Bridging Gaps Fostering Agency

Bridging Gaps Fostering Agency Inspection report for independent fostering agency

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Unique reference number SC390755 Inspection date 14/07/2014 Inspector Maire Atherton Type of inspection Full Provision subtype

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Setting address Norwich Union House, 9 Mackenzie Street, SLOUGH, SL1 1XQ

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Telephone number 01753868686 Email Registered person Bridging Gaps Limited Registered manager Lucretia Lewis-King Responsible individual Zaneb Khan Date of last inspection 30/07/2010 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

Bridging Gaps is an independent fostering agency, based in Slough.

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Brief description of the service

The fostering service offers foster placements to children and young people on a planned or emergency basis, for short and long-term duration, for bridging and for respite care. The service also offers placements for sibling groups and for parents and their babies.

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Brief description of the service

At the time of this inspection the agency had 27 approved fostering households and 17 children and young people in placements.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding : An agency demonstrating and exceeding the characteristics of a good judgement where children and young people are making significantly better progress and achieving more than was expected in all areas of their lives. Good : An agency where children and young people, including those with the most complex needs, have their individual needs met and their welfare safeguarded and promoted. They make good progress and receive effective services so they achieve as well as they can in all areas of their lives. Requires improvement : An agency that may be compliant with regulations and observing the national minimum standards but is not yet demonstrating the characteristics of a good judgement. It therefore requires improvement to be good. There may be failures to meet all regulations or national minimum standards but these are not widespread or serious; all children’s and young people’s welfare is

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

safeguarded and promoted. Inadequate : An agency where there are widespread or serious failures which result in children and young people not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Overall effectiveness

This service has been judged inadequate in overall effectiveness, quality of care, safeguarding and leadership and management. Experiences and progress of, and outcomes for, children and young people are judged as requires improvement.

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Overall effectiveness

There have been very significant staff changes since the last inspection. On occasion there have been gaps between the appointment of registered managers and supervising social workers. Foster carers have appreciated the reassuring continuity provided by the Responsible Individual, the resource worker and the administrator. Whilst this addressed short term staff issues it has led to considerable blurring of roles, responsibilities and accountabilities. A lack of informed management monitoring and oversight since the last inspection in 2010 has failed to highlight the many weaknesses and shortfalls identified across fundamental areas of practice in this inspection. For example the functioning of the panel, the quality of assessments, the failure to review foster carers annually and bring their first review to panel. In addition basic records, such as the foster carers' register and the central register

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Overall effectiveness

have not been accurately maintained. The manager, who has very recently been registered, is beginning to develop monitoring systems.

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Overall effectiveness

There are also failures in safeguarding, predominantly in respect of policies and procedures. Several do not contain the most recent information and do not provide foster carers with easily accessible guidance to the actions to take in particular circumstances. Risk assessment processes and applications are insufficiently robust to ensure the welfare of children and young people are fully safeguarded. There is very limited joint working with partner agencies. Not all recruitment checks are completed before staff commence work for the fostering service.

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Overall effectiveness

A strength of the service is the quality of the relationships between children and young people and their foster carers. Children and young people are warmly welcomed into families and say they feel part of the family. This is particularly true for asylum seeking young people, who are also appreciative of the support they get to learn English and the provision of legal advice and support. There are a number of stable placements, with few breakdowns. The fostering service is very keen to hear about children's experiences and organises social events as way of doing this.

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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 assessment process fully meets the requirements of the regulations, in particular the outcome of any request or application to foster with another fostering service and the particulars of their accommodation (Regulation 26 (1A) and (2) as amended) 31/08/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2011) ensure foster carers are provided with such training as appears necessary, in particular that outlined in the statement of purpose (Regulation 17 (1)) 30/09/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2011) ensure that the welfare of children placed is safeguarded and promoted at all times (Regulation 11 (a)) 31/08/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2011) ensure that all panel members are included on the central list (Regulation 23 (1)) 31/08/2014 (2011) ensure that all panels are quorate (Regulation 24 (1)) 31/08/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2011) ensure that an accurate written record is made of panel proceedings (Regulation 24 (2)) 31/08/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2011) ensure foster carers' reviews take place at least annually and that first reviews are brought to panel (Regulation (2)and (5) 31/08/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2011) ensure that a written record is made of any complaint or representation, the action taken in response to it and the outcome of the investigation (Regulation 18 (4)) 31/08/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2011) ensure the policy and procedure to be followed if a child is missing from a foster placement is robust and complies with local Runaway and Missing From Home and Care protocols (Regulation 13 (3)) 30/09/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2011) review the behaviour management policy to ensure consistency with the training provided and that foster carers know that disciplinary measures must be reported (Regulation 13 (1)) 30/09/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2011) review the fostering service's documents on safeguarding and child protection to ensure clarity and full compliance with regulation 12 (Regulation 12) 30/09/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2011) ensure that for all staff working for the fostering service full and satisfactory information is obtained before commencing work (Regulation 20 (3)(c) Schedule 1) 31/08/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2011) ensure the register of foster carers is maintained and kept up to date (Regulation 31 (a)(b)(c) 31/08/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2011) ensure notifications are made as required (Regulation 36(1)) Schedule 7 31/08/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2011) ensure that recording and reporting systems are sufficiently robust so as to enable monitoring of matters outlined in Schedule 6, in particular behaviour management measures (Regulation 35 (1) Schedule 6 (8) 30/09/2014

