Woodstone

Inspection report for residential family centre: Woodstone 1 Woodstone Enhanced Care and Support Limited Woodstone Court, Lumley New Road, Houghton-le-Spring, Durham DH4 6DN 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 can accommodate up to 10 families. At the time of the inspection, there were eight families staying at the centre. The families have their own self-contained flats and share communal areas.

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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: 20 February 2024

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

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

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

The home is well equipped and furnished to a high standard. Families have their own self-contained flats and access to communal areas. There are plenty of resources, such as age-appropriate books, toys and equipment. This provides parents and their children with their own privacy balanced against opportunities to socialise with other families.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Detailed information is obtained before admission. Referrals and follow-up discussions with commissioners inform suitability and decision-making. Pre-planning meetings provide parents with the opportunity to visit the centre, meet with staff and get a sense of familiarity before they arrive. Parents say that it helps them to feel less anxious and afraid.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Parents are provided with all the information they need soon after their arrival. During the first two weeks, parents can begin to settle down and get familiar with the staff and their key worker before formal assessments commence. Agreements are explained so that parents are fully aware of the monitoring and surveillance arrangements and expectations around their behaviour.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Parents are offered a personalised programme of interventions tailored to their individual needs, risks and vulnerabilities. Records from these sessions remind and inform parents of the work they have undertaken and are a useful tool to refer back to. On some occasions, weekly planners do not identify a time when sessions are taking place, and there is no recorded rationale for when sessions have been cancelled. This can be confusing for parents, especially parents with a learning need.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

There was a healthy and relaxed atmosphere that suggests parents have trusted and supportive relationships with all staff at all levels. The values embedded in the centre are of engagement and confidence-building. Parents are consulted with and kept well informed on their progress at every stage of their assessment. Parents are guided to help them make the necessary changes to enable them to safely look after their children. One parent said, ‘We want to say a massive thank you to each and every one of you for helping us prove we can take our baby girl home.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Occasionally, parents have decided to leave the centre prematurely, or the parenting assessment recommends alternative care arrangements for children. Staff and managers are exceptionally sensitive to the distress parents experience without losing sight of ensuring the safety of the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Parents and their children participate and engage in activities such as sensory play, baby massage, daily walks, day trips and socialising at the morning breakfast club. It teaches parents the importance of giving their children positive and stimulating experiences. Inspection report for residential family centre: Woodstone 3 The work completed with parents, including the midway and final assessment reports, is of a good standard, evaluative and evidence based. The reports inform next steps and make recommendations in the best interests of the children.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Individual risks are considered before families move into the home. This informs suitability and compatibility with other families already residing at the centre. When risks change or reduce, risk assessments are updated to reflect this. This means that levels of supervision are changed and a step-down approach is put in place.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Leaders and managers understand the court and local authority instruction and referral process. It informs placement planning and the type of parenting assessment required. The quality of written plans makes it easy for staff and parents to follow. Parents are clear on what support is being offered and what levels of supervision are required.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

The diversity, skills and experience of the staff offer parents assessment, support and guidance that looks at other factors that impact on their parenting abilities. This includes mental health, domestic abuse and autism. This contributes to providing a well-rounded holistic assessment.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) is fitted throughout the centre. It is proportionate, kept under regular review and has the technology to zoom in on specific areas in each of the flats. This means that parents’ dignity and privacy are maintained and balanced against the need to safeguard and protect children.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

There have been very few significant or serious incidents since the last inspection. Staff are fully aware of their responsibility in reporting child protection concerns and following safeguarding procedures. Children are well protected, and any concerns raised by parents are taken seriously and investigated in accordance with procedures.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

The home is clean and well maintained, and any health and safety concerns are acted on as and when they arise. This was evidenced during an outbreak of conjunctivitis. Areas of the centre were closed off during a deep clean and sanitation process. This ensures that the centre remains fit for purpose.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Safer recruitment practices are robust, meeting the requirements of the regulations. This ensures that staff employed are suitable and safe to work with children.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Requirements and recommendations made at the last inspection have been met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The centre is managed well. The management team is a driving force in providing visible, consistent and confident leadership. Staff morale is good and there is a Inspection report for residential family centre: Woodstone 4 positive team spirit. Staff work cohesively, and channels of communication foster an open and transparent culture. It adds to the settled and relaxed feel of the centre.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Families benefit from living in a well-run centre. All the parents spoken to were positive about the support they get from the staff and the managers. On display was positive feedback from past residents. These comments clearly demonstrate that the managers have been instrumental in ensuring that everyone feels respected and listened to.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Parents experience a nurturing programme of interventions. The staff team is supportive and brings a variety of skills and knowledge to the centre. Staff spoken to said that they find the work rewarding and are proud of what they do. This enthusiasm filters down to families, giving them the motivation to learn and make progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular and good-quality supervision and annual performance reviews. Detailed supervision notes provide staff with reflection on their practice, learning and development. Team meetings take place monthly and are well attended and informative. Staff say their views and opinions are captured and acknowledged.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staffing arrangements are sufficient, and rotas suggest there are adequate numbers of staff on duty to meet the assessed needs of parents and their children. Staffing arrangements provide a good balance between face-to-face observations and guidance and the monitoring via CCTV.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Families have the means and ability to raise concerns about their experience at the home. Residents’ meetings are well attended, and ‘you said, we did’ captions evidence that parents’ requests are acted on.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are routine quality assurance processes in place. Internal monitoring and reporting about the quality of care provided by the centre are being reviewed by the manager at appropriate intervals. The quality assurance and scrutiny of parenting assessment reports are completed by the manager and responsible individual, who is a qualified social worker.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been appropriate challenge of placing authorities about delays in planning for families needing to step down in the level of supervision. Leaders and managers have escalated their concerns when needed. They work closely with local authorities and consider next steps when these issues are not resolved in a timely way. Inspection report for residential family centre: Woodstone 5

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Recommendation

 The individual programme for each resident family is based on the placing authority’s assessment of their needs which identifies the purpose and scope of the residential assessment of parenting skill and capacity and any support which will be provided. This programme is set out in the family placement plan. The manager must ensure that staff record the time one-to-one sessions with parents are planned for and the reasons why a one-to-one session has not taken place. (Residential Family Centres: NMS 7.4)

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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: Woodstone 6

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider: Enhanced Care and Support Limited

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider address: Fellingate, Fox Street, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear NE10 0BD

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Residential family centre details

Email address: Victoria.Moss@enhancedyps.com

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Inspectors

Cath Sikakana, Social Care Inspector Miriam Dolman, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for residential family centre: Woodstone 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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