Time out Fostering

Time out Fostering Inspection report for independent fostering agency

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Unique reference number SC064113 Inspection date 09/05/2011 Inspector Diane Thackrah Type of inspection Social Care Inspection

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Setting address The Ropetackle Centre, Little High Street, SHOREHAM-BY- SEA, West Sussex, BN43 5EG

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Telephone number 01273 467530 Email Registered person Time Out Fostering Registered manager Alison Young Responsible individual Jeremy Cross Date of last inspection 01/05/2008 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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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 publicat ion 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 Crispins, 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.

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About this inspection

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 outcomes for children set out in the Children Act 2004 and the relevant National Minimum Standards for the service.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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Brief description of the service

Time Out is an independent fostering agency in West Sussex. The agency is small, and aims to recruit no more than 25 foster families. The agency has a specialism in working with parent and child placements.

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Summary

This is an overview of what the inspector found during the inspection.

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Summary

Young people using this service enjoy positive outcomes and individualised care that reflects their individual needs. They play a strong part in decision making and consultation with them informs developments in the service. Education is valued, allowing young people to reach their full potential. A strong emphasis is placed on close support to foster families and young people and this helps young people to make good progress in all areas of their lives. Good emotional and practical support is provided to young people who are making the transition to adulthood.

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Summary

This is a well run service. Staff are competent, skilled and keep up to date with relevant legislation, good practice guidance and research. They receive good support from a strong management team. Practice is creative and reflective and a robust quality assurance process helps to ensure that problems are put right quickly. Equality and diversity is well promoted in all areas of the service. This all helps to ensure that young people's welfare is promoted.

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Summary

Areas for improvement include the need to obtain full recruitment checks for all employees and the need to ensure that annual reviews take place without delay in order to fully promote young people's welfare.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The registered provider was asked to: ensure all foster panels are conducted with the required composition of members; to review and revise safe caring guidelines to ensure they are personalised for each household and to consider supervising foster carers with an appropriately qualified social worker. Positive action has been taken in all of these areas. This helps to ensure that young people benefit from good quality, safe care that reflects their needs.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The registered provider was also asked to review and amend documentation to remove any information on support care. The Statement of Purpose still refers to support care, however, as the home care offered is not relevant to the national minimum standards and relevant regulations, this recommendation is removed.

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Helping children to be healthy

Young people receive good support to lead healthy lifestyles and to live in healthy environments and this promotes their wellbeing. The health needs of young people are clearly documented and this information is available to all people who need to know this. All young people are registered with a general practitioner and dentist and they attend health appointments when needed. The looked after children's nurse is made aware of all placements and carries out yearly medicals for young people. These arrangements help to ensure that health needs are well addressed and monitored. Young people are provided with a range of information regarding health promotion. Direct work is carried out with them by carers, agency staff and the looked after children's nurse regarding health issues. This has included discussions around puberty, sexual health, sexuality and healthy eating. This helps to ensure their healthy development. Young people are supported to make progress with their

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Helping children to be healthy

emotional and psychological needs. Some attend therapy sessions with the child and adolescent mental health services and the agency has funded a carer to attend a therapeutic parenting group training course to support the young person in their care. Information, training and guidance is provided to carers around a wide range of health needs and this helps them to safeguard young people's health.

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Helping children to be healthy

Young people benefit from living in safe and comfortable homes that promote their health and safety. Robust procedures are in place for helping to ensure that all foster carer's homes are safe and free from hazards. These include checks of the home prior to carers being approved and at annual health and safety audits. Carers say that the agency carries outs checks of the environment at some supervision sessions and during unannounced visits. Carers know how to keep young people safe and healthy as there is training and support in these areas. For example, all carers have received training in basic first aid and health and safety.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Young people are empowered to keep themselves safe through discussions with carers and agency staff in relation to their understanding and management of risks. This includes discussions about 'E-safety' and 'stranger danger'. The positive relationships that carers and young people share helps to generate a culture of openness and this promotes young people's safety. Carers know how to keep young people safe. Risks are managed effectively and this reduces the chances of young people experiencing harm. Clear guidelines are in place in relation to child protection, including the arrangements for working in partnership with other agencies and this helps to safeguard young people. Allegations are taken seriously and reported in line with national guidelines. Protection and support is provided to all involved in the allegation. The safety of young people is further promoted by the reporting of significant events to the relevant authorities. Young people do not go missing often.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Clear, joint agency policies and procedures are in place regarding this issue, which are understood by staff and carers, and this helps to ensure that correct action will be taken to help keep young people safe if they go missing.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Excellent support is provided to young people which helps them to develop positive relationships with carers in a culture that promotes positive behaviour. Carers receive a high level of support from the agency to manage young people's behaviour appropriately and this helps young people to feel safe and valued. Training for carers in areas such as challenging behaviour and safe care helps to support positive behaviour management. A specific training course has been funded for one carer to enable them to help a young person manage their behaviour. This piece of work is reported by the carer to have enabled the placement to continue positively, preventing another placement breakdown for this young person. Clear boundaries are in place for young people which helps them to feel secure. Young people are provided with good opportunities to enjoy and experience a range of leisure and social activities. This helps young people to increase their confidence and self esteem

