Fostering People Ltd

Fostering People Ltd Inspection report for independent fostering agency

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SC043914 Unique reference number 1 October 2008 Inspection date Sharon Treadwell Inspector Key Type of Inspection

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Level 2 Bridgford House Address Pavilion Road West Bridgford Nottingham NG2 5JG 0115 945 5445 Telephone number info@fosteringpeople.co.uk Email Fostering People Ltd Registered person Sarah Byatt Registered manager

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Responsible individual

19 September 2007 Date of last inspection .

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Responsible individual

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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Responsible individual

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 14 Inspection Report: Fostering People Ltd, 1 October 2008

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Brief description of the service

Fostering People Ltd is an independent fostering agency based in Nottingham. In May 2006 the agency became a wholly owned subsidiary of Foster Care Associates (FCA) Limited. The agency has continued to operate as a ‘stand alone’ fostering agency, with no change of registered manager, but has incorporated many FCA policies, procedures and systems and adapted them to suit its own aims and objectives. In December 2007 Fostering People Limited amalgamated with Independent Fostering Limited, which doubled the size of this agency. The agency recruits and manages foster carers across the East Midlands area in order to provide family placements for children who need to be looked after by local authorities. The agency has recently expanded geographically and is now recruiting carers across the country. At the time of this inspection the agency is supporting 73 fostering households and providing placements to 107 young people. The registered manager is supported by three service managers,

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Brief description of the service

with clearly designated areas of responsibility, and 12.5 social workers, some office based and supervising local carers whilst the rest are home based. One of the service managers is responsible for overseeing five home based social workers who undertake the assessment and support of the distanced foster carers. All of the service managers are regularly supervised by the registered manager. Administration services are provided by an office manager and several clerical/administration assistants. A separate placements team is staffed by a placement officer and two administrative assistants. The agency also has access to freelance workers to undertake independent reviewing and carer assessments and commissions services to support young people's health and educational needs. The agency’s Statement of Purpose details its capacity to offer emergency, short-term, bridging, parent and child or long-term placements for children

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Summary

The bringing together of two agencies under the umbrella of another, over the last year, has been a significant task and has been combined with geographical expansion and the implementation of electronic recording systems. Managers are commended on their achievements in promoting the positive elements of these changes with both staff and carers and in retaining a robust focus on developing practice to consistently promote positive outcomes for young people in placement. Some carers and staff had initial, negative feelings about the amalgamation and describe some initial, negative impact, for example, on access to training, but there is now a clear indication that a robust infrastructure is in place and that consistent working practices have been established. The agency has vastly improved its capacity to demonstrate that young people are safe in their placements. During the inspection inspectors visited, and spoke to, a

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Summary

number of foster carers, agency staff and young people in placement and others were consulted through questionnaires. Some very positive comments were made by carers: 'Training has improved-better access to professional advice for carers & young people'; 'The service is continually updating to ensure that Fostering People will continue to improve'; Children's needs are paramount'; 'Fostering people deserves great credit for all the hard work that is ongoing to protect the most vulnerable children and young people'. Children and young people are happy in their placements and clearly feel that, for them, the outcomes of being fostered, through this agency, are good: 'I get looked after properly. I get fed, I stay clean and I have fun'; 'I love my new mum and dad'; 'My carer is always there when I need her'; 'I am happy with fostering people and I like where I am placed'; 'We just love it all about being here'; 'They do

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Summary

what's best for us'. 4 of 14 Inspection Report: Fostering People Ltd, 1 October 2008 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

Seven recommendations were made during the previous inspection of this agency, four of which were related to the agency's incapacity to fully demonstrate that young people were safely placed. Safe care policies were generalised and not reflective of the individual needs of the young people in placement. The matching process did not demonstrate full consideration of the assessed needs of the child, of consideration of the views of all relevant professionals and the prospective carers or of the needs of any other young people in placement. Placements requiring exemptions were not always supported by the required local authority authorisation. Health and safety checks on foster carer households were not appropriately recorded. The agency has addressed all these shortfalls. A dedicated placements team has been established and a new matching pro-forma has been introduced to ensure that carer skills are considered

