Kasper

Kasper Inspection report for independent fostering agency

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Unique reference number SC036530 Inspection date 18/06/2012 Inspector Mark Blesky Type of inspection Full Provision subtype

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Setting address 107b Island Wall, WHITSTABLE, Kent, CT5 1EL

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Telephone number 01227 275985 Email linredman@kasperfostering.org Registered person Kasper Registered manager Melinda Redman Responsible individual Malcolm Ornsby Date of last inspection 10/09/2008 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 publication are stated.

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Brief description of the service

This is a privately owned fostering service that has been in operation since 1997. The service currently has 39 young people and 40 fostering families. It provides a wide range of fostering opportunities for young people from birth to 18 years.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding : a service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements Good : a service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements Adequate : a service that only meets minimum requirements Inadequate : a service that does not meet minimum requirements

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be good .

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Overall effectiveness

This agency is providing good outcomes for young people in terms of safeguarding. The quality of care and leadership and management are adequate. Young people generally benefit from good support in many areas of their care and improvements for young people are evident in education and health. In some cases, significant and impressive goals have been reached.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people are kept safe and feel safe. They are typically confident and say that they are happy in their placements.

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Overall effectiveness

Leadership is effective in many areas, but has some pockets of weakness. The monitoring, evaluation and improvements regarding practice are generally good, but are not always well evidenced in all documents. This leaves records of monitoring difficult to navigate.

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Overall effectiveness

The fostering panel clearly puts safeguarding high on the agenda. However, decision making and essential analysis of carers is not well evidenced in the minutes or recommendations that are presented to the decision maker. The matching process however, is well organised, managed and implemented, providing young people and carers with the greatest opportunities to succeed. This is also evident from the low number of foster placement breakdowns or disruptions.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people benefit from the services and care offered by this agency. However, there is insufficient planned evaluation and review of the service to promote continued improvement. Requirements have been made in relation to monitoring systems, annual reviews of carers and staffing. Recommendations have been made in key areas related to the panel and quality assurance processes and maintaining security of young people's information. Other recommendations relate to supervision systems and the support and training of carers and staff.

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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 person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2011) ensure that the approval of each foster parent is reviewed in accordance with this regulation and refer the report to the fostering panel (Regulation 28 (1) and (5)) 31/08/2012

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2011) ensure that all matters under Schedule 6 are monitored at appropriate intervals (Regulation 35 (1)) 31/08/2012

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2011) ensure that there is a sufficient number of suitably qualified, competent and experienced persons working for the purposes of the fostering service, having regard to the need to safeguard and promote the health and welfare of children placed with foster parents. (Regulation 19 (b)) 31/08/2012

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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):

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Recommendations

 ensure that foster carers are trained in health and safety issues and have guidelines on their health and safety responsibilities. Also, ensure that avoidable hazards are removed, as is consistent with a family home (NMS 10.3)  ensure that the written report on the person’s suitability to be approved as a foster carer sets out clearly all the information that the fostering panel and decision maker needs in order to make an objective approval decision. The reports should be accurate, up-to-date and include evidence-based information that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third party information (NMS 13.7)  ensure that panels provide a quality assurance feedback to the fostering service provider on the quality of reports being presented to panel (NMS 14.2)  ensure, through the chair, that written minutes of panel meetings are accurate and clearly cover the key issues and views expressed by panel members and

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Recommendations

record the reasons for its recommendation (NMS 14.7)  ensure that upon approval, foster carers are given information, either a handbook or electronic resources, which covers policies, procedures (including allegations and missing from home procedures), guidance, financial information, legal information and insurance details. Ensure that this information is updated regularly (NMS 21.10)  ensure that a written record is kept by the fostering service detailing the time, date and length of each supervision held for each member of staff, including the registered person (NMS 24.5)  ensure that staff, volunteers, panel members and fostering households understand the nature of records maintained and follow the service’s policy for the keeping and retention of files, managing confidential information and access to files, including files removed from the premises. Ensure that there is a system in place to monitor the quality and adequacy of record keeping and take action

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Recommendations

when needed (NMS 26.2)  ensure that information about individual children is kept confidential and only shared with those who have a legitimate and current need to know the information, and to those parts of a child’s record or other information that they need to know. (NMS 26.4)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for children and young people are good .

