Family Beginnings

Inspection report for residential family centre: Family Beginnings 1 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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71 to 75 Shelton Street, London WC2H 9JQ

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential family centre

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

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Information about this residential family centre

Families access the centre at the direction of the family court or local authority for the purpose of assessment. Parenting assessments are usually completed over a 12- to 14-week period but may be extended if agreed with the local authority or following court instruction.

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Information about this residential family centre

The manager registered with Ofsted in January 2022, when the service began operating. There were two families living at the centre at the time of this inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of

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

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Overall experiences and progress of

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

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Overall experiences and progress of

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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Overall experiences and progress of

The residential family centre is not yet providing good safer recruitment practices of staff that 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.

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Overall experiences and progress of

Date of previous inspection: 30 November 2022

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Overall experiences and progress of

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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Overall experiences and progress of

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for residential family centre: Family Beginnings 2 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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improvement to be good

Managers and staff support parents to move into the centre in a planned way. This helps parents to form relationships with staff and to feel less overwhelmed prior to their arrival.

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improvement to be good

Staff were observed to offer nurturing support to parents; they are approachable and make themselves available to parents. Parents are offered support to succeed through staff guidance and modelling.

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improvement to be good

The quality of support sessions, parenting assessments and written reports provided by staff and the assessing social worker are consistently of a good standard. Final reports are evaluative, clearly outlining both the strengths and areas of concern, as well as providing evidence of parents’ progress and capacity for change throughout the assessment period.

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improvement to be good

Support sessions with parents are individual and linked to their specific needs. Feedback is shared with parents in a way that celebrates positive achievements and informs them of any developmental needs in a sensitive and encouraging way.

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improvement to be good

Families enjoy attending a variety of activities in the centre and out in the community. Staff attend with them or they are encouraged to attend activities, groups or appointments on their own, depending on the level of supervision that is required. This supports families to develop the necessary skills and networks for when they move on from the centre.

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improvement to be good

The front of the centre is well presented, and the property is largely clean and tidy. While improvements have been made to the physical environment, standards of cleanliness in some parts of the centre need to improve. Some areas look worn and cluttered. One parent reported not being able to adequately store their belongings due to the size of their bedroom. This makes it difficult for the parent to keep their bedroom tidy and access all their belongings freely.

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improvement to be good

Safer recruitment is not always robust. The manager failed to ensure that all written references were obtained prior to employment commencing for one member of staff. Recruitment records do not demonstrate that gaps in the employment histories of applicants have been explored for two members of staff or that any verification as reasonably practicable has been explored for staff who have left jobs where they have previously worked with children or vulnerable adults. This does not demonstrate that the provider only recruits the most suitable staff to work at the centre. Inspection report for residential family centre: Family Beginnings 3 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments conducted prior to a family moving in are not always thorough in assessing the suitability of the centre to meet the needs of the family alongside the other families already living in the centre. This means that there is not an accurate assessment in place for families on their admission to the centre.

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improvement to be good

Staff spoken with demonstrate that they understood the family’s needs. They hold regular support sessions where parents are encouraged to talk about their feelings and identify coping strategies. Staff work with parents to encourage them to make positive and safe decisions. However, boundaries set for parents to follow are not always clear or consistent, due to a difference in opinion between the staff team.

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improvement to be good

The staff team works with parents to reduce risks such as substance misuse and vulnerability to abusive relationships. Parents benefit from regular meetings, where they can collectively discuss issues. Staff resolve any conflicts between families quickly and effectively. This ensures that the environment remains relaxed and harmonious.

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improvement to be good

CCTV is only used to monitor families where and when necessary. Agreements for monitoring parents and their children are needs led and based on risk levels. When they arrive at the centre, parents are helped to understand the use of CCTV and its purpose. The staff team monitors families safely in accordance with agreed plans.

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improvement to be good

The manager and staff take swift action to manage and report serious incidents. While this demonstrates a responsive approach, there have been occasions when notifications were not made within the required timescales; this limits the regulator’s ability to provide timely oversight.

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improvement to be good

One allegation raised by a parent about a member of staff was managed well in line with safeguarding protocols. The local authority designated officer was alerted and an internal investigation conducted in a timely manner. This multi-agency working ensured that the member of staff remained safe to work with families.

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good

The manager and assessing social worker know the families well. They are invested in them and are proactive in advocating on their behalf. The manager is clear about the progress that parents make while in the centre. She has realistic expectations of what parents can achieve in their time at the centre, and she conveys these expectations to parents during their individual assessment.

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good

Staffing at the centre has been stable. There are consistent management and staffing arrangements in place for the centre.

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good

Staff have access to a wide range of training, including child development, safeguarding and safe sleep. Training is delivered to staff both face to face and online. Staff complete the training allocated to them. Some staff shared that they do Inspection report for residential family centre: Family Beginnings 4 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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good

not understand the assessment models used by the centre or how decisions are formed by the assessing social worker. This has caused confusion among the team and has contributed to a divide in the team.

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good

Managers and staff receive supervision and clinical supervision on a regular basis. However, supervision records reviewed show some staff raised concerns about inconsistencies, which were expressed on more than one occasion before action was taken. This delay contributed to some staff feeling unheard and unsupported. In addition, new members of staff have not been provided with a thorough induction, which at times has contributed to them feeling overwhelmed by their work.

