Child Action North West

Child Action Northwest Inspection report for independent fostering agency

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number

Inspection date 23/01/2017 Inspectors Jackie Line and Ceri Evans Type of inspection Full

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number

Setting address The Homestead Whalley Road Wilpshire Blackburn Lancashire BB1 9LL Telephone number 01254 244700 Email nwaddilove@canw.org.uk Registered person Child Action Northwest Registered manager Ms Nicola Waddilove Responsible individual Ms Susan Cotton Date of last inspection 22/06/2015

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Brief description of the service

This independent fostering agency is part of a wider charitable organisation. Its main functions are to recruit, assess, approve, train and support foster carers. The service provides emergency, respite, short-term, long-term, PACE, remand, and parent and child foster placements. At the time of this inspection there were 46 fostering households providing placements to 53 children and young people.

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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

Young people live in secure and stable foster families. Because young people are fully integrated into family life, they develop a sense of belonging. Young people say that they feel happy, safe, loved and supported.

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Overall effectiveness

This fostering service recruits foster carers who successfully meet the diverse and sometimes complex needs of young people. Foster carers understand the individual needs of the young people they care for. They provide nurturing environments in which young people thrive. Because of the good care they receive, young people make progress in different aspects of their development relative to their starting points.

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Overall effectiveness

Foster carers build strong bonds with young people and provide clear boundaries for them. A considered approach to behaviour management means that young people learn to make sense of their feelings and behaviours. This helps them in everyday situations at home, at school and when they are making and maintaining friendships. Foster carers support young people to take age-appropriate risks and enable them to learn from their mistakes. This helps young people to develop resilience and trust.

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Overall effectiveness

Participation is a key strength of this service. Young people enjoy a wealth of opportunities that help them to promote their independence, get involved in their local communities and develop new interests and talents. Importantly, young people have fun and enjoy a sense of achievement.

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Overall effectiveness

The fostering service is responsive and supportive to the needs of foster carers. Foster carers receive training so that their skills and knowledge remain current. Supervising social workers oversee foster carers effectively. This enables foster carers to reflect on the care that they provide to young people. Furthermore, supervising social workers recognise what foster carers do well and provide them with constructive challenge. This helps foster carers to develop and improve their practice. Good support promotes placement stability and improves outcomes for young people.

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Overall effectiveness

Excellent mechanisms for consultation allow foster carers and young people to have a voice and to contribute to the development of the service. The fostering service has an excellent working relationship with placing authorities. Good communication and collaborative working promotes young people’s safety and welfare.

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Overall effectiveness

Dynamic, committed and approachable managers deliver on their clear vision for the service. As a result, foster carers and staff provide high standards of care to young people and support young people to realise their potential. Leaders and managers understand the strengths and needs of the service, and show determination to drive forward improvement. They responded swiftly to some of the shortfalls highlighted during this inspection – sometimes prior to its conclusion – which shows their ability to take prompt action when necessary.

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Overall effectiveness

One requirement has been raised as a result of this inspection. This relates to improvements in the monitoring of foster carer assessments and the quality of risk assessments and matching documents. Implementation of these improvements will ensure that young people are safeguarded more effectively. An additional four recommendations relate to the quality of records, staff appraisals, unannounced visits, and the preparation of young people for independence.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person(s) meet(s) 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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Requirement Due date

11: Independent fostering agencies – duty to secure welfare Ensure that the welfare of children placed or to be placed with foster carers is safeguarded and promoted at all times. (Regulation 11(a))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, in relation to demonstrating robust matching considerations, ensure that the standard of risk assessments is improved and that the quality assurance of foster carer assessments is suitably robust. 06/03/2017

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:

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Recommendations

Ensure that there are comprehensive arrangements for preparing and supporting young people to make the transition to independence, and that these are reflected in young people’s relevant plans. (Fostering Services: National Minimum Standards 12.3) Ensure that each foster carer receives at least one unannounced visit a year. (Fostering Services: National Minimum Standards 21.8) Ensure that the assessment and appraisal of all staff involved in fostering work takes account of the skills that have been identified as necessary for particular roles and is used to identify individuals’ learning and development needs. (Fostering Services: National Minimum Standards 23.5) Ensure that there is a system in place to monitor the quality and adequacy of record- keeping and take action when necessary. (Fostering Services: National Minimum Standards 26.2)

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and young people

Foster carers provide nurturing environments in which young people feel welcomed and valued. Young people enjoy stability and they develop positive and meaningful relationships with their foster carers. As a result, they learn about reciprocity, develop trust and gain a sense of belonging. Young people describe feeling ‘loved’ and ‘supported’, and say that they have help when they need it.