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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

 evidence the preparation of prospective foster carers which addresses, and gives practical techniques to manage, the issues they are likely to encounter and identifies the competencies and strengths they have or need to develop (NMS 13.3)  ensure the assessment is completed and a written report presented to panel within eight months of the application to be assessed (Children Act 199 Guidance and Regulations Volume 4 para 5.32)  demonstrate how any shortfalls in matching are to be addressed (NMS 11.2)  develop risk assessments so as to evidence how the children's safety and welfare is promoted in all fostering placements (NMS 4.1, 4.5)  evidence the quality of induction and support for new panel members and staff (NMS 23.1)  ensure that child protection procedures are submitted for consideration and comment to the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board (LSCB) and to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) for Child Protection. They are consistent

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Recommendations

with the local policies and procedures agreed by the LSCB relevant to the geographical area where the foster carer lives (NMS 22.4)

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Experiences and progress of, and outcomes for, children and young people

Judgement outcome: requires improvement .

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Experiences and progress of, and outcomes for, children and young people

Children and young people feel warm, comfortable and safe with their foster carers. They are clear that they are part of both the immediate and extended family and that their opinions are sought, listened to and acted upon where possible. One young person said of her foster carer, 'I can talk to her about anything', and added that she is designing the front cover of the new training brochure. Another said that the supervising social worker asks them for their views. Those in long term placements have developed secure attachments to their foster carers and actively seek reassuring hugs and displays of affection. Unaccompanied asylum seeking young people speak with particular appreciation of and fondness for their substitute families.

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Experiences and progress of, and outcomes for, children and young people

Children and young people speak very positively about the wide range of opportunities they have been provided with and enjoy. Examples include joining a local football club, bowling, swimming, ballet lessons, gymnastics and going to the cinema. One child said, 'they take us everywhere.' Children and young people benefit from structured, planned contact which may be supported by foster carers, the fostering service, the placing authority or a combination of these.

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Experiences and progress of, and outcomes for, children and young people

Children and young people are confident that they know how to complain, with most saying they would talk to their foster carers. However the information in the children's and young people's guide lacks clarity about the process and who to contact.

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Experiences and progress of, and outcomes for, children and young people

Children and young people generally behave very well and take responsibility for their own behaviour. There is very little risk taking behaviour among the young people placed. However where young people have gone missing there is very limited evidence of effective partnership working to reduce risk and protect the young people. In two cases young people who went missing did not return to placement.

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Experiences and progress of, and outcomes for, children and young people

Children and young people's healthcare needs are met through routine appointments with universal health services, with follow up where necessary. Therapeutic services are sourced by the fostering service where there is an identified need.

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Experiences and progress of, and outcomes for, children and young people

Children and young people make good progress in their education. One young person said that the initial plan was for her to be in foster care for six months, but because of the real improvement in her education the plan has been reviewed to extend the foster placement; 'My foster carer has really helped to get my education back on track'. A teacher commented in a very recent school report that she had watched a young person 'blossom into a happy and more confident child'. Children and young people are very well supported to achieve their potential through individual tuition paid for by foster carers. Additional help is also provided to promote English for young people for whom it is an additional language. The fostering service acknowledges and rewards achievements and celebrates children's and young people's progress in education.

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Quality of service

A wholesale change in the social work staffing of the agency in the last year has led to deficits in the recruitment, assessment and preparation of foster carers. There is no recruitment strategy in place. There has been one approval in the last 12 months, four resignations and a number of foster carers with whom the agency has not been able to make contact. This means that the agency does not have the resources to meet many of the placement requests of local authorities. Recent meetings with key stakeholders have identified the specific type of placements required. The new Registered Manager plans to use this information to develop a recruitment strategy.

