At Flourish, we believe that walking to school is more than just a mode of transportation. It's also an opportunity for children to develop healthy habits, learn about their environment, and start their day with a positive boost. That’s why we are thrilled to support Walk to School Week with a suite of free resources designed for parents, carers, and schools.

Why Walk to School?

Walking to school has numerous benefits:

• Health: Regular walking helps children stay active, promoting physical health and well-being.
• Environmental Impact: Walking reduces traffic congestion and pollution around schools, contributing to a cleaner environment.
• Safety and Awareness: Walking teaches children road safety skills and increases their awareness of the local community.

Free Downloadable Resources

To make this week as effective and enjoyable as possible, we’ve created a range of free resources for parents, carers and schools.

Walking to School: Be Safe, Be Seen

Walk to School Week Challenge

How to Get Involved

1. Download the Resources: Access our resources above. Whether you’re a parent, carer, or educator, you’ll find valuable tools to support your Walk to School Week efforts.
2. Plan Your Walk: Use our tips to plan a safe and enjoyable walking route. Make sure your child is prepared with comfortable footwear and appropriate clothing for the weather.
3. Engage and Share: Encourage your child to participate in the daily challenges and share your walking adventures with us on social media.

Walk to School Week is a wonderful opportunity to foster a love for walking and to instil important safety habits in children. By taking part, you’re contributing to a healthier, happier, and more environmentally friendly community.

Let’s make every step count this Walk to School Week! Download your free resources today and join us in celebrating the joys and benefits of walking to school.

We worked with Founder and Director of Xceed Care Compliance Lisa Hitchcox to create this 13-page CQC Inspection Guide through the eyes and ears of a CQC mock inspector. Lisa walks us through the new single assessment framework and gives her top tips for leadership, person-centred care, and much more.

Lisa has over 25 years experience in delivering quality compliance and assurance projects in both the Adult Social Care & Support sectors, operating & performing under quality assurance and regulatory frameworks such as the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and the inspection areas of services being Safe, Caring, Responsive, Effective and Well Led.

Download the free CQC resource

Lisa says: "Having had the benefit of working with a range of providers across the social care sector and implementing the revised Care Quality Commission’s new Single Assessment Framework, I thought it would be a good time to share some of the top tips which have been highlighted, throughout the revised regulatory inspection framework process."

The adult social care pathway is a structured framework that outlines the various roles, competencies, and progression opportunities within the sector. It serves as a roadmap, guiding both employers and employees through the potential career journeys in social care.

This guide offers practical steps and strategies for employers to use the adult social care pathway as a tool for discussing career development and progression with their staff.

1. Navigating the Pathway: A Step-by-Step Approach

• Understanding the Pathway: Begin by familiarising yourself with the adult social care pathway. Understand the various roles, responsibilities, and progression routes it outlines.

2. Conducting Values-Based Recruitment Conversations:

• Identifying Core Values: Use the pathway to identify the core values essential for roles in your organisation. Prepare interview questions and scenarios that explore these values.
• Training for Interviewers: Provide training for your recruitment team on how to assess values alignment during interviews, using the pathway as a reference.

3. Discussing Career Development Opportunities:

• Career Mapping Sessions: Hold career mapping sessions with potential recruits, using the pathway to illustrate career progression opportunities within your organisation.
• Showcasing Success Stories: Share success stories of current employees who have progressed along the pathway, highlighting the support and opportunities provided by your organisation.

4. Tailoring Learning and Development Plans:

• Individual Development Plans: Create individual development plans for each staff member, using the pathway to identify relevant training and development opportunities.
• Regular Check-Ins: Schedule regular check-ins to discuss progress on the pathway, address challenges, and adjust plans as needed.

5. Effective Staff Development and Support:

• Mentoring Programmes: Establish mentoring programmes where experienced staff guide newer employees along the pathway.
• Feedback Mechanisms: Implement regular feedback mechanisms to ensure staff feel supported and their development needs are being met.

6. Resources and Tools:

• Pathway Workshops: Organise workshops to train managers and team leaders on how to effectively use the pathway in career conversations.
• Online Resources: Provide access to online resources, including webinars, eLearning modules, and interactive tools that align with the pathway.

The adult social care pathway is a valuable tool for guiding career development and progression conversations. By integrating this pathway into your recruitment, development, and support strategies, you can build a more skilled, motivated, and committed workforce.

