Rowley House Family Assessment Centre

Inspection report for residential family centre: Rowley House Family Assessment Centre 1 Rowley House Family Assessment Centre First Blue Family Assessment Limited Rowley House Family Assessment Centre, 26 Rowley Avenue, Stafford ST17 9AA Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this residential family centre

This residential family centre is privately owned and operated. It registered in June 2025 and provides assessments for up to 12 families who are subject to parenting assessments.

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Information about this residential family centre

Parenting assessments take a minimum of 12 weeks. At the time of this inspection, 4 families were living at the centre.

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Information about this residential family centre

The registered manager left the centre in December 2025. The centre has a new manager who applied to register with Ofsted on 9 March 2026.

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Information about this residential family centre

This was the family centre’s first full inspection since it was registered.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and parents, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and parents are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and/or widespread failures that mean children and parents are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and/or the care and experiences of children and parents are poor.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for residential family centre: Rowley House Family Assessment Centre 2

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Summary of findings

Serious and widespread concerns were identified in relation to the safety of children and the leadership and management of the centre.

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Summary of findings

Leaders and managers do not have the necessary knowledge, experience or understanding to safely run a residential family assessment centre. As a result, they have failed to identify and address widespread poor practice.

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Summary of findings

Leaders, managers and staff lack a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities in relation to safeguarding. During the inspection, several incidents of unsafe practice were identified, some of which place children at risk of harm.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: inadequate

There are serious and widespread concerns in relation to safeguarding practice, the quality and effectiveness of assessments and the overall leadership and management of the centre. These shortfalls mean that children and their parents are not consistently safeguarded or supported. As a result, the overall experiences and progress for children and parents are poor.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: inadequate

Care planning for children and their parents moving into the centre is not effective. Leaders and managers do not consider the needs and vulnerabilities of families moving to the centre. For example, one parent’s health and support needs had not been considered, despite them recovering from an operation. In addition, there is a lack of consideration of staff’s capacity and skills to meet families’ individual needs. This means that children and their parents are not provided with appropriate or effective care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: inadequate

Staff do not demonstrate an understanding of the centre’s model of assessment. They are unclear on the purpose of assessments and their role in assessing parenting capacity. As a result, staff do not consistently contribute to meaningful observations to inform and support assessments.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: inadequate

Staff do not consistently provide parents with the support they need to meet their children’s needs. There is a lack of creativity and effectiveness in how staff teach and model parenting. Furthermore, staff have not ensured that parents receive direct work that is tailored to their individual letters of instruction. The absence of this support limits opportunities for parents to develop and strengthen their parenting skills and safely care for their children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: inadequate

Feedback from parents is generally positive. However, some parents have raised concerns about staff shortages. Parents report that this affects their day-to-day Inspection report for residential family centre: Rowley House Family Assessment Centre 3 experiences in the centre. Staff also highlight that reduced staffing levels limit their ability to provide meaningful engagement and consistent support to families.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and parents: inadequate

Assessments completed by the previous social worker have addressed the requirements set out in the letters of instruction from court proceedings. Feedback from local authority social workers is positive regarding the quality of assessments and the support provided to families.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: inadequate

Children and their parents do not receive safe or effective care. Leaders, managers and staff do not demonstrate a clear understanding of their safeguarding roles and responsibilities. During the inspection, several incidents of unsafe practice that place children at risk of harm were identified. One child, despite staff recognising and recording their distress, was left crying for a prolonged period without staff intervention. In addition, staff failed to take appropriate and timely action when observing parents handling their children unsafely. This lack of intervention does not ensure that children’s wellbeing and safety are prioritised.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not assess risks for children and their parents effectively. Also, they do not provide staff with clear or effective guidance on how to manage identified risks. This means that staff are not equipped to respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns. Staff confirmed that they lack clarity about the actions they should take to keep families safe, which places children at potential risk of harm.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: inadequate

Supervision levels are generic and do not reflect the specific risks or vulnerabilities of children and their parents. Staff are not clear about supervision expectations and do not understand when they should be observing, supporting or intervening. The lack of oversight impacts on effective safeguarding practice and does not ensure that children are kept safe.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: inadequate

There is an overreliance on CCTV in the centre. Staff use CCTV as an assessment tool, rather than a safeguarding measure. Staff observe basic care tasks via CCTV, with limited engagement with families. Furthermore, the quality of records lacks analysis and leaders do not evaluate parents’ capacity to meet their children’s needs.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: inadequate

Medication arrangements in the centre are poor. When children and their parents move into the centre, managers fail to assess the risks related to parents managing their own and children’s medication. In addition, staff do not assess whether parents consistently take their prescribed medication as directed. These shortfalls place children and parents at potential risk and do not promote safe or effective care.