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Quality of service

A strength of the agency is providing unaccompanied asylum seeking young people with well-matched placements and support through complex legal processes arising from their situations. The agency is limited in its ability to successfully offer and maintain placements where challenging behaviour is an issue. Although there is some training for foster carers in this area, there is little evidence of how this impacts on their practice.

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Quality of service

The timeliness, quality and depth of the preparation of prospective foster carers are insufficiently evidenced. Some foster carers say it took place in a day; the assessment reports do not specify the dates of the preparation course or evaluate the applicants' contribution or demonstration of learning.

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Quality of service

Assessments are not sufficiently robust. There have been two assessments in the past 12 months that have gone to panel. One was deferred by panel with a request for more information, in particular the outcome of the application to another fostering service. The other took over a year to complete. It was started by one worker and completed by another; this is not explicit in the report. There are no dates of when the foster carers were visited and by whom. The references obtained contain inconsistent information. Assessments have not explicitly detailed the particulars of the foster carers' accommodation, leading to circumstances in which children of some fostering households share bedrooms with an adult or use communal rooms to sleep in. There have been ten assessments withdrawn by the fostering service and six by prospective applicants. The process of managing initial enquiries is insufficiently robust. The fostering service employs an independent chair

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Quality of service

for foster carers’ annual reviews. A number of foster carers’ reviews take place outside the annual timescale. Not all first reviews are taken back to panel. For some foster carers there has been a significant change of household composition and a review of continued suitability has not taken place. Foster carers report feeling very well supported by the fostering service, despite the social work staff turnover. The role of the resource support worker is highly valued by foster carers. Foster carers know the Responsible Individual (RI) and will make contact directly with anything they wish to discuss. Foster carers say, 'there is always someone available and responsive at any time of day or night'. Foster carers speak positively about the monthly training courses which are followed by support groups, attendance at which is monitored by the agency. The fostering service has invested in an online training

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Quality of service

programme for foster carers. However the training schedule for this year does not cover all the training required by new foster carers as stated in the fostering service statement of purpose. The majority of foster carers hold the training, support and development standards.

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Quality of service

Foster carers readily embrace the children and young people they are looking after as part of their family. Children and young people say they 'feel loved' and that foster carers 'will do anything for you'. Unaccompanied asylum seekers report that the whole fostering service is like a family, a refuge. One spoke for a group when he said, 'I will never forget my time with Bridging Gaps'. Where appropriate and possible foster carers forge positive links with the families of children and young people placed and promote contact effectively. This has led to good information sharing, where foster carers learn how to best meet the cultural and religious needs of children placed with them. Some foster carers do not fully understand or put into practice the professional role of a foster carer. This can lead to shortfalls in informing the fostering service promptly of matters that should be notified, such as accidents

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Quality of service

and family members coming to stay. This means that the registered persons are not able to assure themselves that the welfare of children placed is safeguarded and promoted at all times.

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Quality of service

The main placing authority has generally not been providing the required level of communication and visits with the children and young people placed or with the fostering service. The fostering service has developed placement plans based on the referral information provided. The fostering service has a good relationship with the commissioner who is taking this forward. All bar one looked after children's review has taken place within the required time frame. The fostering service is proactive in ensuring that delegated authority is understood and reflected in practice.

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Quality of service

There are significant shortfalls in respect of the panel. The panel has sat infrequently, with a gap of twelve months between panels. One panel held in April 2014 was not quorate. Not all panel members have been recorded on the central register as required. Those that are have a wide range of skills and experience outside fostering, with a core of long standing members supplemented by several new members. The membership lacks social workers with a minimum of three years relevant post-qualifying experience. Not all panel minutes provide a comprehensive and accurate account of the panel proceedings. The fostering service has recently appointed an experienced independent agency decision maker to make decisions about the panel recommendations, and has already challenged two of the recommendations. There is a process for matching children and young people referred with foster carers available. The success of this has led to some long-term

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Quality of service

stable placements. However the process does not routinely record how any shortfalls in the match are to be addressed.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Children and young people say they feel safe, one said, 'I feel safe as can be'. However the processes and systems in place fail to ensure that children and young people are properly safeguarded.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The fostering service provides frequent group activities that give children and young people the opportunity to express their views. These are listened to and acted upon, for example, resulting in a seminar with a local solicitor to talk about laws in the UK to unaccompanied asylum seeking children. However records relating to some low level concerns expressed by children and young people fail to identify the action taken.

