Foundations Carlton

Inspection report for residential family centre: Foundations Carlton 1 Foundations Carlton Progressive Care Limited Apartments 1 -15 (Apt 1 Office), Crookes Lane, Carlton, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S71 3BL Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential family centre

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

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Information about this residential family centre

The centre provides accommodation for up to 13 families. At the time of the inspection, five families were staying at the centre. Each family has its own self- contained apartment and shares the communal rooms.

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Information about this residential family centre

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2020.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

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

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Families are welcomed warmly on their arrival, with staff offering a friendly and supportive introduction to the centre. When possible, staff contact parents before they arrive. Establishing early rapport with families has helped set the tone for a positive and respectful relationship during their stay.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Families have said that their parenting has improved because of the support and guidance given to them by staff and assessing social workers. One parent said, ‘I will forever live by what staff have taught me.’ Overall, families living in the centre feel they are being provided the opportunity to learn and grow in confidence and be better parents for their children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Throughout the week, families have access to a wide range of activities, both inside and outside the centre. They have been on trips to local farms, the cinema and bowling. Families have taken advantage of the activities offered in the centre, such as arts and crafts and ‘baby raves’. One parent said, ‘We are never bored; we learn how to stimulate our children at every stage of their development.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Feedback from parents is embedded in the ethos of the centre. Parents say they feel listened to. Communication and feedback with parents encourage an open dialogue, enabling concerns to be raised and addressed promptly and collaboratively. This has led to more meaningful engagement with parents through the assessment process and contributes to better outcomes for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Assessing social workers work together with the support workers to deliver evidence-based parenting assessments. Every parent is given a fair opportunity to develop and demonstrate their parenting capacity and learn new skills. These assessments provide a reliable foundation for decisions to be made in the best interests of children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Parents have opportunities to engage in extra-curricular activities and support programmes. This could be support around domestic abuse, drugs and alcohol misuse, mental ill health and more formal education in mathematics and English. This not only contributes to the parenting assessment but also plays a key role in improving parents’ self-worth and confidence and gives them a better foundation for the future.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Families live in a safe and well-resourced environment. Each family has its own self- contained apartment that caters for its everyday needs. The centre is clean and free of hazards. Any health and safety concerns are identified and quickly addressed. The centre has all the required safety risk assessments, including an up-to-date fire risk assessment that helps ensure the centre is safe and fit for purpose. This gives Inspection report for residential family centre: Foundations Carlton 3 parents a subtle message about the importance of maintaining a safe environment for their children.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Before families move into the centre, impact and compatibility risk assessments are carried out. These assessments consider both the individual and group dynamics. Referral meetings with the senior leadership team are a key part of the process and provide a lens through which placement decisions are carefully considered.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Staff demonstrate a strong understanding of each family’s individual risk factors and support needs. When risks change or reduce, assessments and placement plans are updated to reflect this. Safety planning is not static; it is actively reviewed, discussed and recorded through daily handovers and weekly reports. This promotes a safe and supportive environment for children and parents.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Staff make good use of a range of teaching methods, which include experiential learning, key-work discussion sessions, weekly reports and observations. The emphasis is on helping parents improve their parenting skills. Parents are provided the opportunity to expand their knowledge and learn how to support and safeguard, nurture and maintain their children’s welfare throughout their childhood.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Closed-circuit television (CCTV) operates throughout the centre. It provides a continual recording of the families. Monitoring and observing CCTV is in place to primarily safeguard and promote children’s welfare. The level of CCTV monitoring is reviewed regularly and reduced when safe to do so. This ensures that parents’ right to privacy is maintained; however, the protection of children is at the forefront and rooted in the practice of the centre.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

There have been no significant child protection concerns since the last monitoring visit. When concerns arise, they are investigated and acted on. The manager notifies relevant parties in accordance with regulation. As a result, children remain protected, and parents are helped to understand and minimise the risk to their children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The centre is well managed. A recent restructure of the senior leadership team has streamlined service delivery, oversight and accountability. It remains in its infancy; however, early indications are suggesting a positive trajectory.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Assessing social workers are now regionally based and managed by experienced social work managers who have oversight of their work and help them develop their practice. This centre has an identified assessing social worker who carries out most of the parenting assessments. This has contributed to an improved standard of parenting assessments and consistency for parents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel well supported by the management team, and they believe the centre is progressing well. Staff said they find the work rewarding and are proud of what they Inspection report for residential family centre: Foundations Carlton 4 do. Families establish trusted relationships with staff, helping them share their lived experiences. This gives families the motivation to learn and make progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive good-quality supervision and regular performance reviews. Supervision notes provide staff with reflection on their practice, learning and development. Staff attend informative monthly team meetings. Staff have opportunities to further their careers in this sector through promotion. The ability to retain staff benefits the experiences of the families who live at the centre.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is evidence of good multi-agency working, which has supported the outcomes and experiences of the families. Staff actively work alongside health visitors, social workers, police and court guardians to share relevant information. One local authority social worker said that they receive regular communication from the centre and feel that they have a collaborative approach to working.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are some minor recording issues and duplication of forms that could be misleading for parents and new staff. Streamlining documents could be considered to improve efficiency. The manager is aware of this shortfall and is taking steps to improve consistency across the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The provider implements safer recruitment checks and ensures that comprehensive work is carried out before staff are employed. However, the provider could show more professional curiosity when seeking references. References from applicants’ previous employers do enquire about or consider any previous disciplinary or safeguarding concerns.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a range of training available for staff, both face-to-face and online. The provider’s training matrix does not accurately reflect the training staff receive. The current matrix identifies that some staff members are not up to date with their medication training. This could affect families who cannot administer their own medication. Inspection report for residential family centre: Foundations Carlton 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should maintain a record of the recruitment and vetting checks that have been carried out on those working at the centre, including as volunteers. This should include at least two references, preferably one from a current employer, and, where possible, a statement from each referee regarding the person’s suitability to work with vulnerable adults and children. (Residential family centres: NMS 14.3(d))  The registered person should ensure that records are maintained to include all relevant information and sections are not left blank without comment. Records may be kept in electronic form, provided the information can be reproduced in a legible format. (Residential family centres: NMS 20.1)

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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 Carlton 6

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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 Ladean Wilson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for residential family centre: Foundations Carlton 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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