Bridging Gaps Fostering Agency

Bridging Gaps Fostering Agency Inspection report for independent fostering agency

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SC390755 Unique reference number 30 July 2010 Inspection date Jill Marriott Inspector Key Type of Inspection

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St. Georges Community Centre Address 8-12 Lancaster Road SOUTHALL Middlesex UB1 1NW 0208 8935649 Telephone number sharan@lllc.co.uk Email Bridging Gaps Limited Registered person Egbert Anthony Thomas Registered manager Zaneb Khan Responsible individual 23 March 2009 Date of last inspection .

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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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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 9 Inspection Report: Bridging Gaps Fostering Agency,30 July 2010

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Brief description of the service

Bridging Gaps is an Independent Fostering Agency registered in 2009. Its main function is to meet the needs of children who are temporarily or permanently separated from their families. The agency recruits and approves quality foster carers who can support children from all racial groups. It aims to ensure that foster carers recognise the importance of ethnic origins, cultural backgrounds, religion and language.

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Brief description of the service

The agency acts as a link in the fostering process between local authorities and foster carers. It ensures that children are matched with suitable carers who can offer safe care in a homely environment. The service is in its infancy, since registration 17 carers have been recruited and five children have been placed successfully.

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Brief description of the service

The responsible individual and the Registered Manager are responsible for the services provided. There is a small permanent staff team which will grow with the agency. The agency is supported by a pool of independent social workers who are available to carry out Form F assessments.

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Brief description of the service

There is an experienced foster panel who consider approvals, cancellation of registration, exemptions, extensions, foster carers' reviews and complaints. Panel recommendations go to the agency decision maker for approval.

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Summary

This announced inspection focused on the key national minimum standards for fostering services. The agency provides temporary and permanent placements that are matched to meet the overall needs of children referred. The inspection included discussion with key professionals, foster carers and children. Two foster families were visited.

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Summary

There is an up-to-date Statement of Purpose, appropriate policies and procedures and a system for reviewing and monitoring the service. There is a skilled and knowledgeable management team who are committed to supporting staff, carers and children. Carers have the support and information required to enable them to provide children with safe care in a warm, comfortable environment.

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Summary

Good quality basic and ongoing training and regular supervision are available for staff and carers. This includes training related to safe care, child protection, equality and diversity, first aid, and health and welfare. All carers are aware that they are expected to study for the National Vocational Qualification at level 3 in caring for children and young people.

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Summary

The agency has an effective foster panel who have received an induction and relevant training about their roles and responsibilities. The panel includes independent members and representatives from education, social work and health. Members have the skills, knowledge and experience required to make safe recommendations to the agency decision maker. Foster carers are invited to attend panel for their approval meeting and for their annual reviews.

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Summary

Three actions have been made as a result of this inspection; the agency must ensure that children are registered with a local doctor from the beginning of each placement; staff files must include all information required by regulation; and the minutes of each foster panel 4 of 9 Inspection Report: Bridging Gaps Fostering Agency,30 July 2010 meeting must include a written record of its proceedings and the reasons for its recommendations. 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

This is the first inspection following registration.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. The fostering service promotes the health and development of children. Carers are given an understandable health plan for each child which include the roles and responsibilities of key professionals. They are incorporated into the overall care plan and are completed at the time of placement or within 24 hours of an emergency placement. Plans detail how the child's needs will be addressed in relation to health issues that arise from ethnicity, race, disability, sexuality and religion. Children confirm that their carers talk to them about their health.

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Helping children to be healthy

In general the agency supports carers to secure a good standard of health care for children. All children are registered with a local doctors surgery and dental and optical appointments are recorded on their health records. In one case it has taken some time to register a child with a local doctor. As a result appropriate medical support may not have been available when required.

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Helping children to be healthy

The service has developed ways in which it evaluates how it achieves healthy outcomes. Support social workers monitor the health needs of children during home visits. Health needs are also discussed during child care reviews and as part of the consultation process with children and carers. The service works in partnership with key agencies and professionals, such as specialist nursing teams and the children and adolescent mental health service, to further develop health care planning for children.

