Regional Foster Families Ltd (South West)

Regional Foster Placements (South West) Ltd Inspection report for independent fostering agency

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SC062999 Unique reference number 13 May 2008 Inspection date Romana Young Inspector Key Type of Inspection

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113 North Hill Address Plymouth Devon PL4 8JY 01752 220109 Telephone number

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Email

Regional Foster Placements (South West) Ltd Registered person

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Registered manager

John Catterall Responsible individual 4 December 2006 Date of last inspection .

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Registered manager

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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Registered manager

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 11 Inspection Report: Regional Foster Placements (South West) Ltd, 13 May 2008

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Brief description of the service

Regional Foster Placements (South West) Ltd is an Independent Fostering Agency (IFA), which provides a range of fostering services such as time limited or short term care, long-term care, emergency care and parent and baby care. At 31 March 2008, there were 28 fostering households approved with this service providing care for 31 children and young people. The agency is based at the registered office in Plymouth, where all core activities for the service are undertaken. The agency also has two sub-office bases in Barnstaple in Devon and Brinkworth in Wiltshire.

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Summary

This statutory inspection was undertaken as an announced key inspection. All key National Minimum Standards were inspected and judged as met. The service was judged to be operating at a good standard overall. There are a number of areas of practice and operation of the service which were found to be outstanding. These included the support for, and promotion of, children and young people's access to social and leisure activities and educational achievement and the focus on and support given to children and young people to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Two recommendations were made relating to the recording of agency decisions and foster carer reviews. It is recommended that the procedures for recording the agency's decision about the terms of a foster carer's approval are reviewed and clarified so that the decision is accurately recorded on all relevant documentation. It is recommended that the monitoring of foster care

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Summary

reviews is strengthened to ensure that all reviews are undertaken within the statutory timescales. 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 service provider has taken effective action to address the statutory requirement and five good practice recommendations that were made in the last inspection report. The service provider was asked to ensure that all the required information on persons working for the service is obtained. Checks on a sample of staff files, and discussions with members of staff who had been appointed since the last inspection and staff responsible for HR practice, evidenced that the agency is now operating satisfactory recruitment and vetting procedures. The service provider was recommended to review the management structure across the South West region, revise the child protection policy and procedure, improve methods of consultation with children and young people, improve the health information provided to foster carers and ensure that records are signed and dated. The service provider has taken action to address

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Improvements since the last inspection

these issues. There has been a recent company re-structure. The manager of the service now has responsibility for the registered office in Plymouth and the two sub-offices in Barnstaple and Brinkworth, with the aim of bringing a more consistent approach to the service provision in these areas. There are systems in place to monitor the quality of record-keeping and service provision. The child protection policy has been revised and updated. The majority of the foster carers who responded to the questionnaire survey rated the information they received about the child before they were placed as 'outstanding' or 'good'. Systems for consulting with children and young people are being reviewed.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is outstanding. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Regional Foster Placements (South West) Ltd, 13 May 2008 The agency ensures that foster carers are well informed about the health needs of the children and young people they care for. This allows foster carers to take appropriate action to support and encourage the child or young person to maintain a healthy lifestyle. A placing social worker commented, 'The agency/carers ensure that the young person attends regular appointments with their GP, dentist and optician. They monitored his condition and reminded him to take his medication.' Another placing social worker reported, 'Good assistance is offered to the young person by his foster carer around health issues. She is very good at getting him to appointments.' There are very good systems in place, such as the 'Passport to Health' document to record and monitor how the child's or young person's health needs are being met. This helps

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Helping children to be healthy

to ensure that children and young people are receiving health care, advice and guidance, which meets their individual needs and promotes and supports their healthy development and emotional and physical well-being. The agency monitors that all children and young people placed with the service are registered with local primary health care services, such as a GP or dentist. Supervisory social workers monitor how a child or young person's health needs are being met at supervisory visits to foster homes. A foster carer reported, 'Children's health and lifestyle are at the forefront of everything we do and it is always covered during supervision, as our notes will show'. The agency ensures that children and young people are able to obtain specialist therapeutic support to promote and assist their emotional and psychological development and wellbeing, where there is a need for this. One placing social worker commented,

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Helping children to be healthy