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

as well as enjoy themselves. One foster carer said 'We have been supported to help our current foster child to engage in activities in the community and they have improved considerably over the past year'. One young person said since moving in with their foster carers they had been able to make friends locally and that they had enjoyed playing out with them. Another young person said that they enjoyed going swimming with their foster carer. Placement plans provide clarity regarding the day to day plans for young people and there is clear guidance around issues such as overnight stays with friends and this helps to ensure that young people do not experience unnecessary disruptions in their day to day lives.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young people make good educational progress and access education that meets their individual needs. The agency places a high value on education and there are high expectations of foster carers to actively promote young people's education. Carers engage effectively with education providers and this helps to ensure that young people are able to reach their full potential. The training in education that the agency provides helps carers to confidently advocate on behave of young people. This has helped to ensure that young people have received additional support in school such as one to one assistance. Young people benefit from living in comfortable and homely surroundings. Children over three, who are not siblings, do not share bedrooms. Regular checks by the agency helps to ensure that foster homes are safe and secure. Training in health and safety for carers and the drawing up of fire evacuation plans helps to remove avoidable hazards.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

There are strong arrangements for ensuring that young people's wishes and feelings are listened to and valued. The views of young people are sought regularly and taken into account in relation to all aspects of their care. Evaluation forms are sent to young people annually and support is provided to fill these in if needed. This is a small agency with good staffing levels and this helps to ensure that young people receive a close level of one to one support from family support workers when needed. Supervising social workers also see young people regularly. This close contact with the agency helps to ensure that young people have access to adults to talk to. Young people are also provided with the contact details of a range of outside support agencies and this helps to ensure that their views will be heard. Young people use advocacy services to help them with issues that arise from moving on to independence such as finances. This helps to promote their well-being.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Young people are helped to develop a positive self image and are treated as individuals. Placement plans set out the individual needs of young people and who should be involved in meeting these needs. Good arrangements are in place for ensuring that young people are able to exercise choice about issues such as food and clothing and they receive a personal allowance that is appropriate to their age. This all helps young people to develop skills of resilience and to prepare for adulthood. Young people benefit from maintaining positive contact with their families and to understand their heritage. Contact arrangements are well managed and dealt with sensitively in order to promote young people's best interests. Practical help is provided by the agency to support positive contact such as funding, transport and practical and emotional support to carers. Carers understand the contact arrangements and this helps them to make decisions and provide care in line with

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Helping children make a positive contribution

young people's best interests. There is a careful matching process and this promotes placement stability and allows young people's needs to be met. A foster carer said 'I was carefully matched to be able to provide the care and support needed in relation to this placement'. Sensitive arrangements are in place for introducing young people to new foster families and this helps young people to feel secure and valued.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

Young people are able to reach their potential and have the skills needed to achieve a successful transition to adulthood. Placement plans set out the arrangements for helping young people develop life skills such as developing positive relationships and preparation for employment. Direct work is carried out with young people to help them understand the importance of issues such as establishing positive sexual relationships. Young people are encouraged to develop practical skills in budgeting and taking responsibility for personal care and this helps to promote their independence. Pathway plans are put in place for eligible young people, with appropriate input from carers and the agency and these reinforce the preparation for leaving care work being carried out. Clear guidance is provided to carers about encouraging young people to have realistic expectations about leaving care. These issues help to ensure that there is clear structure to young people's learning and

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Achieving economic wellbeing

good monitoring of their progress. The agency has a 'staying put' policy which helps to ensure that young people do not leave care before they are ready. Young people in 'staying put' placements are able to develop life skills at a pace that reflects their needs, whilst maintaining positive and consistent care from carers that they know.