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Improvements since the last inspection

against the needs of young people requiring placement. General household safe care policies are now robustly supported by individual plans specific to the particular needs of the young people placed. Annual health and safety checks are appropriately recorded on carers' files. There is much clearer delineation of management responsibilities and this has resulted in more robust oversight of individual practice and has therefore brought greater consistency of recording. A number of concerns were identified with regard to the operation of the fostering panel and there has been a tightening up of the panel process. There have been a number of changes to panel membership and appropriate training has been provided to induct new members in relation to their role and responsibilities. There were some concerns about the monitoring of complaints, particularly in relation to ensuring that young people received timely responses

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Improvements since the last inspection

and were advised of the outcomes of complaints. Again, the clear delineation of management responsibility has ensured sound retention and oversight of records relating to complaints and allegations. The final recommendation related to the securing of relevant information, from placing local authorities, and the supply of this to foster carers to inform the management of young people. The agency is still experiencing some difficulties in obtaining this information in a timely way but has instituted more robust procedures for chasing this information and, subsequent to a comprehensive audit in July 2008, is currently robustly endeavouring to obtain all outstanding documents.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. The carers tracked during this inspection are meeting the health needs of the young people placed with them very well. Carers are issued with a health passport in respect of each young person placed and this constitutes an individual health record, which is updated throughout their placement and moves with them when they are placed for respite or leave the placement. Young people are registered with GP's and dentists in a timely manner and carers ensure that appointments are arranged as necessary and support young people to attend them. Statistics demonstrate that 90% of the young people, placed through this agency, have received a statutory annual health check within the last year and, of the remaining 10%, several are teenagers who have refused to access this opportunity. Currently carers do not routinely receive a copy of the health action plan, which results from young people's annual health check, and

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Helping children to be healthy

this provides essential information for them. The agency is aware of this shortfall and has recently instituted more robust procedures for chasing information from placing authorities. 5 of 14 Inspection Report: Fostering People Ltd, 1 October 2008 Some placing authorities have supplied carers with excellent health information. Paediatric first aid training is provided to all carers as one of the compulsory core training courses and both the carers' handbook and the quarterly 'Foster Talk' magazine provide additional information to promote the prioritisation of young people's health needs. The agency commissions the services of a clinical psychologist who offers a monthly clinic for carers and social workers where specific issues relating to young people in placement can be discussed. She can be commissioned to undertake individual work with young people but is also able to speed up the process of

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Helping children to be healthy

referral for child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS) intervention from within the young person's placing authority, where this is felt to be more appropriate. Young people feel that their carers support them well to lead healthy lifestyles: 'My support worker, my social worker and my carer have given me support and leaflets on healthy living'; 'I'm quite fit and healthy because I play out a lot and go for walks and swimming regularly'.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. The agency has robust recruitment procedures and practices to ensure that all those employed are suitable to work with children and young people and to safeguard and promote their welfare. Those staff members who transferred from Independent Fostering Limited have been issued with new and appropriate contracts of employment. The foster homes visited provide comfortable accommodation for the young people placed, placements are well matched and the carers demonstrate good awareness of their responsibilities to promote young people's development and keep them safe. In some cases young people have had excellent introductions to their placements, which have included several visits and overnight stays and this clearly supports successful and lasting placements. Written safe care plans are in place for all carer households and general household policies, developed as part of the carer assessment process, are robustly