Navigating the complexities of mental health in educational settings, particularly within secondary schools and colleges, is a critical challenge facing today's educators. Teachers play a pivotal role in identifying and addressing the mental health needs of their pupils. Therefore, this responsibility is integral to creating a learning environment where every student can thrive academically and emotionally.

What are mental health issues?

Mental health issues refer to a wide range of conditions that affect people's emotional, psychological, and sometimes physical wellbeing. Furthermore, it impacts how individuals feel, think, behave, and interact with others. However, the spectrum of mental health difficulties is broad and diverse. It reflects on the complex nature of mental health and its impact on different aspects of life. Therefore, recognising and addressing these issues in pupils is crucial for educators to support their students effectively.

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Signs of mental health issues

Recognising the signs of mental health struggles in children and young people is crucial for both their family members and teachers. Therefore, early identification by those closest to the young person – in both home and school environments – is critical to providing timely and appropriate support. Although, these signs can be diverse, ranging from changes in behaviour and mood to declining academic performance.

Furthermore, understanding these issues requires an evidence-based approach. This ensures the strategies and interventions are grounded in scientific research and proven effective. Moreover, this approach is crucial for educators to support their students effectively, particularly when it comes to recognising and addressing signs of mental illness.

Mental health issues in schools

The prevalence of mental health issues in schools is an increasingly recognised concern, with 1 in 5 pupils aged seven to sixteen thought to suffer from mental health difficulties. This highlights the urgent need for comprehensive mental health support in schools across the UK, particularly within the higher education sector.

Every school or college's approach to mental health will naturally differ, reflecting their students' unique needs and circumstances. However, all educational institutions should consider a dedicated support service as part of their mental health strategy. These services, ideally staffed by mental health professionals, are essential in providing tailored support to each student. Educators can offer more focused and effective support by ensuring that these services are an integral part of the school or college environment, fostering a culture where every student feels safe, understood, and well-cared for.

Supporting student mental health

Supporting student mental health and wellbeing in schools requires a genuine understanding of how to assist them with their mental health challenges. Educators need to foster an environment where every student, regardless of their mental health status, feels valued and understood. This includes promoting a culture of students supporting each other, where peers are encouraged to be empathetic and understanding towards those facing mental health challenges.

Enhancing your understanding and skills in supporting mental health is crucial if you're an educator, school administrator, or involved in any capacity with student welfare. At Flourish, we offer a 'Supporting Pupils With Mental Health Difficulties' course to equip educators with the knowledge and tools necessary to identify, understand, and effectively support students facing mental health challenges, ensuring they can provide the best possible care and guidance.

The course content covers the following:

• What is mental health
• Mental health and adolescence
• Physical, psychological, emotional and social mental health
• Spotting the signs of a mental health problem
• Types of mental health problems including depression, stress anxiety, eating disorders and self-harming
• Suicidal feelings
• How to help
• Having meaningful conversations
• Creating a communication plan
• Child protection and risk assessment
• Referring, concerns and crisis situations

How to promote positive mental health in schools

Promoting positive mental health in schools involves adopting a proactive and preventive approach, focusing on creating an environment that not only addresses mental health issues as they arise but also actively works to prevent them.

This involves several key strategies:

• Integrating mental health education: Incorporating mental health topics into the curriculum is crucial. This not only educates students about mental health but also normalises these conversations, reducing stigma. Lessons can cover various topics, from understanding emotions to managing stress and recognising when to seek help.
• Encouraging open discussions: Creating a safe space for students to discuss mental health is vital. This could be through structured classroom discussions, peer support groups, or informal conversations. Open dialogue helps students feel heard and understood and can be instrumental in identifying those who need additional support.
• Providing resources and support: Schools should have accessible resources for students seeking help with mental health issues. This could include access to mental health services. It's also important to equip teachers and staff with the necessary training to identify and support students experiencing mental health challenges.

Support for educators

Flourish offers a diverse range of courses tailored to various aspects of student wellbeing and mental health support. These courses are designed to equip you with in-depth knowledge and practical tools necessary for effectively addressing the mental health needs of students. By participating in this training, you can make a significant difference in the lives of your students.

Foster care is when children who cannot live with their biological parents temporarily stay with other individuals or families. This is sometimes known as temporary guardianship and can happen for various reasons that make it unsafe or impossible for the child to live with their birth family. This can include neglect, abuse, parental substance abuse, or other circumstances. Child protective services oversee this arrangement and aim to ensure the safety and well-being of the child.