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How well children and parents are helped and protected: inadequate

Overall, the centre is well maintained and necessary maintenance is completed as required. However, there are significant safety concerns in relation to a fire escape that is accessible to children. While some action has been taken to address this issue, this has the potential to compromise children’s safety. Inspection report for residential family centre: Rowley House Family Assessment Centre 4

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There is significant instability and a lack of consistent and experienced leadership. Since registration, in June 2025, the centre has had 3 different managers. A new manager has been appointed, however, their suitability to competently lead the service effectively is yet to be demonstrated.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers lack the required knowledge, experience and understanding to safely manage a residential family assessment centre. As a result, senior leaders have failed to recognise the centre’s widespread failings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There are no effective quality assurance systems in place to monitor the standard of assessments or the overall quality of care provided. Managers do not have robust oversight of assessment practices or a clear understanding of the day-to-day experiences of families living at the centre. Consequently, leaders and managers do not have sufficient knowledge of the progress of the assessments or what this means for families.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

A suitably qualified and experienced social worker has recently left the centre. A new social worker has been appointed. However, they do not have the required skills or experience to carry out parenting assessments.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have not ensured that staff have the necessary skills, experience and training to undertake parenting assessments and support the individual needs of the families living at the centre. In addition, leaders and managers have not ensured that staff have received training in the centre’s preferred assessment model. This means the quality and consistency of assessments are compromised.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Since the centre was registered, the registered provider has ensured that quality assurance visits under regulation 25 have been carried out. However, the quality of the visitor’s reports is poor and does not provide an analytical overview of the service. This hinders Ofsted and the manager’s monitoring of the service. Inspection report for residential family centre: Rowley House Family Assessment Centre 5

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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

A person shall not manage a residential family centre unless he is fit to do so.

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Requirement Due date

A person is not fit to manage a residential family centre unless—

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Requirement Due date

having regard to the size of the residential family centre, the statement of purpose, and the number and needs of the residents—

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Requirement Due date

he has the qualifications, skills and experience necessary to manage the centre; and

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Requirement Due date

he is physically and mentally fit to do so. (Regulation 7 (1) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the residential family centre has a registered manager who has the sufficient skills, experienced and suitability qualified registered manager to manage the centre. 1 July 2026

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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. (Regulation 8 (1))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that leaders and managers have sufficient skills experienced and are suitability qualified to manage the centre. 1 July 2026

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Requirement Due date

The registered person shall prepare and implement a written child protection policy which— 1 July 2026 Inspection report for residential family centre: Rowley House Family Assessment Centre 6 is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the residential family centre from abuse or neglect; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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;

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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;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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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))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the manager and staff understand their roles and responsibilities in safeguarding children. This includes implementing the centre’s policy on safeguarding children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that risk assessments contain information about known and potential risks to children and their families. This includes emerging risks during assessments and what strategies staff should implement to keep children safe.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the parents’ capacity to respond to the children’s needs and to safeguard their welfare is monitored or assessed by a suitably qualified person in accordance with the requirements of this regulation. (Regulation 13A (1)) 1 July 2026 Inspection report for residential family centre: Rowley House Family Assessment Centre 7 In particular, the registered person must ensure that parenting assessments are carried out by a suitably qualified social worker.

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Requirement Due date

ensure that all permanent appointments are subject to the satisfactory completion of a period of probation.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

receive appropriate training, supervision and appraisal (Regulation 17 (1)(a) (5)(a))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff are provided with the appropriate training to meet the needs of the families living at the centre. 1 July 2026

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6) and any requirements for electronic monitoring imposed by a court under any enactment, the registered person must ensure that electronic or mechanical monitoring devices for the surveillance of residents are not used in a residential family centre, except for the purpose of—

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Requirement Due date

safeguarding their welfare, or that of other residents accommodated in the centre; or

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Requirement Due date

assessment or monitoring carried out under regulation 13A.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that any use of such devices is subject to the following conditions:

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Requirement Due date

the residents are informed in advance of the intention to use the device; and

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Requirement Due date

its use is no more intrusive than necessary.

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Requirement Due date

Where the use of such devices is used for the purpose at paragraph, the registered person must also ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

the resident being assessed or monitored consents to the use of the device in question; and

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Requirement Due date

its use is provided for in the placement plan. 1 July 2026 Inspection report for residential family centre: Rowley House Family Assessment Centre 8 The registered person must ensure that staff at the residential family centre are appropriately trained and understand the requirements imposed by this regulation before they use any such devices. (Regulation 21A (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b) (4))

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Requirement Due date

Where the registered provider is an organisation or a partnership, the residential family centre shall be visited in accordance with this regulation by—

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Requirement Due date

the responsible individual or one of the partners, as the case may be;

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Requirement Due date

another of the directors or other persons responsible for the management of the organisation or partnership; or

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Requirement Due date

an employee of the organisation or partnership who is not directly concerned with the conduct of the residential family centre.

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Requirement Due date

Visits under paragraph (1) or (2) shall take place at least once a month and may be unannounced.

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Requirement Due date

The person carrying out the visit shall—

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Requirement Due date

interview, with their consent and in private, such of the residents and persons working at the residential family centre as appears necessary in order to form an opinion of the standard of care provided in the residential family centre;

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Requirement Due date

inspect the premises of the residential family centre and records of any complaints; and

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Requirement Due date

prepare a written report on the conduct of the residential family centre. (Regulation 25 (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b)(c)) 1 July 2026

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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: Rowley House Family Assessment Centre 9

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider: First Blue Family Assessment Limited

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Residential family centre details

Registered provider address: Seighford Hall, Clanford Road, Seighford, Stafford ST18 9NL

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Inspectors

Lydia Isaac, Social Care Inspector Menaka De Silva, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for residential family centre: Rowley House Family Assessment Centre 1 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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