Lorimer Foster Services

Lorimer Foster Services Inspection report for independent fostering agency

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SC059742 Unique reference number 29 May 2007 Inspection date Jeffrey Banham Inspector Key Type of Inspection

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Brooks Institute Address Carrington Lane Sale M33 5ND 08701 203520 Telephone number

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Email

Lorimer Foster Services Limited Registered person Catherine Hogan**171328** Registered manager Sher-Ali Khan**148146** Responsible individual 18 April 2006 Date of last inspection .

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Email

This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Email

You can obtain copies of The Children Act 2004, Every Child Matters and The National Minimum Standards for Children's Services from: The Stationery Office (TSO) PO Box 29, St Cripins, Duke Street, Norwich, NR3 1GN. Tel: 0870 600 5522. Online ordering: www.tso.co.uk/bookshop

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About this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcome for children set out in the Children Act 2004 and relevant National Minimum Standards for the establishment.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is strong Good: this aspect of the provision is sound Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is not good enough Inadequate: 3 of 10 Inspection Report: Lorimer Foster Services, 29 May 2007

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Brief description of the service

Lorimer Foster Services is part of the Lorimer Group. This is a privately-owned agency established in 1992 as a provider of both foster care and residential care for "looked after" children. The agency was first registered in July 2004 to provide placements with approved foster carers for children and young people from birth to eighteen years. The range of placements includes short term, long term, bridging, emergency and respite placements. The Lorimer Group is based in Sale, Greater Manchester and covers the north west of England. The agency has seventeen children and young people in placement and twenty approved foster carers.

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Summary

The overall quality rating is good. This is an overview of what the inspector found during the inspection.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The agency has made considerable progress in the past twelve months. The manager and staff have undertaken reviews of all aspects of policy, practice and procedure and the agency now provides an effective child-centred service to children and foster carers. The review of the "Form F" activity has been completed and has resulted in changes to practice and procedure, and to the organisation of the social work team. The panel offers a robust and independent scrutiny of the work of social work practice. Foster carer training has been re-organised and is now taken up much more by carers, and is well managed by the agency. Morale of all staff is much higher, and all staff say they feel able to concentrate on the development of child care practice. The agency has more children in placement, and is on a better financial footing. Staff also say they are involved in the development of the service. Communication is open and

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Improvements since the last inspection

effective, and they are able to contribute to the promotion of ideas and good practice. The manager is aware of the areas of the service that still need development and has set out plans for the future to enable Lorimer to review its practice and ensure its continued development.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. The fostering service has an explicit commitment to promoting the health care of children placed. The information provided for carers in the foster carers' handbook explains the issues affecting the health needs of children in the "Looked After" system and the importance of all people involved with their care to work together to identify and meet children's health care needs. The foster carers' handbook is provided with a supplement that contains a range of resource materials and contact points for additional information. Training is provided for carers in health and safety and first aid. Children are registered with doctors and dentists and records of other specialist treatments are kept. Older children are encouraged to take responsibility for their own health care in accordance with their needs and abilities. Consents to medical treatment are obtained and given to foster carers. Information is provided by placing authorities

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Helping children to be healthy

on children at the time of referral and after placement. Children's care plans are obtained and copies provided to carers. These care plans contain information on health care and identify the responsibilities of those involved with the care of children. The care plans are reviewed through the statutory review procedures that are the responsibility of the placing local authority. Copies of review minutes record decisions and actions and carers receive their own copies of the review 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Lorimer Foster Services, 29 May 2007 notes. Carers receive regular supervision from the supervising social workers and this addresses children's health care issues. Carers say they are aware of their responsibilities to children placed with them and are able to describe particular actions taken in obtaining treatment and providing assistance. Carers keep records of care and treatment children receive. Children say they are

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Helping children to be healthy

well looked after. The manager recognises that not every child has had an annual health care check. This in turn leads to some children not having an effective health care plan. The manager says that some difficulties are experienced in getting placing local authorities to action health care checks and says that Lorimer is working to develop better links with local authority's nurses who have specific responsibility for "looked after" children.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. The fostering panel operates well. It provides a robust and independent scrutiny of all the relevant agency work. The independent chairperson is clear about the primary focus of the panel being concerned with the quality of approved foster carers and the suitability of placements. Staff confirm that panel provides objective scrutiny of their work and is a valuable resource. The manager has conducted a comprehensive review of all foster carer "Form F" assessments that had previously been completed, and the outcomes of these reviews have been presented to the panel. These reviews contain recommendations for additional work on assessment or the need to obtain further information on approved carers. The panel has not yet developed a formal and systematic quality assurance process to inform the manager of agency practice. A range of training opportunities is provided for carers on the topic of safe