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Helping children to be healthy

All carers undertake first aid training and refresher first aid training. They receive initial training to support them in identifying and addressing children's health needs. Additional training is available to carers supporting children with specific identified needs. Carers confirmed that they understand their responsibilities and the responsibilities of health professionals involved with the children.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. The persons carrying on and managing the service are suitable. They have the relevant experience and qualifications for their roles.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are placed with carers who have been assessed as being able to meet their needs. Each fostering household is checked for health and safety and are required to have appropriate insurance prior to children being placed with them.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Carers are well informed about the children who are referred. Behaviour management, health and safe care training ensure carers have the knowledge and skills to safeguard children's welfare. Carers fully understand how to meet the cultural, ethnic and religious needs identified 5 of 9 Inspection Report: Bridging Gaps Fostering Agency,30 July 2010 for individual children. They receive key information about the child's family background. Staff support carers to acquire special equipment or adaptations needed to ensure specific children are kept safe. Children in trans-racial placements confirmed that they are treated properly and their overall needs are fully met.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Carers receive a carers handbook which includes the agencies policies and procedures. In particular, policies related to safe care and protection give them a good insight into handling allegations and incidents. Staff and carers confirmed that they have received basic and ongoing training which is reviewed and up dated and includes safeguarding practice. There are good procedures and systems in place for the management of child protection concerns and referrals.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Support services for placements are personalised to the needs of individual children. For example matching is considered of prime importance and trans-racial placements have the support necessary to ensure appropriate care is arranged. Children are aware of the range of support available to them including, access to confidential services and independent advocates.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Both professionals and carers are sensitive to and aware of the effects of bullying on children. They recognise that that children who might appear different (including being fostered) may be at risk of bullying. Issues of bullying are taken seriously and any action required is taken in consultation with the child concerned and their social worker.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are listened to, their views are important to the agency. They are seen as central to safe services. Children are included in discussions about their care, safety and risks to themselves. The agency consults regularly with children and responds well to feedback. They believe that consultation and listening to children results in improved services.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

All those working for the agency have the appropriate checks and references undertaken prior to them being confirmed in post. However, the safety and protection of children could be compromised by the lack of evidence included on staff files. Staff files seen did not all include accurate details of identity checks and references. Criminal Records Bureau disclosure were available on individual files. The responsible individual explained that this information is kept elsewhere in the organisation but would now be transferred to individual recruitment files.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Although this is a relatively new organisation, the fostering panel serves children well and can demonstrate some good outcomes. It is well managed with effective membership who understand the needs of children. The chair of the panel was clearly able to describe the panel function including the identifications of issues that have arisen about the assessment process, consideration of exemptions and extensions to placements, complaints and all future annual foster carer's reviews. Panel members have been subject to an induction and comprehensive training about their roles and responsibilities. They have also received training in child protection awareness and best practice in assessment and safe placement planning.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. The service recruits carers that can meet the diverse needs of the children placed with them. Its policies and procedures value diversity and equality and the contribution that such an approach makes to the care of children. Children and carers confirmed that the service is sensitive to issues of ethnicity and individual cultural backgrounds. 6 of 9 Inspection Report: Bridging Gaps Fostering Agency,30 July 2010 Carers are given an understandable plan for meeting the educational needs of children. Information is given at the start of each placement or within 24 hours of an emergency placement. Where possible the agency supports children to remain at their original school. Plans detail how educational needs will be addressed and the specific roles and responsibilities of agencies and professionals involved. Where possible the agency ensures that an educational plan is made at the time the child is referred. If a child does not have a school the agency will

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

seek to provide alternative support until education is available. The service takes steps to minimize the impact of school changes on children's development and achievement. Where no school is available they seek to find education in the area local to the placement to enable individual children the opportunity to develop within and as part of the local community.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Throughout each placement foster carers are required to understand and promote the leisure and educational interests of the children. Guidance is provided to help them supported children to do well and to reach their full potential. The agency uses available resources which include a mentoring service, group support, competitions and activities to encourage children to enjoy and achieve. Specific additional support or help needed to meet educational needs is identified at the beginning of placements. Foster cares are aware of their roles and responsibilities to promote education and enable children to achieve. They receive supervision and training to enhance their skills. They develop good relationships with schools and attend parents evenings and school activities, events and festivals.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Maintaining and developing family contact and friendships are integral to the service provided. This is emphasised through the training and support given to foster carers. Children's views and wishes are sought with regard to contact with their family and friends and inform the arrangements made.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The service demonstrates that systems for children's participation in discussion and decision making about their futures are developed into service policy and planning. This include those children whose for any reason, may be harder to engage, for example children with communication difficulties. Specific support and communication methods are used to enable all children to express their views.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are asked for their views of placement during supervising social worker visits and for their child care reviews. They are given a memory box at the start of their placement. The box includes a children's guide with information about who to contact should they need an independent person to talk to. The box also contains other information that the child might need during their placement. They are encouraged to add to the box and they work with an agency support worker to produce a story of their life while in placement.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The effectiveness of the consultation process is evaluated. The findings are shared, reviewed and acted on. The systems in place for promoting contact and consultation are very clear and ensure children are able to make a positive contribution.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