Fostering aims to provide children and young people with a stable and nurturing environment. Therefore, allowing time for the children's biological parents to work towards resolving the issues that led to the fostering placement. Moreover, fostering systems often involve collaboration between government agencies, supervising social workers, caregivers, and non-profit organisations dedicated to child safety and welfare.

Family reunification is always the preferred outcome, pursued when it is deemed safe and in the child's best interest. However, in situations where returning to the biological family is not possible, adoption by the foster family may be considered as a permanent solution.

Furthermore, being a foster parent requires flexibility, patience, and a genuine commitment to the foster child's well-being. Foster parents are instrumental in helping foster children navigate challenging circumstances, providing them with a foundation for a brighter future.

What is a foster carer?

A foster carer, also known as a foster mother, father, or parent, provides a temporary home for children or young people who cannot live with their biological families. These individuals step into a parental role, offering a safe and stable environment for children during challenging periods. Creating a nurturing environment is essential for the child's or young person's well-being and development.

In the latest Government Fostering report, it was revealed that in England, there were 59,380 approved mainstream foster carers as of the 31^st of March 2023. Of these, 11% were approved during the year.

Foster parents work closely with social workers, child welfare professionals, and other members of the system. They act as child advocates, ensuring the well-being and rights of the child are a priority. This role underscores the importance of foster parent responsibilities, which extend beyond providing a home to actively supporting the child's needs and rights.

They typically undergo training and evaluation to become licensed or certified. Foster parents in therapeutic care receive additional training and support. This process helps prepare them for the unique challenges of caring for vulnerable children—especially those who have experienced trauma and may require special attention and care.

When looking after children in your care, you must be adaptable and flexible. The length of a child's stay can vary, ranging from short—to long-term fostering requirements.

Fostering a child is a commitment that requires empathy, patience, and a genuine desire. Foster parent's efforts are crucial in the overall foster care system.

What is a foster care provider?

A foster care provider, or foster home provider, is either an individual or an organisation—that offers care and a temporary home to children who are unable to live with their biological families. This term broadly encompasses the components and participants within the foster care system.

What is short-term foster care?

Short-term foster care provides temporary care for children and young people in need. A social worker usually places a child or young person in short-term foster care before moving them to a longer-term placement or returning them to their own family.

What is temporary foster care?

Another way to describe short-term foster care is to call it temporary foster care. It usually happens while considering a child's long-term care.

What is long-term foster care?

Long-term foster care or permanent foster care is where a child or young person remains with their foster parent, usually until adulthood. Long-term fostering tends to happen when a child or young person cannot return to their birth family or adoption is not possible.

What is emergency foster care?

A child or young person is placed in emergency foster care to provide them with a safe, temporary living arrangement until they are ready for a longer-term placement or can return home. These short-term placements usually last between a few days and a few weeks.

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Types of foster care

There are several different types of foster care designed to meet the diverse needs of children and families. Here are some common types:

• Traditional
• Respite
• Kinship
• Therapeutic
• Emergency
• Adolescent
• Sibling
• Medically Complex
• Foster-to-Adopt

Independent fostering agencies work to match children with foster parents. They do this against those with the skills and resources to meet each child's unique needs. The main goal is to provide a safe and supportive environment while working towards the best possible outcome for the child.

Who can foster?

The criteria for eligibility to foster can vary. However, generally, individuals and couples who meet certain requirements may be eligible to become foster parents.

Foster care licensing is a formal process that individuals or families must undergo to become authorised foster parents, allowing them to care for children in the foster care system.

Here are common criteria that individuals or couples interested may need to meet:

• Age Requirement
• Health and Physical Fitness
• Background Checks
• Financial Stability
• Stable Housing
• Training and Education
• Licensing and Approval
• Parenting Experience
• Commitment to Teamwork
• Cultural Competence
• Legal Citizenship or Residency

It is a significant responsibility. Therefore, agencies want to ensure foster parents can create a safe and caring environment for their children.

What can disqualify you from becoming a foster carer?

Becoming a foster parent involves a thorough assessment process. Therefore, certain factors may disqualify individuals or couples from being eligible. Although, you should keep in mind that specific disqualifications can vary based on jurisdiction and the policies of individual agencies. Here are common factors that might disqualify someone:

• Criminal History
• History of Child Abuse or Neglect
• Substance Abuse Issues
• Domestic Violence History
• Serious Mental Health Conditions
• Financial Instability
• Lack of Adequate Housing
• Lack of Commitment or Availability
• False Information or Omissions
• Lack of Training or Preparedness

Each case is unique. Therefore, agencies make decisions on an individual basis, considering various factors to determine whether prospective foster parents are eligible. They will base disqualifications against the potential risk factors associated with the applicant.

