider should ensure that prior to a placement, a risk assessment is carried out to ensure that the centre is well placed to meet the family’s needs and that the family is able to fit in with the centre’s other residents. The manager should ensure that the risk assessment is kept under review and updated accordingly. (Residential family centres: NMS 9.1)

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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: Foundations Sheffield 7

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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

Cath Sikakana, Social Care Inspector Debra Boldy, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for residential family centre: Foundations Sheffield 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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Inspectors

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