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good

The registered manager told inspectors the centre is aware of staff concerns and was taking steps to address these through more frequent check-ins, and by bringing in additional staffing to support new starters as well as through group discussion in team meetings. While these actions are positive, their impact was not yet consistently evident at the point of inspection.

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good

Letters of court instruction are not always gained on the family’s admission to the centre. This makes it difficult to provide evidence that the centre is doing what is expected of them to support and develop parenting capacity. The manager does take action to request these documents from the placing authorities. However, on one occasion, this led to a family requiring an extended placement until this was received.

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good

A range of monitoring tools, stakeholder feedback and consultation with parents are used to evaluate the service. One professional said, ‘I think they are absolutely brilliant. I don’t have anything negative to say. They communicate really well. They are on it. They ensure that plans are in place for next steps.’ Feedback helps to enhance practice and develop the service. Inspection report for residential family centre: Family Beginnings 5 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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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

employ a person to work at the residential family centre unless that person is fit to work at a residential family centre; or

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Requirement Due date

allow a person to whom paragraph (2) applies, to work at the residential family centre unless that person is fit to work at a residential family centre.

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Requirement Due date

This paragraph applies to any person who is employed by a person other than the registered person in a position in which he may in the course of his duties have regular contact with residents.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (1), a person is not fit to work at a residential family centre unless—

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Requirement Due date

he has the qualifications, skills and experience necessary for the work he is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

he is physically and mentally fit for the work he is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to him in respect of each of the matters specified in Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

any offer of employment to a person is subject to paragraph (3)(d) being complied with in relation to that person; and

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Requirement Due date

unless paragraph (5) applies, no person starts work at a residential family centre until such time as paragraph (3)(d) has been complied with in relation to him. 29 June 2026 Inspection report for residential family centre: Family Beginnings 6 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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Requirement Due date

Where the following conditions apply, the registered person may permit a person to start work at the residential family centre notwithstanding paragraph (4)(b)—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person has taken all reasonable steps to obtain full information in respect of each of the matters specified in Schedule 2 in respect of that person, but the enquiries in relation to any of the matters specified in paragraphs 3 to 6 of Schedule 2 are incomplete;

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information in respect of that person has been obtained in relation to the matters specified in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 2;

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Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the circumstances are exceptional; and

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Requirement Due date

pending receipt of, and satisfying himself with regard to, any outstanding information, the registered person ensures that the person is appropriately supervised while carrying out his duties.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 16 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that safer recruitment processes are followed to establish a full employment history of the employee, together with a satisfactory written explanation of any gaps in employment. If an international background check is required for working oversees, the registered person must ensure that two references are received, including one by the employee’s last employer, and that reasons for leaving a job when working with vulnerable adults or children has, as far as reasonably practicable, been verified as to the reason why the employment or position ended.

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

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Requirement Due date

the need to safeguard and promote the health and welfare of residents, a sufficient number of suitably qualified, competent and experienced persons working for the residential family centre.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 15 (a)(b)) 29 June 2026 Inspection report for residential family centre: Family Beginnings 7 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered manager must ensure that staff have knowledge of the assessment process, opportunity to discuss and contribute to the assessment as a team prior to submission and come to a shared understanding of this. The registered person must ensure that all new staff receive a thorough induction into the role and that they address and manage any conflict around inconsistencies in the team.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall, before providing a family with accommodation in the residential family centre, or if that is not reasonably practicable, as soon as possible thereafter, draw up in consultation with the placing authority a written plan (in these Regulations referred to as “the placement plan”) setting out, in particular—

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Requirement Due date

the facilities and services to be provided during the course of the placement;

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Requirement Due date

the objectives and intended outcome of the placement;

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall keep under review and revise the placement plan as necessary.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that placement plans are created when families enter the centre which specify the objectives and intended outcomes of the placement and how the effectiveness of the placement will be assessed. The plans must include details of training, assistance, assessment, supervision and protection to be provided at the centre, and how the child’s welfare will be promoted. 29 June 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they receive the court instruction so that the assessment and final report can be delivered within the timescales specified. (‘Residential family centres: national minimum standards’, page 6, paragraph 1.4)  The registered person should ensure that, prior to a placement, a risk assessment is carried out to ensure both 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. It informs the level of supervision necessary for the parents and is kept under review throughout the placement. (‘Residential family centres: national minimum standards’, page 17, paragraph 9.1) Inspection report for residential family centre: Family Beginnings 8 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the centre provides a homely environment with appropriate storage and space to meet family’s needs. Communal areas, including bathrooms, should be clean and tidy. (‘Residential family centres: national minimum standards’, page 19, paragraph 11.2)  The registered person should ensure that they have an effective system in place to notify Ofsted without delay of the occurrence of a significant event in accordance with Regulation 26. The system includes what to do when a notifiable event arises at weekends. (‘Residential family centres: national minimum standards’, page 31, paragraph 21.1)

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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: Family Beginnings 9 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider: Family Beginnings Limited

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider address: 71–75 Shelton Street, London WC2H 9JQ

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Residential family centre details

Registered manager: Rochelle Osbaldeston

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Residential family centre details

Email address: manager@familybeginnings.co.uk

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Inspectors

Julie Elder, Social Care Inspector Sarah Huntbatch, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for residential family centre: Family Beginnings 1 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspectors

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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