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

care. This includes courses on substance misuse, safe caring, caring as a male carer, sexual abuse and management, and child protection The foster care assessment process covers issues of health and safety in carers' homes, and each placement has a written "safe care" agreement on the file. Foster carer agreements reflect the current status of carer when a variation or change is introduced. A written risk assessment process for children is now in place. This identifies specific areas of concern in relation to children and describes the care that is required to take into account problems that may arise. One risk assessment did not reflect the criminal convictions of a young person but was modified by the supervising social worker when this was identified. The manager recognised the need to review and amend the risk assessment pro-forma currently in use. The use of the term "Not applicable" is confusing and is not always relevant

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. The agency emphasises the importance of education and school attendance during the training and assessment of foster carers, and at the point of placement. No placement is offered unless transport to and from school can be managed. The monthly supervision of foster carers covers education issues. Carers complete daily records of significant events and write a report for the placing authority each month covering the "five outcomes" of "Every Child Matters". This includes issues to do with educational progress and attainment. Care plans include educational needs and support arrangements and these care plans are reviewed regularly through the statutory "LAC " review process. Older children are assisted and supported in college placements. Their case records include college reports and tutor review reports. Children have a statement of special educational needs where this is appropriate, and these are reviewed each year. The

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

manager has plans to collect information about school exclusions and to develop a procedure 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Lorimer Foster Services, 29 May 2007 to manage both permanent and temporary exclusions to ensure the number of days missed is minimised. Improved liaison with local authority education support teams is also an area for development. Each child has a "leisure plan" to describe specific interests and abilities, and children are supported by carers to develop connections and activities within the local community. All carers are approved to care for children from all ethnic backgrounds. The agency sets out its intention to provide carers with all the information, education and support that they need in order to meet children's specific needs arising from religious, cultural or disability issues.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Lorimer has produced a "Young Person's Guide" and a "Welcome Pack". These contain a range of information about contact points, other agencies and services that may offer support and advocacy. Young people's forums have started, and young people say how they enjoy attendance. The manager says that the service intends to provide a budget for young people to set up and run their own newsletter, supported by staff from the agency's office. Children are supported through the care planning review process and are involved in discussion about their own progress in accordance with their abilities and wishes. The issue of contact is given considerable emphasis. Carers' responsibilities are made clear in their training and support, and the supervision process includes discussion about contact issues. Carers are able to describe the support they give to children to promote contact, and the records that they keep identify specific issues that may

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Helping children make a positive contribution

arise. In one case the child's information said that contact with a parent was "strictly prohibited." The basis for this prohibition was unclear, although it appeared that it may have originated from court. The carer did not have a copy of any order prohibiting contact, and was unsure of the actions to take should the parent attempt to make contact.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The provision is good. The agency has a "Preparation for Adult Life " policy. This identifies the role of carers in helping young people develop skills to move them into independence. The manager recognises that the agency needs to develop this area of practice. One social worker has been on a training course for developing independence skills and will begin to train all the approved carers later in the year. Pathway plans have been drawn up and young people say they have been involved in creating them. One young person did not have a written pathway plan but is involved with her local authority's "Leaving Care" team in the move to adulthood. Support arrangements are now in place. The agency file audit system has a specific reference to the Pathway Plan and the case files demonstrate that Lorimer's social workers contact placing authorities to ensure all the actions in developing preparation into adulthood are undertaken by those responsible.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

Carers say they are aware of the rates of payments and expenses to which they are entitled. The information is contained in the foster carer's handbook and is updated regularly. Carers say payments are made in full and on time, and the agency supports them in ensuring they have sufficient funds to support the development of young people placed with them.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Lorimer Fostering Service is well managed. Significant improvements to all aspects of the agency's practice have been made over the past twelve months and have now begun directly 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Lorimer Foster Services, 29 May 2007 to affect the quality of the service provided to children and foster carers. The organisation of the social work team is more effective. The team manager supervises three full time social workers, one of whom is responsible for "Form F" assessments and the other two for supervision of carers. Additional carer assessment capacity is available if required from temporary social work staff, all of who are supervised by the team manager. The new foster carer handbook and young person's "Welcome Pack" provide effective and accessible information about the service. All the staff within the agency say moral is much higher, that they are focussing on improvement

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Organisation

and are involved with the development of the agency. Communication is said to be good, and staff say they are able to raise concerns and issues, and they are listened to and taken seriously. Staff receive regular supervision, and team meetings for the whole professional group, and the social workers, take place and discussion and decisions are recorded. The training for foster carers has been revamped and re-organised. Training is provided during the assessment process, after approval as part of the induction process, and thereafter as core training. The course programme runs twice a year, at different times of the day, so that the maximum opportunity for attendance is available for carers. Records are kept both centrally and on carers' files of the training that they attend. They are encouraged to attend those courses deemed to be mandatory. The carers' case file structure has been reorganised and is now more manageable and accessible.