'Regional Foster Placements provide a resource worker to accompany foster carers to health assessments - this enables them to have quality input from the paediatrician, whilst the child is appropriately cared for.' Children and young people benefit from advice and guidance on healthy eating and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, provided to them by their foster carers and the fostering service. A young person reported, 'My foster carer makes sure I eat a balanced diet'. Placing social workers report that both the agency and its foster carers are very good at ensuring that children and young people placed with the service receive good care and support to ensure their healthy physical, emotional and social development. The agency provides very good advice and guidance for foster carers on health issues through training courses and in the recently updated foster carer handbook and associated policies and procedures.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. The agency has clear and robust systems in place to ensure that children and young people are protected from harm, their welfare promoted and that care and accommodation provided for children and young people is safe and suitable for their needs. Children and young people are being well-cared for by suitably trained and skilled foster carers who provide them with a safe, healthy and nurturing environment. Children and young people feel well cared for and that their foster carers are caring and supportive. One young people commented, 'I'm happy, well cared for, get what I want and what I need'. Another young person reported that their foster carer 'always makes me feel safe and always makes sure I have anything.' The agency has a strong focus on providing the right match for a child with foster carers who have the capability and skills and a suitable home environment that meets the child's needs. The agency declines

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

referrals where it cannot make a match that will meet a child's or young person's identified needs. Placements are usually planned. Introductory visits take place whenever possible. Some foster carers can accommodate children and young people at short notice in an emergency situation. Foster carers rated the service as good at ensuring that they can meet the needs of children and young people placed with them. They reported that they were given good information about a child or young person before they were placed with them. One foster carer 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Regional Foster Placements (South West) Ltd, 13 May 2008 commented, 'They make sure that we have everything in place that is required to help the child or young person settle down and provide support when needed'. Foster carers feel that the service gives them good support to maintain placement stability and provide good continuity of care for children and young people. Placing social workers feel that both the service and

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

foster carers have good systems in place for safeguarding children's and young people's welfare and protecting them from harm. One placing social worker commented, 'Regional Foster Placements ensures that their risk assessments are updated regularly. They provide good record keeping and incident reporting and maintain regular contact with myself. They are very supportive of their foster carers and ensure that the carers attend regular training sessions.' Another placing social worker said, 'The carer ensures the safety of the young person at all times. We have no concerns'. Foster carers are provided with good guidance and training on safe caring and understanding and managing behaviour, so that they have the skills and knowledge to look after children and young people safely, in accordance with their particular needs. Foster carers confirmed that they are able to contact staff from the fostering service to

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

obtain advice, guidance and support, by telephone, at any time. The agency has recently revised the written advice and guidance for foster carers contained in the foster carer handbook. The agency operates satisfactory recruitment and vetting procedures to ensure that people who work in, or for, the fostering service are suitable to work with children and young people. The assessment and preparation of prospective foster carers and reviews of approved fostering households are thorough and of a high standard. The fostering panel operates effectively to ensure that good quality decisions are made about the approval of foster carers, so that children and young people placed with the service receive high quality care, which meets their needs. The fostering panel includes an independent member who has experience of being in foster care. Observation of a discussion at fostering panel and inspection of a sample of foster carer

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

files showed that the decision about the terms of a foster carer's approval had not been accurately recorded on all the relevant documentation in a few cases. A recommendation has been made that the process for recording decisions is clarified and strengthened.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. Training for foster carers on valuing diversity and promoting equality is mandatory, to raise awareness, promote good practice and build on foster carers' knowledge and skills in these areas. Foster carers said that the service performs well in addressing issues of equality and diversity. Placing social workers reported that children and young people are accessing a wide range of opportunities to develop and pursue their talents, interests and hobbies. One placing social worker reported, 'The children are supported in the activities that they like doing'. Another commented, 'The carer supports the young person to pursue their personal goals and hobbies and they keep us informed by weekly reports'. Foster carers rated the service as 'outstanding' at enabling them to provide an environment for a child to prosper. They feel that they receive good to outstanding help from the service in supporting the children and young people they

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

care for in undertaking activities in the community. An example of good practice by the agency in helping children and young people to enjoy and achieve is the newly developed Youth Club service in Barnstaple, which is available to all children and young people living in approved fostering households. Children and young people clearly enjoy the opportunity to undertake activities and socialise with their peers at the club. Children and young people report that they are receive the right help so that they can be successful in their education. The service places a high priority on ensuring that children and young people are able to attend suitable educational placements and promoting their educational attainment. Foster carers reported that the 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Regional Foster Placements (South West) Ltd, 13 May 2008 education resource and support worker provides excellent support to children and young people