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

supported by individual plans specific to the particular needs of the young people placed. These safe care policies are dated and signed and are appropriately shared with placing social workers. Where young people are required to share a bedroom, even if this is only whilst away on holiday, appropriate written risk assessments are undertaken. An annual health and safety check is undertaken, of each foster home, as part of the carers' annual review process and there is clear identification of any areas requiring attention. Foster carers are provided with good training opportunities in relation to child protection and to keeping young people safe and the agency provides clear policy guidelines in relation to acceptable and non-permissible sanctions, the use of physical intervention and to dealing with young people who abscond from the placement. Robust systems are in place for the recording and monitoring of complaints and allegations

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

and appropriate notifications are made to placing authorities and to Ofsted. A dedicated placements team, consisting of an administrative manager and two assistants, deals with all placement referrals. This new system is promoting the development of sound knowledge of skills available within the current carer group and the establishment of good working relationships with placing authority commissioning officers requesting placements. The team works closely with qualified social workers in identifying appropriate potential placements. The agency has introduced a comprehensive matching pro-forma to demonstrate that young people's identified individual needs are appropriately matched with carer skills. The form includes a section to detail how any shortfalls, for example, if the placement is transracial or transcommunity, will be met. There is some inconsistency in how this section is being completed

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

meaning that, in some cases, a young person's needs in a particular area are being noted as not met and there is no clarification of how the identified shortfall will be addressed. As a result of a recent, comprehensive audit the agency has identified a shortfall in the presence of 6 of 14 Inspection Report: Fostering People Ltd, 1 October 2008 placement agreements, relating particularly to placements which pre-date the introduction of its own pro-forma. Such placements were reliant on the agency obtaining a signed copy of the placing authority's placement agreement. In relation to these placements the staff are now working, belatedly, to obtain the necessary signatures on the Fostering People placement agreement pro-forma and this will be placed on the files concerned. Carers generally feel that the agency works well to promote the safety and welfare of young people: 'Thanks to Fostering People I think that I am a better carer'; 'Fostering people deserves great credit for all the hard

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

work that is ongoing to protect the most vulnerable children and young people'; 'The service is continually updating to ensure that Fostering People will continue to improve. Children's needs are paramount'. The fostering panel was last observed in September 2007 when, as detailed under the improvement section of this report, a number of shortfalls were identified. Although the panel was not observed during this inspection, discussion with the recently appointed panel chair and examination of the minutes of several panels demonstrates that the panel robustly exercises its quality assurance role in relation to form F assessments. The new panel chair is well experienced and has a very wide range of knowledge relevant to this role. Panel minutes are completed to a good standard and provide a detailed record of the factors influencing the panel's recommendations. There have been considerable changes to panel

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

membership, with the amalgamation of two agencies, and the effect of these changes has been addressed by the provision of appropriate panel training. The panel is currently appropriately constituted and has clear and comprehensive guidelines defining its role and operational practices.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. The agency has carers and staff from a range of ethnic and cultural backgrounds and provides appropriate training opportunities for its staff and its foster carers in relation to equality, diversity and rights. The agency provides placements for several asylum seeking children and, during the last year, has undertaken some good proactive work with these young people. A dedicated carer group has been established to provide a specific focus on the particular needs of these young people and an invitation has been sent out to all asylum seeking young people in placements, to attend a dedicated workshop during October to provide the opportunity to establish social support links. Carers confirm that interpreter services are easily accessed for these young people and the agency is able to provide information in appropriate languages. The agency has also supported black carers to establish a dedicated support group, which met

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

for the first time in July. A written record of this meeting relates the willingness of carers from this group to provide practical support and advice to other carers providing placements for black children. The carers expressed their appreciation to Fostering People staff for 'hosting the social in a way that made them feel valued and their experiences and views acknowledged, respected and understood'. The group will meet four times a year to share experiences and to identify any specific support which would be helpful. The agency hosts an annual black history celebration event for carers and young people and this provides opportunities to sample Caribbean foods and try specific hair and beauty products. Where matching pro-forma identify potential shortfalls in the cultural matching of placements, there is sometimes insufficient clarity about how those shortfalls will be addressed. Statistics demonstrate that 97% of the