How much do foster carers get paid?

The amount that foster carers get paid in the UK varies. Payments can depend on factors such as the fostering agency, the region, the child's age, and the level of care required.

Individuals or couples with children in their care will receive an allowance to cover the costs associated with caring for a child. In the UK, this could range from around £130 to £200 per week for a child, but these figures may vary.

Foster care training

Click Learning offers a wide range of foster care training courses designed to help people fostering vulnerable children, including:

• Attachment and Embracing Therapeutic Parenting
• Children's Rights
• Communicating with Children and Young People
• De-escalation Training
• Equality and Diversity
• Fostering and Birth Children
• Men in Foster Care
• Introduction to Reflective Practice
• Food, Nutrition and Associated Behaviours

Furthermore, our training covers areas such as Attachment and Embracing Therapeutic Parenting, Understanding Child Development and Emotion Coaching.

Access over 90 caregiver training courses as part of one simple subscription. Find out more here.

Foster Care Courses

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection framework has recently undergone significant updates for 2024, offering new challenges and opportunities for UK health and social care providers. The CQC regulates a variety of healthcare organisations, including hospitals, care homes, general practices, and adult social care services. To assist providers in navigating these changes, we have compiled a CQC inspection checklist that aligns with the latest framework.

How to prepare for a CQC Inspection

To prepare for a CQC inspection under the new framework, you must thoroughly understand the CQC's updated assessment criteria and methods. The new inspection approach focuses on what matters most to people receiving care. Ensure that your care service is compliant and centred around individuals' needs and experiences. Complying with CQC standards is not only a legal requirement but also a demonstration of good practice in delivering healthcare services.

As a care provider, there are several steps you can take to prepare for an inspection:

• Familiarise yourself with the new assessment framework: Use the CQC inspection checklist to prepare your care setting for an inspect. While the five key standards (safe, effective, caring, responsive, and well-led) have been central to assessments for some time, the new framework places renewed emphasis on these standards. It also introduces a four-point rating scale (outstanding, good, requires improvement, and inadequate) and specific quality statements accompanying each key question.
• Understand the evidence categories: The Care Quality Commission has made its judgments more consistent by categorising six types of evidence. These include feedback from people using the service, staff and leaders, partners, observations, processes, and outcomes. Providers should be prepared to demonstrate compliance and quality care across these evidence categories.
• Reflect on 'I Statements': The CQC's assessment framework includes 'I statements' that reflect what people have said matters to them in their care experience. Align your services with these statements to ensure that the care delivered resonates with the needs and preferences of those you serve.
• Stay updated and engaged: Keeping informed about the latest updates and guidelines is crucial as the new assessments are rolled out.

The CQC 5 Standards

In addition to the new components of the framework, it's essential to recognise the CQC's five key standards, as they provide a solid foundation for assessing and delivering excellence in healthcare services. The CQC 5 Standards include:

• Safe: Examines how services protect individuals from abuse and harm, including environmental safety and medication management.
• Effective: This focuses on achieving good outcomes and quality of life based on evidence-based practice, involving staff competence in safe and effective care delivery.
• Caring: Assesses staff's compassion, respect, and empathy, involving dignity and involvement in care decisions.
• Responsive: Looks at how services meet people's needs, including personalisation of care, timeliness, and adaptability to changing needs.
• Well-led: Evaluates leadership, management, and governance, ensuring transparency and a culture of excellence.

What to expect from a CQC Inspection

Under the new framework, there will be significant differences in how the CQC assesses care providers. The inspection team will conduct focused inspections, extensively using information, including people's experiences, and gather evidence in various ways, not just through inspections. This approach means that inspections will contribute to a comprehensive evidence-gathering process.