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people benefit from having open and trusting relationships with their carers where they can express their views and are supported to understand their rights. Young people say that they are able to make their views known and they can influence their care within their foster home.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people say that they feel like part of the foster carer’s family. One young person is regularly consulted regarding recruitment and decisions influencing the agency. However, young people stated that they feel less engaged in influencing the fostering agency, and they were not all aware that there is a child representative within the fostering agency.

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Outcomes for children and young people

All young people have made progress in their respective placements, with good examples of some young people making exceptional progress. Examples include young people that have previously experienced multiple moves and have now settled within this agency. In other examples, young people that have refused school or failed to achieve, now attend school regularly and make good or exceptional progress.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for young people are good and demonstrate sustained improvement. Some young people have made exceptional progress from their starting points. For example, young people have made progress in education and in developing healthy lifestyles. Foster carers and the agency make a clear and concise assessment of each young person, and the placement agreement identifies key areas of support for the carer and young person with achievable goals. When young people move from their placements, moves are planned and supported to ensure that young people have a positive experience.

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Outcomes for children and young people

All young people benefit from well-managed healthcare planning, and young people understand the importance of maintaining good healthcare and choosing healthy lifestyles. To ensure that young people's healthcare is monitored effectively, the agency and the foster carers have formed and maintained effective links with community services and healthcare professionals. This has resulted in medical interventions being sustained and healthy lifestyles being promoted to young people.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Placement agreements, care plans and assessments are highly individualised with clear reference to the importance of the diverse needs. Matters such as young people’s social, emotional, psychological needs and those in relation to their ability, age, ethnicity are included along with other considerations. This enables the agency and the carers to understand the specific needs of the young person and ensure that individual needs are foremost in the decision making and assessment process.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people make good progress both in attending school and in educational attainment. Carers and social workers commented that many young people have reached levels of stability and consistent attendance that was far beyond expectation prior to their placement. In addition, young people benefit from help and support within the foster home. Formal plans are in place to help young people with numeracy and literacy as well as with homework.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people who are approaching independence are encouraged to prepare and develop current skills and learn new skills to assist them in adult life. Young people gain confidence and ability by learning and being well supported in this transition into adulthood.

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Quality of service

The quality of the service is adequate .

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Quality of service

To ensure that young people benefit from stable, appropriate placements, the agency makes effective links with placing authorities and national fostering organisations. Staff development and recruitment is shaped through these links.

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Quality of service

More recently, the service has actively sought to recruit carers from more ethnically diverse groups. This has resulted in a range of carers that are more representative and more local to young people looked after. The preparation and assessment of foster carers is very well focused on the needs of children and young people. This ensures that carers develop an in depth understanding of how important the balance is between fostered child and fostering family needs. Matching is well managed and effective. The matching process establishes the essential information about the young person that should be considered for the match. Consideration is then given to the availability and the skills of the right carer. Any deficit or shortfall in the skills and experience of the carer is carefully assessed to ensure the best match. To ensure that young people are given the best opportunities. Health and education are clear priorities in the matching process and

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Quality of service

significant factors in deciding whether or not a placement is made. Young people benefit from plans that address their needs through comprehensive assessment and liaison with other key professionals in their lives.

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Quality of service

Training and support are then planned to ensure that the carer is prepared and competent to provide and maintain the placement. This agency will not place if a suitable match cannot be established. Carers are aware that the agency goes to great lengths to ensure all available information is considered in making placements. This is reflected by good communication and more frequent support in the early stages of the placement.

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Quality of service

All carers benefit from regular supervision, which is provided with consideration to the carer’s needs and placement expectations. Carers say that their supervision considers both support for the individual carers and also to the whole fostering family. This allows the carer and the agency to understand the impact of the placement upon the family and the young person. This result in increased understanding and carers feeling supported as a family rather than just an individual.

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Quality of service

There is a comprehensive range of training to meet the needs of the carers providing for young people, and carers say that any relevant training request is well received and typically provided promptly. This ensures that young people are looked after and supported by foster carers who are knowledgeable and competent to meet their needs.

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Quality of service

Carers are aware of their responsibilities and the rights of the young people. Young people say that the carers put them first and understand their needs. They say that that they feel valued and that their opinions are important to the carers.

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Quality of service

The fostering panel promotes safe, secure and stable placements through active engagement with the fostering service. However, effective quality assurance systems are not always well evidenced. In the absence of reference to these systems it is not always easy to determine how quality assurance is achieved and maintained consistently. Supervision and evaluation of the panels’ members and functions is not evident, although systems are being devised to provide this function.

