Foundations Wigan

Inspection report for residential family centre: Foundations Wigan 1 Foundations Wigan Progressive Care Limited Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this residential family centre

This residential family centre is registered to provide support for up to six families at any one time. The centre is privately owned.

p.1

Information about this residential family centre

Families access the centre at the direction of the family court or the local authority for the purpose of assessment. Parenting assessments are usually completed over a 12-week period but may be extended if agreed with the local authority or following court instruction.

p.1

Information about this residential family centre

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2023.

p.1

Information about this residential family centre

At the time of this inspection, there were four families living at the centre. The inspectors spoke with three of the families.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and parents, taking into account requires improvement to be good

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

How well children and parents are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

p.1

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.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

Date of previous inspection: 21 April 2022

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for residential family centre: Foundations Wigan 2

p.1

improvement to be good

Families have varied experiences of living in the centre. Some families identified staff they can trust and have developed positive relationships with. They reported on the progress they have made in terms of their parenting skills. However, another parent reported that some staff do not understand their roles and responsibilities and that this has had a negative impact on their experience while living at the centre.

p.2

improvement to be good

Several assessing social workers have been employed for a short time. The current social worker left with immediate effect the day before the inspection. Arrangements are in place to fill the vacancy and to ensure that an advanced practitioner appropriately supports the newly qualified social worker. The capacity of the social workers across the company to fulfil their roles and cover other social worker vacancies is a concern. There is also an over-reliance on newly qualified social workers to undertake parenting assessments.

p.2

improvement to be good

Most families case files are not up to date. They do not have letters of instruction from the court, legal status documentation or placing authority placement plans on file. Leaders and managers do not escalate this with placing authorities to ensure that family assessments are specifically focused on the court’s and placing authority’s direction.

p.2

improvement to be good

Assessments are evidence-based and provide a clear rationale for decision-making and any recommendations made. They demonstrate a balance of family strengths and areas of concern. Individual assessment plans include a detailed plan of direct work to be undertaken with the families, and this contributes to the interim and final assessments. One placing authority social worker reported positively about the level of communication with the assessing social worker and the quality of the assessment reports.

p.2

improvement to be good

House meetings take place to provide parents with a forum to share their views, wishes and feelings about how the centre is operated. Overall, parents feel that their views are listened to and know how to raise any concerns. The assessment process enables parents to have the opportunity to read, talk about and challenge information.

p.2

improvement to be good

The centre provides families with a warm and welcoming place to stay. Parents like their accommodation, and they are provided with everything that they require. There are a range of activities that families attend both in and outside of the centre. These include individual activities between parents and their children, baby groups, communal meals together and days out. Inspection report for residential family centre: Foundations Wigan 3

p.2

improvement to be good

Shortfalls in safeguarding practice have had a negative impact on the overall experiences of some families who have lived at the centre. Before the current manager registered, the leaders’ and managers’ oversight of one incident and action taken to safeguard a child was poor. Following concerns about a parent’s lack of supervision of their child and unexplained bruising, there was a significant delay before the family’s level of monitoring was increased to ensure the child’s safety. A child protection medical was also not carried out promptly, and lessons learned were not identified in response to the incident.

p.3

improvement to be good

On another occasion, leaders and managers did not implement their own learning points to keep children safe. This specifically relates to CCTV that is not installed in communal areas to improve monitoring of families, following two serious incidents. There is no rationale evidenced by leaders and managers about the delay in addressing this. The manager informed inspectors that CCTV was due to be installed the following week.

p.3

improvement to be good

Leaders and managers do not always provide clear guidance for staff to follow if they observe a child at risk while monitoring CCTV. Some staff phone parents in their room to raise their concerns, rather than carrying out visual checks to ensure the children’s safety. Consequently, the staff team’s practice is inconsistent in responding to concerns, and this places children at potential risk of harm.

p.3

improvement to be good

Senior managers recognise that there need to be clearer and consistent systems in place to safeguard children. They have implemented changes from wider learning. For example, all staff have attended workshops in relation to assessment reporting and recording. The manager’s monitoring systems have also improved. This is an ongoing plan in the organisation.

p.3

improvement to be good

Leaders and managers consider the suitability of families living together at the centre. The manager and service manager now lead on admission decisions. Impact risk assessments demonstrate that strategies are identified to minimise risks and to consider the impact of young teenage parents living together.

p.3

improvement to be good

Guided learning and parenting sessions are used to help educate parents about risks and to develop their parenting capacity. When parents go missing from the centre, staff take appropriate action to locate them and to ensure that their child is safe. There is also a transparent approach taken to addressing complaints, to resolving any concerns and to ensuring that relevant people are kept up to date.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff are provided with a range of training to educate them on safeguarding issues and risks when working with families. The manager monitors this well to ensure that all staff have the required up-to-date training to support families. Inspection report for residential family centre: Foundations Wigan 4