The key differences from the current assessment model include:

• Gathering Evidence: The CQC will use various sources to support their judgments, making inspections part of a broader evidence-gathering process.
• Frequency of Assessments: Assessments will no longer be solely driven by the service's previous rating. Evidence collected or information received at any time can trigger an assessment.
• Assessing Quality: Judgments about quality will be made more regularly, using evidence from multiple sources. The CQC will consider quality statements more structurally and transparently, providing scores for findings. This approach will offer a more precise decision about ratings

CQC Inspection Guidance

Implementing key strategies can help you navigate the new CQC inspection checklist process successfully, ensuring comprehensive inspections of care services:

• In-depth Preparation: Immerse your service in the CQC's standards, ensuring practices are exemplary. Collaborate with local authorities and integrated care systems when necessary to achieve the highest standards of care.
• Robust Record-Keeping: Maintain comprehensive records that narrate your service's journey towards excellence.
• Active Engagement: Regularly engage with staff and service users for insights to shape your care approach.
• Highlighting Strengths: Use the inspection to showcase innovative practices and exceptional care initiatives.
• Constructive Feedback Response: View the inspection as an opportunity for growth, responding proactively to feedback.
• Focused Action Plan Post-Inspection: Develop a clear, actionable plan for any areas of improvement, regularly updated to reflect progress.

By adopting this focused approach, care providers can confidently demonstrate their dedication to delivering high quality care during CQC inspections.

The future of CQC Inspections

The CQC is gradually rolling out its new single assessment framework across England, which began in the South region in November 2023. This phased implementation will introduce a new era of assessments, focusing on flexibility and responsiveness. The new framework will assess providers based on a set of priority quality statements that reflect risks and service improvements. By mid-2024, the Commission plans to publish a detailed schedule for planned assessments, marking a significant transition in its approach to regulation.

Comprehensive training is of utmost importance for achieving and maintaining outstanding CQC ratings. Flourish provides a wide range of courses specifically designed to align with CQC standards, ensuring your team is well-prepared for inspections and equipped to deliver exceptional care every day.

Explore our health and social care courses and take a significant step towards achieving and maintaining outstanding CQC ratings.

The Care Quality Commission (or CQC) is England's independent regulator of Health and Social Care. Visiting services is a vital part of the inspection process, it allows the CQC to assess care providers' core services. Social Care services are evaluated across five domains; Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive, and Well-Led.

NHS Trusts are also inspected by the CQC, although their inspection process is slightly different as they are assessed on eight core services.

Types of CQC inspection

The CQC carry out regular inspections of care and health services. The frequency of Care Quality Commission inspections and the size of the investigation team depend on the type of service in question.

There are two main types of CQC inspection:

• Comprehensive inspections
• Focused inspections - these are slightly different to comprehensive inspections. Focused CQC Inspections are completed on a much smaller scale. However, these inspections still follow a similar process to comprehensive inspections.

Focused inspections are usually carried out to take a closer look at any concerns raised during a comprehensive inspection or if a care provider's circumstances have changed.

What to expect from a CQC inspection

The start of the inspection

At the start of a CQC inspection, the inspector or inspection team will cross examine the senior leadership. They will explain the purpose of the inspection and tell them how they will communicate the findings.

The CQC inspection methodology

The CQC inspection methodology comprises six elements:

• Planning
• Gathering feedback
• Talking to people
• Observation
• Talking to staff
• Reviewing records

To structure the inspection, the CQC use key lines of enquiry and information from the planning phase.

To gather evidence, the Care Quality Commission use several inspection methods, including talking to service users, their families, and staff, observing care, and reviewing records and inspections of the premises.

Aim of a CQC inspection

The aim of inspections is to determine the answer to five key questions:

1. Is the provider safe?

   Are service users safe and protected from harm or abuse? This will determine the trust level that care receivers have with a provider.

2. Is the provider effective?

   The inspector will examine if the the care and support services achieve positive outcomes. The CQC will look at the quality of life of service users, and if their mental health and overall well-being have improved. Ultimately, they will determine if the service users receive partial or no support to downgrade the overall rating.

3. Is the provider's workforce caring?

   Service users are treated with dignity, respect, kindness, and compassion.

4. Is the service responsive to people's needs?

   CQC inspections will evaluate a care provider's ability to respond to the individual needs of those who access the service.

5. Is the organisation well-led?

   Well-led providers ensure high-quality care is delivered, they encourage staff to learn and develop their skills and knowledge and promote an open and fair culture.

How can Flourish help?

Flourish's, eLearning system 'Click Learning' provides users with access to over 115 social care courses and certificates. Our curriculum covers a wide range of training topics that up-skill and empower care staff to provide an outstanding and effective level of care. We are here to support Registered Managers and organisations to achieve an outstanding rating during CQC inspections.

You can access our whole range of CQC training courses.