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Organisation

There is a fostering panel, compiled of sufficient numbers of suitably qualified and experienced individuals, that carries out a good quality monitoring role. Robust arrangements are in place for ensuring the quality of assessment of carers and decisions about suitability are made quickly. These measures help to ensure that young people benefit from quality of care and stable placements. Generally, there are good arrangements for the review of carers. However, not all annual reviews occur on time and this practice does not fully promote young people's development. There are good matching arrangements that help to ensure that young people are placed with suitable families who are able to provide stability and meet their needs. Efforts are made to obtain statutory documentation that has not been provided by placing authorities and this helps to ensure that the information is available to allow carers to provide care that is in line with the individual needs of young people.

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Organisation

The promotion of equality and diversity is good. The agency actively recruits carers from all sections of society. There is a positive approach to tackling discrimination by the agency. Carers receive training in equality and diversity and this helps to ensure that young people receive individualised care that meets their needs. There is a Statement of Purpose that sets out clearly what the agency intends to achieve and this helps to ensure that stakeholders have clear expectations about the agency. Young people know their rights and know that they can contact support services outside of the agency and foster home, as they are provided with a guide that provides them with information about this. This guide includes information about how young people can contact Childline and Ofsted with any concerns.

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Organisation

This is a well run, financially viable service. The senior management team have the skills and experience to deliver an effective service and have a strong commitment to ensuring positive outcomes for young people. Quality monitoring systems exist which help to ensure that the service is run in the best interests of young people. Record keeping is of a good standing and there is a clear understanding that this contributes to helping young people develop a clear understanding of their lives. There is a clear structure and clear lines of accountability within the agency. Good administrative systems allow the agency to function effectively. Staff say 'This is a dynamic and creative company', 'They are always looking at ways to improve'. Staff say that they are provided with good support, training and supervision and this helps them to promote young people's welfare. Good arrangements are currently in place for the

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Organisation

selection of staff and carers and this helps to keep young people safe. These arrangements have been improved recently ensuring that the newest staff and panel members have undergone robust checks in line with regulations. Less stringent procedures have been followed in the past, for example, some gaps in employment history have not been recorded and reason's for an employee leaving their last employment have not been obtained and recorded. The failure to obtain this information from current staff does not fully promote the welfare of young people.

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Organisation

Foster carers are provided with good opportunities for training and support which helps them to promote young people's well-being. They report that training in education has helped them to support young people in their education and advocate on their behalf. One carer said that they training that they had been provided with in behaviour management had helped to ensure that the placement did not break down. The personal development of carer's is seen as important in this agency and a regular review of training needs takes place during supervision and at annual reviews. The agency is creative in supporting 'hard to reach' carers to undertake training and development. On-line training is to be provided and there are plans to establish a male carer group. Carers receive a high level of support in order to care for young people well. A foster carer said 'The support has been invaluable'. Carers are supported to understand the needs of young people in order to understand the

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Organisation

nature of support required. Regular supervision occurs in carer's homes and carers report that the agency is always available and approachable. Carers say that they are supported to have the skills required to meet young people's needs and help them progress. There is good communication between the agency, carers and young people's social workers and this helps to ensure that young people benefit from consistency in their care.

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Organisation

Young people have placement plans that provide clarity about the roles of all those involved in their about how the parenting tasks should be shared. Young people are able to contribute their views to these plans and these measures help to ensure that placements provide stability. Statutory reviews occur as required and these help to ensure that young people continue to make progress in their placements.

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions, which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011 and the National Minimum Standards. The Registered Provider(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Reg Statutory Requirement Due date

20 (2011) ensure that full and satisfactory information is available in relation to all employees of the organisation in respect of each of the matters specified in Schedule 1 (Regulation 20 (3)(c) & Schedule 1) 14/06/2011

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Reg Statutory Requirement Due date

28 (2011) ensure that a review takes place not more than a year after approval, and thereafter whenever the fostering service provider consider it necessary, but at intervals of not more than a year. (Regulation 28 (2)) 14/06/2011

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