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

young people placed through the agency have appropriate school placements. The agency's information systems are not yet sufficiently developed to fully demonstrate the attendance and attainment of the young people in placement but these are currently being incorporated into proposals to issue all carers with individual education passports for the young people in 7 of 14 Inspection Report: Fostering People Ltd, 1 October 2008 their care. The FCA director of education has recently provided training to staff and carers detailing the issues affecting educational outcomes for looked after children. Fostering People is able to commission specialist input in relation to difficulties obtaining appropriate educational placements or in relation to specific issues impacting on achievement and this can help carers to support young people more positively. All carers are provided with a separate education handbook giving them specific advice about supporting looked after children to achieve their

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

academic potential and the agency retains a dedicated education file for young people in placement. The education files, in respect of the young people tracked, contain copies of their personal and individual education plans, statements of special educational needs, where applicable, and copies of recent school reports. The agency does, however, experience frequent difficulties in obtaining copies of Personal Education Plans (PEP) from placing social workers and, in March 2008, had obtained them for only 39 of the 73 young people in mainstream placements. This situation is improving with the development of more robust procedures for chasing information from placing authorities. Young people feel that their carers and social workers support them well with regard to their education: 'My support worker has given me good support throughout a bad period in school'; 'My social worker and carer talk to me and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

ask me what I would like to be when I am older and how I can do it and achieve good things'.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. The carers visited and tracked during this inspection are supporting young people well to retain contact with their families and friends. Contact arrangements are clearly stated for these young people and carers are aware of the need to record its impact on their behaviour. The current training programme does not include dedicated training for carers around contact issues but the handbook contains some written guidance. The agency has a good pro-forma for securing the views of young people in foster care and birth children in respect of the carers' annual review and the independent reviewing officer (IRO) confirms that there is a good rate of return. Young people's records demonstrate that they, and their carers, are appropriately involved in the looked after children (LAC) review process. The birth children of the carers tracked were very actively involved in the assessment and approval process with some attending the fostering

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Helping children make a positive contribution

panel with their parents. The carers' handbook contains good guidance on obtaining young people's views and training is provided on listening to children. Some carers feel that young people's views could be more actively sought by the agency: 'I think that children should be given a questionnaire at least once a year to ask their opinions on a range of issues'; 'I would like to see the children more involved in decision making at an agency level'. Other carers, however, feel that young people's views are valued: 'Children are encouraged to make choices and decisions about their day to day lives'. During the last year the agency has recognised the need to improve its consultation with young people. A consultation has been undertaken to obtain young people's views about respite and this has resulted in the development of a respite folder which incorporates good coverage of their likes and dislikes and preferred routines.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people are encouraged to be involved in carers' pre-approval training and questions, devised by young people, have been incorporated into the panel's consideration of applicants' suitability to become foster carers. The agency has secured funding from the Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) to undertake a children's participation project and is currently working on establishing forums involving young people in foster care and birth children. The registered manager says that these forums, once established, will be encouraged to continue when the CWDC project is finished. The proactive development of localised carer support groups is promoting more frequent opportunities for young people to come together 8 of 14 Inspection Report: Fostering People Ltd, 1 October 2008 as these groups begin to develop organised activities. Carers are very aware of their role in advocating for young people and this is appropriately covered in the carers' handbook. However,

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Helping children make a positive contribution

during this inspection it became clear that some carers had a poor awareness of the role of the local authority children's rights officer and that placing authorities had not always supplied contact details. The agency has undertaken to now include appropriate information in the handbook.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The provision is satisfactory. At the time of this inspection statistical evidence details that only 50% of young people aged over 15 years have a pathway plan on file. As previously detailed, the agency has recently instituted more robust procedures for chasing information from placing authorities and this is demonstrated in relation to attempts to secure an appropriate pathway plan for a young person tracked. Statistics additionally demonstrate that over 80% of post 16 placements are currently engaged in either education, employment or training and this is a positive indicator of successful transition into adulthood. Some carers have continued to support young people post 18, despite the cessation of funding. Although the current training programme does not include dedicated training in relation to preparing young people for leaving care, the agency provides some comprehensive written information clarifying the legal responsibilities of placing authorities

