Rawson House

Inspection report for residential family centre: Rawson House 1 Rawson House Connections Family Assessment Services Ltd Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this residential family centre

This residential family centre registered in September 2024 and provides accommodation for up to four families at any one time. The centre provides accommodation for families, usually at the direction of the family court, for the purposes of assessing parenting capacity to inform long-term plans for children’s care. At the time of the inspection, three families were residing in the centre.

p.1

Information about this residential family centre

The registered manager and responsible individual have been in post since the centre was registered. This is the first inspection of the centre.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and parents, taking into account good

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

How well children and parents are helped and protected good

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

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

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

Date of previous inspection: not previously inspected

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for residential family centre: Rawson House 2

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Staff know the families well and build trusting relationships with them. Families are treated with dignity and respect. Staff work well together and communicate clearly with families and each other. Families feel staff are nurturing and supportive.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Families know how to complain. Managers and leaders respond promptly, investigate thoroughly and take appropriate action. Families are kept informed of the progress and outcome of their complaints. They feel heard and valued within the centre.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Managers undertake careful and considered assessments of families before they move into the centre. They seek relevant information from a variety of sources and consider whether staff need additional training or resources. Families are discussed with staff before they move in when possible. This ensures they are fully informed and prepared to meet the family’s needs and that families experience smooth transitions into the centre.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

The centre has specialist staff to support or deliver specific content to families, such as a domestic violence trainer, a therapist, and a liaison health visitor. The centre also uses links to other services to assist families, such as employment and education support. Families are supported holistically and gain skills and resources for their long-term needs.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

An independent social worker completes assessments. Managers and staff share relevant information with the assessor effectively. The assessments of families are fair, balanced and well-evidenced. The assessing social worker creates documents which highlight the key points to ensure families understand their own strengths and development needs. The assessments contain clear recommendations to assist safe decision-making for children.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Children and parents have appropriate and carefully assessed contact with their families. Staff support this time and there are no unnecessary restrictions in place. Families are able to maintain their important relationships and gain access to their existing support networks whilst in the centre.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: good

Managers and staff ensure there are effective working relationships with the wider professional network. Managers advocate for families with other services when required. External professionals feel staff have a therapeutic and non-punitive approach.

p.2

How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Staff understand the risks to families. Risk assessments are reviewed regularly and there are systems in place to ensure that staff are made immediately aware of any changes. Risks for families reduce throughout their time in the centre. Inspection report for residential family centre: Rawson House 3 Families report that staff listen to them and take their concerns seriously. Managers have a tracker for verbal suggestions and complaints to ensure that they are responding to families promptly even when their views are not written down. This allows families to share their views in a way they are comfortable to.

p.2

How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Staff understand the risks that the internet poses to vulnerable adults. Staff are vigilant and recognise risks. They support parents to learn about the dangers and keep themselves safe.

p.3

How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Staff support parents to manage their own feelings and behaviours safely. Therapeutic work is undertaken with parents. Parents learn the skills and tools to regulate their own emotions and therefore provide secure emotional bases for their infants.

p.3

How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Staff support parents to manage conflict both within their personal relationships and with other families in the centre. Managers are flexible with boundaries and only implement rules when they are required, such as a kitchen rota for families. This helps families feel at ease in their environment. Managers seek multi-agency solutions swiftly when parents experience conflict in their own relationships. This ensures that children are safeguarded, and conflict is resolved appropriately.

p.3

How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Families rarely go missing from the centre. The missing policy was updated following the one missing incident. However, the missing episode could potentially have been prevented. The managerial oversight of the incident did not effectively identify opportunities for learning.

p.3

How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Safeguarding incidents are rare and managers have prompt oversight of any safeguarding concerns. When incidents occur, staff respond swiftly and ensure the immediate safety needs of children are met. The relevant professionals are informed quickly. Managers have made improvements to the format in which incidents are recorded, but reports continue to lack sufficient detail for managers to fully evaluate practice. This limits the opportunity for learning and service improvement.

p.3

How well children and parents are helped and protected: good

Families understand the surveillance and monitoring they are subject to within the centre. Plans are in place to allow couples the required dignity and privacy.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and responsible individual are also directors of the centre. They are committed to providing a high-quality service to families. They have clear expectations of staff and work in a collaborative way with the team. Staff said the registered manager and responsible indivdual are present and approachable.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have a comprehensive induction when they join the service. There is a structured probation process in place which ensures that staff have the relevant knowledge and skills for their role. Inspection report for residential family centre: Rawson House 4 Managers and leaders offer a wide and varied training programme to staff. Managers provide work hours specifically for staff to complete the training required of them. They provide additional support for staff to engage in learning, such as purchasing a laptop for one. Staff are well-prepared to provide suitable support to families and contribute to the assessment process.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staffing is stable. The centre does not use agency staff; they have a pool of casual staff that complete the same training as permanent staff. Most casual staff have been employed since the centre opened and complete agreed set working patterns. Staffing is consistent. This enables families to build trusting relationships and gain effective support.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A minority of staff have the relevant qualification. However, managers have recruited staff who have relevant skills, experience and qualifications for their roles. Staff are promptly enrolled on their qualifications and there are no staff who are outside the required timescales. Managers prioritise the development of staff and have enrolled a senior member of staff on their advanced qualification. The manager has also completed their relevant qualification since registration.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and responsible individual have regular external supervision with a social work qualified professional. Supervision considers all aspects of managing the service and offers a reflective space for leaders. Actions which drive development and service improvement are put in place and tracked.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have regular supervision. However, staff do not reflect on their direct practice with families in these sessions and targets do not always relate to improving their practice. Targets are monitored but they are not specific or time-limited, which makes it difficult to track progress. Therefore, staff supervisions are limited as a tool for service development. Managers and leaders have not completed any appraisals for staff.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are held regularly. The manager has adapted their delivery to a hybrid format, including in person and virtual attendance, to ensure all staff are able to participate. Staff reflect on their practice and the progress of families who have moved out of the centre within these meetings. Referrals for the centre are considered, alongside regulation and minimum standards. These are useful forums for increasing staff knowledge and coordinating good practice.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The provider has commissioned an independent person to visit the centre regularly. The visitor writes timely and evaluative reports and makes helpful recommendations to improve the service. Managers and leaders respond promptly to any recommendations made.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and the responsible individual have undertaken a review of the quality of the service. The review is comprehensive and shows the progress of the service over the review period. The managers and leaders are responsive to issues and developing trends or patterns. Inspection report for residential family centre: Rawson House 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 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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

Specifically, the managerial oversight of incidents and any other documents should not be undertaken by the author of those documents, and learning should be taken from safeguarding incidents and used to inform and improve future practice. 11 December 2025

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

receive appropriate training, supervision and appraisal.

p.5

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: Rawson House 6

p.5

Residential family centre details

Registered provider: Connections Family Assessment Services Ltd

p.6

Residential family centre details

Registered provider address: 5 Rawson Road, Blacon, Chester CH1 5ND

p.6

Residential family centre details

Responsible individual: Lisa Hills-Davies

p.6

Residential family centre details

Email address: connectionsfaservices@gmail.com

p.6

Inspectors

Sarah Huntbatch, Social Care Inspector Cathy Wilkins, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for residential family centre: Rawson House 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.6

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 http://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.7

Inspectors

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

p.7

Inspectors

T: 0300 123 4234 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7