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Quality of service

It was noted that one first annual review was significantly delayed in its return to panel. It was also noted that panel decisions and subsequent approvals are regularly made 'conditionally' or 'in principle’. This does not follow good practice principles and introduces inconsistency and a more diluted approach to the decision-making process.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The service is good at keeping children and young people safe and feeling safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people say that they are protected from bullying and kept safe by carers who understand them and care for them. Young people benefit from and keep safe by understanding their rights to be cared for and supported. Young people are confident, and know when and how to complain or make representations to their carers or the agency.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people rarely go missing or run away. They say this is because they can always talk over their problems and worries with their carers. The agency ensures through well managed training and guidance that all carers are able to recognise signs and symptoms of any placement disruptions. Carers will provide immediate support to address such matters and the agency has an out-of-hours and duty helpline which reduces any disruption and minimises episodes of absence.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The agency has developed a procedure to manage and safeguard young people that go missing. However, it was noted carers were unclear of the local Runaway and Missing from Home and Care protocols and procedures.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are protected by carers and social workers who are employed through safe recruitment practices. All necessary reference checks and statutory checks are undertaken and any gaps in employment are explained and verified where appropriate.

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Safeguarding children and young people

All carers protect young people from harm and abuse and understand through training and supervision the steps to take in the event of any suspicion or allegation of harm. All staff undertake regular mandatory and refresher training in this important area and therefore are kept abreast of changes in procedures and legislation. Training is typically well planned and effective, resulting in a motivated and knowledgeable carers. The agency’s training programmes for carers is driven with energy and enthusiasm and as such, high standards of training and development are typically maintained.

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Safeguarding children and young people

To ensure young people are kept safe, risk assessment is undertaken relative to the young person’s assessed needs, and known and emerging behaviours. The agency’s social workers carry out periodic health and safety checks on foster carers homes; however, there is no evidence of training to assist a consistent approach to these checks. Checklists are used in the absence of formal training and these evidenced some minor inconsistency in judgements.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The Registered Manager monitors closely all accidents and illnesses suffered by young people to ensure that action is taken to reduce or minimise further episodes. Unannounced visits to carers are typically being achieved, but there were two carers whose visits awaited completion.

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Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the independent fostering agency are adequate .

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Leadership and management

Young people are supported and protected by procedures and practices that are in most cases well managed and supported. Carers are provided with detailed guidance, training and support to ensure that they are aware of their responsibilities and fulfil the expectations of the agency.

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Leadership and management

The agency employs and retains appropriately experienced and qualified staff and promote their professional development, through training and supervision. In most cases, staff supervision is clear and detailed, addressing practice development effectively. There are also examples where supervision themes and processes are less clearly related to the social workers and carers’ professional development. It was noted that the times and duration of supervision are not being consistently recorded in accordance with the national minimum standards for social work staff.

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Leadership and management

It was noted that one social worker’s registration with the General Social Care Council had lapsed. This was confirmed as an isolated incident that was related to a long period of illness and absence. Immediate action was taken to address this effectively during the inspection process. There was no impact on outcomes for young people.

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Leadership and management

Carers say that the training is typically good and provides them with guidance and learning which improves the care they provide. It was noted that files and records in some cases are not being stored securely within fostering households. Social workers confirmed that current practice does not monitor this storage consistently. This does not represent robust security and confidentiality for young people’s files and personal information.

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Leadership and management

To improve services and outcomes for young people, the agency engages with those involved in young people's health, education and with the placing authority. Carers and professionals are canvassed for their opinions and the views regarding the services and care provided for the young people. These views inform and shape practice and development.

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Leadership and management

There is a system in place for monitoring the matters set out in Schedule 6 and improving the quality of foster care provided by the agency. However, monitoring of the records of employees’ and panel members’ appraisals and training, along with records of fostering panel meetings, are not being effectively monitored.

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Leadership and management

Minutes from some panel meetings do not provide evidence of clear or critical analysis and decision-making practices. No consistent appraisal, active training programmes or supervision were evidenced for panel members. The agency decision maker (ADM) was previously the panel chair. No formal recruitment process had been undertaken and the agency has not managed this change in role effectively. This demonstrates a lack of robustness in recruitment and also means that there is a potential conflict of interest arising from the ADM’s previous knowledge of foster carers.

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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 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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About this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the inspection framework and the evaluation schedule for independent fostering agencies.

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