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Organisation

A rigorous file audit procedure is in place and this tracks information that has not yet been obtained. Social workers keep records of their actions in contacting placing authorities to obtain necessary information. Carers are supported by visits every two weeks, by formal and recorded supervision every month, and other contacts as required. Each care has a supervision contract, and all carers report that they feel the support is "excellent". Out-of-hours support is available and carers feel it that too is very good. Unannounced visits take place and are recorded. Foster carers are reviewed each year. The first review goes to the fostering panel, and thereafter the reviews are reported to panel every three years or as a response to particular situations. The manager is aware that the current reviewing procedure, which is the responsibility of the team manager acting as "reviewing officer", does not provide a sufficiently robust and independent

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Organisation

scrutiny of carers' practice and is seeking to change the situation. Carers now record significant events on a "daily log" and provide a monthly "five outcomes" report on every child for the placing authority. This practice is relatively new and is in the course of development. The records do not yet provide evaluation of the factual information being kept, nor is there evidence of the effective involvement of the young people who are the subject of the records. The manager says financial situation of the agency has improved. There are more placements in existence, and a number of staff have left the service. Staff confirm that they now feel able to concentrate on the development of practice and improving outcomes for children, and support for carers. Staff also feel that there is no pressure on them to concentrate on anything other than the development of the best child care practice, and that the manager and the panel chair promote

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Organisation

the development of a "child centred" service. Supervising social workers are clear about their role in the monitoring of carers' practice. This aspect of practice is promoted by the "split" of "Form F" assessments and supervision responsibilities. There are a number of examples where the information held by carers is not complete- for example in the recording of who has "parental responsibility", of the existence of clear information about a contact restriction- and where the information held by carers is not managed or organised efficiently. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Lorimer Foster Services, 29 May 2007

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions, which must be taken so that the registered person meets the Care Standards Act 2000, The Fostering Services Regulations 2005 and the National Minimum Standards. The Registered Provider must comply with the given timescales.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • Develop agency practice and procedures to ensure every child has an effective health care plan from the time of their initial placement. • Work with the chair of the fostering panel to develop a formal and systematic quality assurance process to enable the panel to report regularly on areas of agency practice. • Ensure the legal basis for any restriction of contact is verified and that carers have all the necessary documentation. • Review the format, practice and procedure for the recording undertaken by foster carers so that it provides an effective aid for the monitoring of progress and the involvment of children and young people. • Ensure supervising social workers are clear about their role in monitoring information held by carers and checking it is stored efficiently so that children's records are effective working

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Recommendations

tools. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Lorimer Foster Services, 29 May 2007

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The intended outcomes for these standards are:

• the fostering service promotes the health and development of children (NMS 12) Ofsted considers 12 the key standard to be inspected.

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The intended outcomes for these standards are:

• any persons carrying on or managing the service are suitable (NMS 3) • the fostering service provides suitable foster carers (NMS 6) • the service matches children to carers appropriately (NMS 8) • the fostering service protects each child or young person from abuse and neglect (NMS 9) • the people who work in or for the fostering service are suitable to work with children and young people (NMS 15) • fostering panels are organised efficiently and effectively (NMS 30) Ofsted considers 3, 6, 8, 9, 15 and 30 the key standards to be inspected.

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The intended outcomes for these standards are:

• the fostering service values diversity (NMS 7) • the fostering service promotes educational achievement (NMS 13) • when foster care is provided as a short-term break for a child, the arrangements recognise that the parents remain the main carers for the child (NMS 31) Ofsted considers 7, 13 and 31 the key standards to be inspected.

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The intended outcomes for these standards are:

• the fostering service promotes contact arrangements for the child or young person (NMS 10) • the fostering service promotes consultation (NMS 11) Ofsted considers 10 and 11 the key standards to be inspected.

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The intended outcomes for these standards are:

• the fostering service prepares young people for adulthood (NMS 14) • the fostering service pays carers an allowance and agreed expenses as specified (NMS 29) Ofsted considers none of the above to be key standards to be inspected.

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The intended outcomes for these standards are:

• there is a clear statement of the aims and objectives of the fostering service and the fostering service ensures that they meet those aims and objectives (NMS 1) • the fostering service is managed by those with the appropriate skills and experience (NMS 2) • the fostering service is monitored and controlled as specified (NMS 4) 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Lorimer Foster Services, 29 May 2007

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Annex A

• the fostering service is managed effectively and efficiently (NMS 5) • staff are organised and managed effectively (NMS 16) • the fostering service has an adequate number of sufficiently experienced and qualified staff (NMS 17) • the fostering service is a fair and competent employer (NMS 18) • there is a good quality training programme (NMS 19) • all staff are properly accountable and supported (NMS 20) • the fostering service has a clear strategy for working with and supporting carers (NMS 21) • foster carers are provided with supervision and support (NMS 22) • foster carers are appropriately trained (NMS 23) • case records for children are comprehensive (NMS 24) • the administrative records are maintained as required (NMS 25) • The premises used as offices by the fostering service are suitable for the purpose (NMS 26) • the fostering service is financially viable (NMS 27) • the fostering service has robust financial processes (NMS 28)

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Annex A

• local authority fostering services recognise the contribution made by family and friends as carers (NMS 32) Ofsted considers 1, 16, 17, 21, 24, 25 and 32 the key standards to be inspected. 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Lorimer Foster Services, 29 May 2007

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