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Safeguarding children and young people

There are some risk assessments in place. These are insufficiently robust as they may identify risks but do not outline the strategies in place to minimise these. Nor are they updated in the light of new information, thus potentially leaving children and young people unsafe. There is limited evidence that placement plans are regularly monitored and evaluated by the fostering service to promote welfare.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Foster carers receive some training in behaviour management. However the policy and procedure available refers to methods that foster carers are not trained in and has its basis in education. This leaves foster carers with conflicting guidance in the use of safe physical intervention practices. Children and young people have a good understanding of individual house rules and know what the consequences are for breaking them, with grounding and early bed the most common. These are considered fair and proportionate by the young people. There is limited evidence of how this information is shared with the fostering service to enable effective monitoring. The same is true of physical intervention by foster carers.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Historically the systems for recording incidents of children and young people going missing have been insufficiently robust so that there is a lack of clarity about the number of such incidents. The Registered Manager (RM) has recently introduced new management monitoring systems, including an electronic database. It is anticipated that this will enable the fostering service to gather data and develop practice in this area. The policy available does not refer to the local Runaway and Missing from Home and Care protocol, neither does it make any reference to child sexual exploitation. The procedure for foster carers to follow is not detailed enough. The fostering service has struggled to engage with the Local Area Designated Officer (LADO), the local police or the local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB). Therefore the fostering service has not been able to establish formal links or develop their practice with partner agencies. This lack of effective communication may delay

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Safeguarding children and young people

effective child protection planning and safeguarding practices.

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Safeguarding children and young people

There is an insufficiently robust focus on child protection evidenced in the recruitment and assessment of foster carers. Foster carers receive safeguarding training after assessment and are supported by supervising social workers to understand how children's experiences of abuse can impact on behaviour. There is a plethora of policies, procedures and other documents that refer to safeguarding and child protection. These do not cross reference or provide easily accessible, comprehensive and up-to-date information, thus failing to ensure that staff and foster carers have access to the right information to enable them to securely safeguard children and young people. Unannounced visits do take place as required.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Some staff take up roles in the organisation before all the required checks are in place. For example some panel members sat before references were obtained, and not all gaps in employment history are explored.

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Leadership and management

Since the service was last inspected in 2010 there have been two complete changes of social work staff. Continuity has been provided by the RI, the resource worker and the administrative officer. The current manager was appointed in November 2013 and was registered by Ofsted in June 2014. During this period both of the experienced supervising social workers left and this change in personnel and skill mix led to some blurring and confusion of roles, responsibilities and accountabilities. This has contributed to significant shortfalls in management oversight, monitoring and maintenance of records. For example the foster carers register is not properly maintained. There is some confusion over registered foster carers and active foster carers, with a significant number of foster carers who have not responded to communication from the agency for some time, but remain registered. The Registered Manager is beginning to address this. Notifications were not made as

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Leadership and management

required during 2013. The very limited monitoring has led to inaccurate data submission to Ofsted. The new manager has seen the very recent introduction of a new electronic data recording system and also established a framework for monitoring. Recording and information sharing by foster carers requires improvement to enable the system to work effectively.

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Leadership and management

There has been a clear focus and emphasis in engagement with children and young people with many activities and social engagements promoted and supported by the fostering service staff. For example there was an art competition run in conjunction with a local school (judged by the then Children's Rights Director) and day trips to theme parks and the beach. All staff get involved and can see the progress children and young people make in their social skills and their growth in confidence. Feedback on achievement in school is provided by school reports. The manager is working on establishing base lines to provide a strong evidence base for tracking and monitoring the progress of children and young people. The statement of purpose is available on the agency website and is a thorough document describing in detail the aims and objectives of the agency. However, weaknesses in practice and procedure mean that the aims and objectives of the

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Leadership and management

service are not being consistently met, for example training of foster carers. The fostering service is yet to adopt the Foster Carers' Charter, an area the manager is working towards.

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Leadership and management

The poor maintenance of records has proved a stumbling block for the manager in reviewing patterns and trends in the recruitment and retention of foster carers by the fostering service. There has not been, nor is there, a recruitment strategy in place, there are a number of inactive fostering households and resignations.

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Leadership and management

There is a mixture of experienced and inexperienced staff within the staff group and panel members. The level of induction and support for new panel members and staff is not well evidenced. The manager and supervising social workers are qualified and registered as social workers. The small staff team is supplemented by a range of contracted professionals. These include two external consultants to provide professional support for the RI and the manager, one of whom also acts as the decision maker. The fostering service also contracts independent assessors, therapists and an independent reviewing officer for foster carers, who also provides training. There is a training schedule for staff in place, some of which is done jointly with foster carers. Appraisals have been undertaken where required both for staff and panel members.

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Leadership and management

The company accounts are up to date and certified by an accountant. These indicate that the fostering service is financially viable.

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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, to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards and to support services to improve.

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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 the inspection of independent fostering agencies.

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