Fostering Solutions

Fostering Solutions Inspection report for independent fostering agency

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Unique reference number SC033219 Inspection date 26/01/2012 Inspector Sharon Lloyd Type of inspection Social Care Inspection

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Setting address Fostering Solutions (Northern) Ltd, 1 Merchants Place, River Street, Bolton, BL2 1BX

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Telephone number Email Registered person Fostering Solutions Limited Registered manager John Joseph Paul Keane Responsible individual David Johnson Date of last inspection 20/08/2009 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 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 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

This independent fostering agency is part of a national provider. It operates from a head office and two subsidiary offices. It currently looks after more than 300 children in a range of placements including short- and long-term, short break, parent and child, and respite placements.

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Summary

The overall quality rating is outstanding.

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Summary

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

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Summary

Children receive an outstanding level of support to be healthy. Their physical and mental health needs are very well met by carers and professionals and they receive whatever treatment they need. Children achieve very well in education compared to their starting points because they are well supported. They have high aspirations for the future. They enjoy a wide range of activities and develop self-confidence and social skills that prepare them very well for future independent living. They contribute to decisions about their own lives and participate in many community activities. Both carers and children make active and valued contributions to the development of the service. Children's achievements are many and are celebrated by the whole organisation. Children, carers and staff feel they are part of the agency and that their views matter.

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Summary

The agency is extremely well organised so that children and carers receive excellent support, guidance and care.

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Summary

Minor shortfalls have been identified and the agency has demonstrated its commitment to addressing these. The agency has an insufficient number of support workers whose role is to promote placement stability by supporting children who present challenging behaviour. Foster carers do not have all the required documentation that carers need from placing authorities.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Two recommendations were made following the last inspection and one has been met. All carers who look after babies know about Sudden Unexplained Death Syndrome. This enables carers to respond quickly and appropriately when there is cause for concern. The agency has included information about when it is necessary to search a child's room in its policy document and this has been made available to carers. However, carers do not routinely consider whether it is necessary to include this in their individual safe caring policies. This means that consideration and respect for children's privacy may not be at the forefront of their minds when there is a need to search a child's room.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children's physical and mental health are very well promoted. Foster carers clearly understand their role in ensuring children attend health appointments as required. They keep appropriate health and medication records and inform the fostering agency of each child's particular health needs and any routine or emergency treatment necessary. For example, they arrange general practitioner, dental and ophthalmic appointments as soon as a child is placed to ensure that children's needs are identified quickly and they receive the treatment they need. Foster carers respond promptly to children's emergency health needs. For example, through close supervision of a sick baby, a foster carer called emergency services immediately when the baby stopped breathing. This saved the child's life. The foster carer spoke very highly of the support, guidance and training provided by the agency.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children learn the importance of exercise and a healthy diet and 88% report that they participate in exercise at least twice a week outside of school hours. Foster carers provide nutritious meals and 96% of children report they have at least five portions of fruit and vegetables daily. Foster carers who look after children with disabilities and complex health needs receive very good guidance and advice and this ensures they support these children very well.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children report they feel completely safe in their foster homes. Carers know and follow excellent safeguarding practices. Effective monitoring and review of incidents ensures that children's safety and well-being is consistently promoted.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children know the complaints process and know who to go to with a concern or problem. They have written information about the agency and about how to make a complaint. The agency works effectively and efficiently in partnership with the local authority safeguarding officer and other professional bodies to ensure children's safety and welfare is very well promoted and any child protection concerns are dealt with. Good 'missing from home' procedures protect children who go missing. The reasons why they go missing are explored on their return and this ensures that children's concerns are addressed and there is a reduction in the number of 'missing from home' incidents.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Robust procedures ensure that allegations against staff and carers are dealt with promptly and referred to the local authority safeguarding officer and to the Independent Reviewing Mechanism where necessary. Carers against whom an allegation has been made are suspended during the investigation where this is in children's best interests. Effective arrangements are in place to provide carers with independent support during an investigation.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Foster carers form trusting, positive relationships with children and receive guidance to improve their parenting skills when they are looking after children who present challenging behaviours. Restraint is not permitted and foster carers know this. Children report they are happy in their placements and 99% of children report they are treated fairly by their carers. When describing life with their foster carers, one young person said, 'They are kind and considerate…I feel I am part of the family.' Additional support is made available to prevent placement disruption. This includes parenting advice from a psychologist and the use of a support worker to work with children displaying challenging behaviour. Despite this, 7.6% of placements end in disruption. The agency is aware that it needs to increase the number of support workers at its disposal to meet the needs of the ever increasing number of children