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Achieving economic wellbeing

and the role and responsibilities of Fostering People and its carers in relation to preparing young people appropriately for adulthood. The agency recognises that its 2009 training programme needs to reflect a greater focus on care leavers. Carers did not raise any concerns regarding the allowance rates paid by the agency and they are happy that payments are made in a timely way. The agency pays enhanced rates in relation to placements of young people with very specific needs, likely to incur additional costs, and carers expressed concerns regarding the tax implications of payments at the enhanced rate and the impact of these on money available to support the young people in placement. Ofsted is unable to influence this situation but, in light of the potential impact on young people, carers have been made aware of the potential capacity of the national fostering and adoption organisations to support and advise

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Achieving economic wellbeing

them. The registered manager has been appraised of the concerns raised and will consult with the carer group about their contention that the current situation has an adverse impact on the funding of young people in placement.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The agency's Statement of Purpose (SOP) is fully reflective of the aims and objectives of Fostering People Limited and clarifies the nature of placements provided. The SOP details the management structure and staffing compliment but does not include information about the relevant qualifications and experience of the staff. The agency sends out a personalised letter, to all young people placed, giving details of the foster carers role and responsibilities and information about making a complaint. The agency has an extremely comprehensive guide for older young people, with good literacy skills, which contains a wealth of information, for example, about young people and the law and about keeping safe, and makes an excellent on-going reference document for these young people. Young people are also supplied with the Fostering Network guide to being in foster care. The agency does not currently produce a

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Organisation

guide for younger or less literate children. There are clear procedures for monitoring and controlling the activities of the fostering service and ensuring quality performance. A 9 of 14 Inspection Report: Fostering People Ltd, 1 October 2008 comprehensive internal audit was undertaken in June 2008, covering staff, carers' and young people's files as well as agency systems for monitoring complaints and for managing carer recruitment and review, and robust and timely action plans were instituted to address the minor identified shortfalls. There is a robust management structure, which has been reviewed and revised to account for expansion, with clear delineation of roles and responsibilities. All staff feel effectively managed and consider that formal and informal support is good. Social work and administrative staff are appropriately qualified and experienced and are lead by a sound, dedicated management team. The agency has clear policies and procedures for the recruitment

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Organisation

of carers and carers feel confident in their allocated social workers and feel well supported: 'Fostering people are outstandingly professional and efficient and I am proud to be part of their team'. Carers receive regular supervision and there has been significant improvement to the recording of this with the introduction of a pro-forma document incorporating a standard agenda. The previous inspection noted that carer supervision focussed too heavily on young people in placement with little reference to carer training and development needs. This has been largely addressed, though some records still lean too heavily towards placement issues. The carers' handbook has been updated and includes good information for carers and the quarterly 'Foster Talk' magazine is used well for circulating information. The agency has begun to develop localised, and some specifically focussed, carer support groups and carers value

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Organisation

these as an opportunity to share experiences and benefit from each others' knowledge. The carer review process is excellent, with reviews undertaken by an independent reviewing officer and their recommendations presented to the agency decision maker or, if there are changes to approval status, to the fostering panel. Carer approval status is sometimes recorded, in written records, in a misleading way, for example, where carers are approved for two young people, three if a sibling group, some records indicate approval for three young people. Staff can demonstrate that the electronic system gives a realistic picture of the placement availability each carer has. Carers have mixed feelings about training. Some carers are critical of the timing of training sessions and say that there is insufficient weekend and evening training to allow for attendance of those in employment. The agency has begun to hold some training at weekends

