Creating Lasting Change

Skills Academy for Children's Homes  

We are now taking pre-bookings for our Leadership skills academy training program don’t miss out we only have limited places left available for this enrolment intake.

Course Fees: £450 per month for the duration of the course (six month course) or

Discounted to £430 per month if the course is paid in full upon booking   

Course delivery: Via teams     (One day per month 10:00am - 16:00pm)

If you have any specific training requirements, please contact our team who will be happy to assist you 

Course outcomes:

• · Gain fundamental knowledge and understanding of the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards.
• · Understanding of the SCCIF
• · Linking practice 
• · Understanding the role of the registered manager
• · Top tips and shared good practice 
• · CPD
• · Retention of staff
• · Cost effective 
• · Improved compliance
• · Improved outcomes 
• Succession planning  
• Safer services 
• Increased reputation

Rationale:

The role of the registered manager is complex with strict criteria, regulations and frameworks to work within to remain compliant. This role is a legal requirement and is pivotal to running safe successful services for vulnerable people. Currently there is a national shortage of registered managers which is a large-scale problem across the sector. This puts providers and staff in difficult situations and can often mean that services are left without a manager for significant periods of time. Alternatively  these roles are filled by people lacking experience, knowledge and expertise. More often than not a deputy manager or trainee manger is required to step up for a period of time and without the appropriate mentoring, guidance or scaffolding they so desperately need. Leaders in these roles, early in their careers and throughout, need mentoring, support and guidance. Without this there are gaps in knowledge and uneducated or unsupported interpretation of the frameworks. Mistakes are easily made, coupled with burnout and staff retention further impacting already stretched services. Seasoned managers have picked up techniques and ways of working, developing best practice and honing their craft over a number of years to enable them to run good / outstanding services. This key knowledge is not usually captured or shared which is a missed opportunity to support new managers and deputies to learn these skills. 

Currently the sector has failed to adapt and address the shortfalls, creating significant risks which in turn impacts on the safety and quality of care. Time and time again providers are finding themselves with poor inspection ratings, compliance notices and enforcement actions, often arising from these challenges.  

The complexities of navigating the sector has proven more and more difficult and the landscape of children’s homes has changed dramatically over the last few years. Referrals for young people to be placed in residential provisions have become more complex and specialist. Less mental health services and resources are available which has further been impacted by recent closures of a number of different mental health establishments. Secure estates, mental health provisions and community services are over stretched and oversubscribed. These shortages impact on the placement picture meaning more young people with significantly complex needs are placed in residential care settings. The difficulties providers and services face are further exacerbated by recent national scandals and poor practice of services hitting the headlines, with some of these being national providers. 

In addition to this we now find that the demand for managers is even greater as the new framework, introduced to regulate previously unregulated services under the Ofsted framework, came into effect from October 2023. 

At Reflective Care Solutions Ltd we often get asked the question what training is available to support people in these key roles? Whilst there is the Children’s Homes Regulations including the Quality Standards, as well as the Social Care Common Inspection Framework and legislation, there is no book to tell you how to be a good / outstanding manager. Like being a good parent there is no singular rule book to refer to and people often rely on role modelling and learnt behaviour. All of this supports the need for change and innovative thinking to address these shortfalls. Thus far their does not seem to be any proposed solution to bridge the gap and address these significant industry issues across the sector.

This is why we as founders of Reflective Care Solutions Ltd created The skills Academy program. This framework aims to support the development of staff into management roles and looks to address these concerns and futureproof organisations. This will in turn create opportunities, career progression and support the development of a culture where staff feel valued and invested in. This will also assist staff retention, higher quality of service delivery and better outcomes for young people. We strongly believe in supporting people, providing them with the knowledge and tools to empower themselves. As previous managers ourselves the skills Academy has been written by managers for managers.  We also understand that financially, recruitment and investment in services are exceptionally costly. Retention of staff and particularly these key roles is pivotal to successful safe and financially viable services. The Skills Academy aims to provide value for money by reducing potential future and ongoing expenditure for organisations.