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enjoy a variety of activities and hobbies, supported by their carers. The agency encourages carers to take children on holiday and provide them with wide ranging positive experiences. This benefits children by helping them to develop self- confidence, extend their interests and raise their aspirations.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Foster carers give children help and encouragement with education and many children receive extra tuition to help them to close the gap between themselves and their peers. Particular emphasis is placed on helping young children to catch-up to their peers and develop reading and writing skills. There are many examples of children achieving above and beyond their predicted grades and teachers' expectations. The agency celebrates and rewards individual achievements and children learn the importance of a good education. Nineteen per cent of school leavers achieved five GCSE or more at grades A-C in 2011 and a further 73% achieved at least one GCSE or another qualification such as an ASDAN award. All young people are in either education, employment or training.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Consultation with children and carers is an important strength of this agency. There are plenty of opportunities for children to express their views. Children routinely contribute to their own and their carers' reviews and their opinions are sought in relation to their satisfaction with the organisation of the agency. For example, children participate in annual surveys, by post or the agency's website. The results are published in a number of child friendly formats and each child receives a suitable copy. Children and carers receive regular newsletters that keep them informed about forthcoming social events and developments in the service. The newsletters contain articles that raise children's awareness of such things as healthy eating, for example through quizzes and competitions. Children's individual achievements are also celebrated. Support groups provide opportunities for looked after children and for children who

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Helping children make a positive contribution

foster to meet with others in a similar situation, develop friendships and share their experiences and views. Children develop emotional resilience and a positive self-view through the excellent youth work that takes place in these groups. The agency responds to children's wishes and comments and makes changes as a result of listening to children. For example, the agency has improved its child-focused documentation in line with children's wishes. It has also introduced the 'worry box': children can write down and 'post' any worries or concerns they have in their own individual 'worry box' and issues are then addressed by their carers and social workers.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The agency was inspected by the Leading Improvements for Looked After Children (LILAC) project in 2011. The inspection focused on the rights of children to participate in decisions and have a voice in their own care. The agency was found to be achieving five of the seven outcomes assessed and small improvements were suggested to meet the remaining two outcomes. These have already been addressed and children in the youth council report how they are planning to become involved in staff and foster carer recruitment. The agency is in the process of recruiting an independent advocate who will also act as complaints officer for children. The care- experienced young people who conducted the LILAC assessment were particularly impressed by the quality of the foster carers, the level of support provided by the agency and the warm welcome they received.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Foster carers and children feel part of the agency, that their views are taken seriously and that they have a say in their own lives. One child reported, 'They give me information and booklets that help me with decisions.' Another child reported at their statutory review that they felt 'unloved' in their foster home. The agency listened and matched him to another family where he is making excellent progress and is very well settled. Almost all other children report they are happy, well looked after and feel part of their foster families. Foster carers make effective contributions to developments within the agency.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children participate in local community groups, out of school clubs and churches. They become involved in voluntary work and are active and contributing members of their foster families, their schools and their local communities. They have access to their files and foster carers take good care of childhood mementoes, photographs and important certificates and documents so that children will have these in later life. Each child has a 'memory box' in which to store individual items that they value.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

Foster carers know the importance of teaching children the value of money. Excellent systems ensure that every child receives pocket money regularly and that foster carers guide children to spend their money wisely and to save. Children experience an excellent standard of living and are encouraged to aspire to such a lifestyle for themselves. They develop independence and learn the skills they need for future life.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

Most children go on to live independently once they reach the age of 18, with ongoing voluntary support from their foster carers. Some young adults remain with their carers in supported living arrangements. When young people do not agree with a local authority's decision for them to leave their foster placement before their education has ended, they are assisted to secure an independent advocate to negotiate with the local authority on their behalf. On occasions, the agency has maintained a young person in a placement beyond the age of 18 even though the local authority has ceased to fund the placement. This demonstrates how committed the agency is to achieving good outcomes for every child in its care.