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Organisation

and this is currently well attended. Managers detail proposals to develop training opportunities next year with additional programmes, such as leaving care, and more venues to take account of the geographical expansion. The agency has been slow to implement the CWDC standards for foster carers. The recommended implementation date for new carers was April 2008 with existing carers obtaining a certificate of successful completion by April 2011. Fostering People's social work staff are currently undertaking training and the agency proposes to implement these standards from January 2009. Carers, who were spoken to during the inspection, currently have no awareness of these standards. Some carers say that the agency is reluctant to fund external training relating to the specific needs of young people in placement but agency records do show carers accessing training, for example, British Sign Language (BSL) training, with

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Organisation

external providers. The agency is not proactive in encouraging and supporting carers to complete National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) training. Only two carers have completed NVQ and two are currently undertaking this training. Good pre-approval training is provided and there is good access to core training courses such as first aid, child protection and keeping young people safe: 'The service supplies good training and encourages carers' meetings and good communication'. There is a clearly stated expectation in relation to completion of core training and carers' take up of training is examined as part of the annual review process. When the amalgamation, with Independent Fostering Limited, took place managers noted that some carers were using family and friends, to provide respite care, who were not approved foster carers. Managers correctly identified that this practice was in contravention of the fostering

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Organisation

10 of 14 Inspection Report: Fostering People Ltd, 1 October 2008 regulations and have now commenced full form F assessments, on those family members and friends who are prepared to undergo this process. In some cases carers feel that this is impacting negatively on young people who may, for example, have had regular respite with grandparents who are reluctant to go through a full assessment, or with older siblings whom the agency has deemed ineligible for assessment if they are under 25. The results of the consultation on respite, undertaken by the agency with young people, clearly demonstrate young people's preference for respite to be provided within the foster family. The agency has worked with young people to develop its respite provision and an informative folder now travels with young people to respite. The agency is also working on developing more localised respite arrangements through the development of friendships within its carer support groups. A placing social worker

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Organisation

commented: 'The service has arranged in house respite very effectively'. Agency records are retained to a commendable standard. Files relating to carers and young people are well organised and contain appropriate information. The transfer to electronic recording is being managed well, with paper records containing a clear indication of documents to be found on the electronic system. Some very appropriate pro-forma recording tools have been developed to promote consistency in recording. Carers are retaining good records relating to young people's placements with placing social workers commenting: 'Some carers produce superb weekly reports'; 'I am very happy with the communication and with the attentiveness shown by individual workers. The carers have done excellent work with all the children'. The agency and its carers have a very clear understanding of the need for information to be stored securely. The agency has

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Organisation

been chosen by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) to pilot a new tracking document to monitor the achievement of the five Every Child Matters outcomes for young people in placement. There has been consultation with foster carers about its format and use and the agency will report its findings to the DCSF one year from commencement. The 'tracker' document was available for inspection and will provide a good indication of how the placements, provided by the agency, are supporting young people to achieve well.

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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): • ensure that foster carers' needs for additional support are clearly identified in circumstances where consideration of elements of matching demonstrates potential gaps (NMS 8.4) • Update the Statement of Purpose to include details in respect of the relevant qualifications and experience of staff (NMS 1.4) • produce a children's guide suitable for younger children (NMS 1.5) • ensure that written documents contain a true record of foster carers' approval status (NMS 25.1) 11 of 14 Inspection Report: Fostering People Ltd, 1 October 2008 • review and update the carer training programme to demonstrate that convenient times and venues are available to carers, that there are ongoing opportunities for carers to develop their skills and that the CWDC standards are being appropriately implemented (NMS 23)

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Recommendations

• ensure that arrangements recently implemented for the assessment and approval of family and friends of approved foster carers, as repite carers, fully take account of the views and wishes of children and young people (NMS 21.2, NMS 11.3) 12 of 14 Inspection Report: Fostering People Ltd, 1 October 2008

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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) 13 of 14 Inspection Report: Fostering People Ltd, 1 October 2008

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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. 14 of 14 Inspection Report: Fostering People Ltd, 1 October 2008

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