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Senior leaders do not provide the manager with regular support to enable them to manage the centre effectively and to consistently keep children safe. The manager requires more regular supervision sessions to provide her with the support and guidance she requires in her role. A service manager is in place, although she is currently responsible for the management of another of the provider’s centres. This impacts on her availability. Senior managers are stretched across the provider’s services, and this impacts on the overall leadership and management of the centre.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not always notify Ofsted about safeguarding incidents in line with regulation. This means that the regulator does not have up-to-date information to monitor the setting and ensure that children and families are safe. In addition, concerns about staff practice while working with a family were not appropriately notified to the local authority designated officer or shared with Ofsted.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not effectively challenge placing authorities when decisions made are conflicting in relation to risk management and supervision of parents during their assessment. For example, a parent who is monitored every hour at the centre, yet is allowed to spend several hours in the community unsupervised with their child.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not effectively address poor staff communication with families. Some parents’ risk assessments do not include accurate terminology. Some incident records are unclear and misleading. These factors impact on families’ relationships with staff and prompt complaints from parents.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Since the last inspection, there has been a high turnover of staff. Some of the core staff team members continue to work at the centre. This provides families with some stability. There are currently five vacancies in the team, and some staff are due to leave. Staff have been recruited and will start their roles following safer recruitment checks and training. However, this leaves the team with a high level of new and inexperienced staff supporting families. The manager recognises that the workforce needs to stabilise so that she can embed staff practice.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff meetings take place monthly, and they are well attended. However, the staff team members do not receive regular practice-related supervision to support them in the work they do with families. Staff say that they feel supported by the manager but that the team would benefit from additional support from senior managers.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Senior managers have undertaken learning from shortfalls across the organisation to improve practice, procedures and support for families. Their oversight of the centre has started to improve, including more regular consultation with the manager about key decisions and improved visibility in the centre. There has also been the introduction of joint managers’ meetings to strengthen their managers’ skills by sharing learning and feedback from inspections. There has also been a review of several policies as part of improvement planning. Inspection report for residential family centre: Foundations Wigan 5

p.4

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person shall prepare and implement a written child protection policy which—

p.5

Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the residential family centre from abuse or neglect; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of any allegation of abuse or neglect.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The procedure under paragraph (1)(b) must in particular provide for—

p.5

Requirement Due date

liaison and co-operation with any local authority which is making child protection enquiries in relation to any child accommodated in the residential family centre;

p.5

Requirement Due date

the prompt referral to the local authority in whose area the residential family centre is situated, of any allegations of abuse or neglect affecting any child accommodated in the residential family centre;

p.5

Requirement Due date

notification (in accordance with regulation 26) of the instigation and outcome of any child protection enquiries involving any child accommodated in the residential family centre, to the [Chief Inspector] and the child’s placing authority;

p.5

Requirement Due date

written records to be kept of any allegation of abuse or neglect, and of the action taken in response;

p.5

Requirement Due date

consideration to be given in each case to the measures which may be necessary to protect children in the residential family centre following an allegation of abuse or neglect. (Regulation 12 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)) 23 May 2025 Inspection report for residential family centre: Foundations Wigan 6 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)) 23 May 2025

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

the statement of purpose of the residential family centre, its size and the numbers and needs of its residents; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

a sufficient number of suitably qualified, competent and experienced persons working for the residential family centre. (Regulation 15 (a)(b)) 23 May 2025

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person shall ensure that all persons employed by him—

p.6

Requirement Due date

receive appropriate training, supervision and appraisal. (Regulation 17 (5)(a)) 23 May 2025

p.6

Requirement Due date

If, in relation to a residential family centre, any of the events listed in column 1 of the table in Schedule 5 takes place, the registered person shall without delay notify the persons indicated in respect of the event in column 2 of the table. (Regulation 26 (1)) 23 May 2025

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

is kept up to date. (Regulation 19 (1)(a)(b)) 23 May 2025 Inspection report for residential family centre: Foundations Wigan 7

p.6

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 Wigan 8

p.7

Residential family centre details

Registered provider: Progressive Care Limited

p.8

Residential family centre details

Registered provider address: 51 Attercliffe Common, Sheffield S9 2AE

p.8

Residential family centre details

Email address: info@progressivecare.co.uk

p.8

Inspectors

Cheryl Field, Social Care Inspector Leanne Carr, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for residential family centre: Foundations Wigan 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.

p.8

Inspectors

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspectors

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9