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Achieving economic wellbeing

Some carers have been specifically trained to provide parent and child placements and to contribute to assessments for court. The responsibilities of the carers are made clear through well-devised contracts with parents and placing authorities. The legal status of the child and the parent is taken into consideration so that the task is clear to all. A number of placements have ended successfully because parents have improved their parenting skills through the support, training and the example given. Equally, some placements have resulted in children being considered for adoption where it has become clear that the parent cannot meet the child's needs. Carers are assisted in their assessments by the excellent assessment prompts, support and guidance they receive.

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Organisation

The agency is very well managed, structured and organised. Excellent monitoring systems ensure senior managers know how well children are being supported; they analyse data to continually improve and develop the service. Robust staff recruitment processes ensure that those employed by the agency are suitable to work with children and carers.

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Organisation

Close liaison with placing authorities enables the agency to recruit foster carers who meet the needs of the children. For example, in one local authority there is a need for short break carers who can provide respite care for children with complex health needs and profound disabilities. These carers are well trained to meet the needs of the individual children with whom they are matched.

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Organisation

Currently, 12% of foster carers are from Black and ethnic minority households and this is insufficient to meet the needs of the children requiring Black and ethnic minority placements. The agency has strategies in place to ensure that children's diverse needs are met in trans-racial placements and a recruitment strategy aimed at increasing the diversity of its carers. This includes visiting local church groups and mosques as well as attending local events aimed at particular cultures, faiths or sexualities. The website is the most successful recruitment tool and clearly welcomes applications from families from diverse backgrounds. The agency ensures carers are well informed so that they can meet the individual needs of the children placed. For example, carers of unaccompanied asylum seeking children know about the children's culture and how this impacts on their routines for personal care. They help the children to cook meals from their countries of origin and

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Organisation

children really appreciate this. Children are enabled to express and develop their sexual orientation in households that are open, accepting and respectful.

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Organisation

Assessment reports are well written, thorough and demonstrate a depth of analysis. An experienced panel with a range of expertise provide very good scrutiny of assessments. Carer reviews are chaired by an independent and experienced person assisted by the operations manager. However, plans are in place to further improve the independence of the reviewing arrangements so that no line managers are involved in the review.

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Organisation

Matching profiles, including recent photographs, are available for every fostering household. The agency is in the process of making them available electronically so that they can easily be forwarded to placing authorities and children prior to placement. They recognise that this is particularly important for children who are moving to new carers in an emergency.

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Organisation

The agency is managed ethically, effectively and efficiently so that it meets the needs of children and carers very well. Staff and customers are equally treated with respect and both staff and foster carers report they are very well supported and supervised. There is a strong ethos within the company of putting the needs of children first. Carers say that senior managers are driven to provide an excellent service to children because they genuinely care about every child placed. A comment from a carer summarises the views of almost all involved with the agency: 'All staff, whilst maintaining professionalism, go above and beyond the call of duty.' The excellent service given to carers enables them to provide an outstanding level of care and support to children and as a result outcomes for children are outstanding.

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Organisation

Not all carers have copies of children's up-to-date care plans and delegated authority for day-to-day decision making. Although the agency continues to seek these from placing authorities, their success is limited. This means that some carers do not have all the information they require to ensure they are meeting all of a child's needs and there are times when children have to wait for decisions to be made about every day matters such as sleep overs with friends.

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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):  consider increasing the level of support to foster carers caring for children who display very challenging behaviour (NMS 3.7)  ensure foster carers receive a copy of each child's up-to-date care plan and delegated authority for day-to-day decisions from placing authorities (Statutory guidance 3.6 and 3.17)  ensure foster carers actively safeguard and promote the welfare of foster children, by in particular when it is necessary to search a child’s room this is clearly recorded in accordance with the safe care policy and agreement is obtained from the placing authority. (NMS 4.2)

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