The provision is good. 7 of 9 Inspection Report: Bridging Gaps Fostering Agency,30 July 2010 Foster carers receive training and support to enable them to offer the care needed to prepare young people for adulthood and living independently in the community. Young people are encouraged to continue with, and develop new, interests and experiences. The fostering service has developed links with other local services and relevant local authority teams, such as leaving care, to provide appropriate services for older young people. Each child placed by the agency is supported in ways that are tailored to their individual needs. The agency has systems in place to support leaving care arrangements but have not actually placed any older young people. However, the services available and the policies and procedures in place ensure that older young people will be offered appropriate support to become independent and responsible adults.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

Full allowances and expenses are paid to cover the cost of caring for children and meet their individual needs. Payments are explored at the pre-placement meeting and are subject to ongoing review to ensure they reflect the needs of the child. Systems and policies are easy for carers to understand and payments are made promptly. Issues of culture and identity related to areas such as hair, skin care, clothing and food preferences are identified and resourced through the allowances paid.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The Statement of Purpose fully incorporates the aims and objectives of the agency and includes details of the services available. The Statement of Purpose is available to local authorities, parents and carers on request.

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Organisation

The agency provides consistent well-qualified and experienced management. Managers demonstrably provide good leadership to staff and carers. They are approachable and responsive to feedback while maintaining clear professional boundaries and exercising proper management responsibilities.

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Organisation

The service and business plan integrates robust quality monitoring and assurance systems. These include effective methods and systems for staff and service users views to be heard. There is evidence of management action to address identified areas for improvement. Examples of good outcomes for children were seen and can be attributed to good management action. Managers have identified their own development needs and have clear support networks.

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Organisation

There is a commitment to regular structured supervision for staff and carers. Supervision combines management and developmental issues and this is recorded on supervision files with an agreed and signed copy given to the supervisee. There is a planned approach to ensure that staff and carers are offered appropriate training and are well supported.

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Organisation

The promotion of equality and diversity is good. This is reflected in the staffing arrangements and the diverse backgrounds of carers. The agency places great importance on placing children within their own cultural. racial, linguistic and religious communities. Where a trans-racial placement is made issues are identified and support is arranged to address these. The agency is supporting some trans-racial placements at present. Children confirmed that they are happy in these placements and are receiving appropriate support from their carers. Carers said they have received training to enable them to work with children from all background. They are confident that extra support will be available if requested. 8 of 9 Inspection Report: Bridging Gaps Fostering Agency,30 July 2010 Staffing levels are appropriate. However, staffing levels will be increased to meet the needs of the growing service. All staff have the relevant qualifications and experience for their posts.

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Organisation

Carers confirmed they receive regular support and understand they can have access to an emergency out of hours service. Each carer has an individual support plan in place which fully incorporates the identified needs of the placement.

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Organisation

Children's case records contain significant information and information required by regulation. Files are carefully put together to provide easy access to those who need to see them. Information regarding access to files is available in the children's guide given to children at the start of each placement.

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Organisation

Records of foster panel meetings are available. These records do not in all cases contain the information necessary to understand how recommendation to approve carers was reached. Overall the administrative records for the agency are comprehensive and clear.

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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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Due date Action Standard

31 August 2010 ensure that each child is registered with a general practioner (Regulation 15 (2) (a)) 31 August 2010 ensure information required in respect of persons seeking to carry on, manage or work for the purpose of a fostering service is included on individual staff files (Regulation 20 & Schedule (1)) 31 August 2010 ensure that the foster panel makes a written record of its proceedings and the reasons for its recommendations. (Regulation 25(2))

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Recommendations

There are no recommendations. 9 of 9 Inspection Report: Bridging Gaps Fostering Agency,30 July 2010

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