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

in their care to help them keep on track with GCSE coursework and revision and to maintain education placements. The agency also supports children and young people to achieve educationally by providing individual tuition when required.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. The agency service is making good efforts to ensure that children and young people are involved in decisions about their day-to-day lives and are encouraged and supported to participate in care planning reviews. Children and young people confirmed that they are encouraged and supported to express their views about how they are cared for and what they would like to happen in the future. Children and young people feel that their foster carers listen to what they have to say and take notice of their opinions. A young person commented, 'My foster carer always listens to anything I have to say and always listens to my opinions'. Another young person said, 'We have family meetings and tell each other what we want to change, or if we can do something different'. Most children and young people said that they knew how to make a complaint. One young person commented, 'I can make a complaint with support of my foster

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Helping children make a positive contribution

carer and the agency'. Most children and young people reported that they knew who to speak to if they are not happy, or have a personal problem. They said that they would talk to their foster carers, parents or friends. One young person commented, 'My foster carer is the main person I go to if I have a problem and she is always happy to help'. Foster carers rated the service as good at involving the children and young people that they care for in decisions about their day-to-day lives. Placing social workers feel that the agency's staff are very good at communicating with them and consulting them about issues that are likely to affect the child or young person's daily life and their progress and needs. Children and young people are encouraged and supported to maintain and develop family contacts and friendships in line with their care plan and the foster placement agreement. Foster carers are aware of their

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Helping children make a positive contribution

responsibilities in promoting and supporting contact arrangements. Placing social workers reported that foster carers are pro-active about supporting children and young people's contact with their family and friends, for example, by providing transport, or ensuring that they get to know the young person's friends and welcoming them into their home.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The provision is good. Children and young people reported that they get help and encouragement to think about their future from a number of sources, for example, their foster carers, or social worker, or the Connexions service. Placing social workers said that foster carers provide very good encouragement and assistance to children and young people to help prepare them for adulthood, for example, by getting children and young people involved in routine household tasks in an age-appropriate way, or ensuring that they have a bank account and encouraging them to save. Foster carers are supported to care for children and young people placed with them through the payment of a specified allowance and agreed expenses. Payments are made at the agreed time and allowances are reviewed annually.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Regional Foster Placements (South West) Ltd, 13 May 2008 The Statement of Purpose, which sets out what services are provided for children and young people placed by the service, has been updated to reflect the recent company restructure. All policies and procedures are currently being reviewed and updated also. There has been a change of manager for the service since the last inspection. The new manager has been in post since November 2007. The manager has established strong and effective leadership of the service and is respected by staff and foster carers for his open and honest approach and strong focus on ensuring that children and young people's needs are well met. Staff and foster carers are well-motivated and skilled and work as a strong team to support and promote good outcomes for children and young people placed with the service. Placing social workers report that staff

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Organisation

and foster carers maintain excellent communication and good working relationships with them. One placing social worker commented, 'Solid partnership approach and sees the importance of sharing important information regularly'. Another reported, 'The agency offers good support to the carers and networking between involved parties is very good. Regional Foster Placements communicate well with us. The supervising social worker is available, flexible and pro-active'. Some foster carers in the Brinkworth area, which has only recently become part of this service, are unsettled by the recent changes in staffing and organisational structure in their area. The management is aware of their issues and concerns and has instigated an action plan, with the aim of bringing about a greater degree of stability and continuity in staffing in this area to address these concerns. Staff hold suitable professional qualifications for their role and are

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Organisation

given very good support by the agency to undertake continuous professional development requirements for these. Generally, staff and foster carers feel well supported by the agency, for example, through access to comprehensive policies and procedures, regular supportive supervision and very good access to relevant training to update and expand their knowledge base and skills. Staff feel that the manager is approachable, available and communicates well with them. They are clear about lines of accountability and management responsibility within the organisation. Social workers generally feel that their caseloads are manageable and that they are able to provide a supportive and responsive service to foster carers and young people. Foster carers report that they can access support and advice 24 hours a day. A comprehensive programme of training for foster carers has been developed and implemented. Case records

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Organisation

for children and young people and foster carers are comprehensive and stored securely. There are monitoring systems in place to ensure that quality standards are maintained. However, not all annual foster carer reviews had been completed within the required period. A recommendation has been made that monitoring systems are reviewed and strengthened to ensure that this is achieved.

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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): 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Regional Foster Placements (South West) Ltd, 13 May 2008 • ensure that the agency decision-maker is provided with all documentation that is presented to the fostering panel and that there is a clearly defined process in operation, which accurately record decisions about a foster carer's approval on all the relevant documentation (National Minimum Standard 30). • ensure that all reviews of foster carers take place within the required timescale (National Minimum Standard 16). 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Regional Foster Placements (South West) Ltd, 13 May 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) 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Regional Foster Placements (South West) Ltd, 13 May 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. 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Regional Foster Placements (South West) Ltd, 13 May 2008

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