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and young people

Good placement stability and a sense of belonging enable young people to make progress. Most young people thrive because of the care and support they receive. Examples of progress include: improved health and well-being; better communication skills; increased confidence; improved self-esteem; and an ability to manage day-to- day routines more easily. A social worker said: ‘The difference in X is unbelievable, she is doing so well. She’s come a long way and enjoyed a period of stability. X has grown significantly in confidence and has flourished. I believe this is attributed to the positive care she has received.’

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and young people

The agency’s welcome booklets have been improved, which means that each young person now receives consistently good information about their foster family before they move in. When possible, young people also have the opportunity to visit. This provides young people with the opportunity to learn more about where they are moving to. All young people are provided with a welcome pack that contains useful information about what they can expect when staying in foster care. This includes contact details for different support services and information about children’s rights and Ofsted. The fostering service is currently in the process of developing and piloting welcome videos. This shows that the service continually looks for creative ways to support the introduction of young people to their foster families. This helps to reduce young people’s anxieties.

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and young people

Young people have a variety of ways to express their views, wishes and feelings. Supervising social workers ensure that they see young people regularly as part of their visits to foster carers. Support workers also engage well with young people, and participation groups provide young people with opportunities to have their say. Young people routinely contribute to their foster carers’ annual reviews and report on their experiences. Examples of young people’s comments include:

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and young people

 ‘Caring home, wouldn’t change anything, the love I receive makes me happy.’  ‘[My carers] give me lots of support and they are honest with me; it has been good for me here.’  ‘Help is always here, and [my foster family] make me feel safe. I see my family and friends and I like going on holidays and to clubs.’  ‘Everything is awesome and epic.’

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and young people

Foster carers and support workers advocate well for young people to make sure that they receive the best care. For example, a carer made representations so that a young person received the specialist equipment she needed at home and at school. This improved her quality of life. Furthermore, a young person, with the help of his support worker, prepared a personal statement that could be taken into a meeting to communicate his wishes. This input led to changes to his care plan.

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and young people

Supporting and encouraging young people’s participation is an outstanding feature of this fostering service. The level of participation that is available to young people ensures that they feel involved in, and contribute meaningfully to, their day-to-day lives, decisions about their care plans and the development of the agency. This empowers young people and gives them a voice. The following is a list of just some of the events that young people have been or are currently involved in:

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and young people

 interview skills training, and interviewing new staff;  a ‘takeover day’, during which a group of young people met with the board of trustees and posed questions to the board relating to the development of the agency, which resulted in investment for a new young people’s space;  writing, producing and recording a song about the fostering service’s young leaders group;  developing a DVD that will be used in the preparation training of prospective foster carers.

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and young people

Young people enjoy a range of family activities and events as well as holidays at home and abroad. They also access a variety of activities that are facilitated by the agency, including a talent contest, trips to the coast, ice skating, trampolining and laser quest. Young people participate in a range of individual activities that are suited to their specific interests, including dance and drama, football, boxing and youth zone. Some young people have taken part in the National Citizen Service, through which they have engaged in teamwork and community projects. All of these opportunities provide young people with the chance to have fun, try new things, develop confidence and learn new skills.

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and young people

Foster carers and the fostering service celebrate young people’s progress and achievements, such as young people doing well at school, developing dance and drama skills, overcoming fears, and receiving an outstanding progress. This recognition of success promotes young people’s self-esteem and confidence, and encourages them to continue to do well.

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and young people

Foster carers ensure that young people attend health appointments. They promote healthy lifestyles, which includes encouraging young people to eat well and take regular exercise. The fostering service has clear systems in place for requesting and gaining access to specialist resources in order to support young people’s emotional well-being. As a result, young people’s physical and emotional needs are well met.

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and young people

Most young people’s school attendance is excellent and this promotes their learning. Young people make good progress relative to their starting points. For example, one young person now attends college regularly after a considerable period of time away from school. She now has aspirations to be a hairdresser. When young people encounter difficulties, they receive support. For example, two young people who are above compulsory school age are not currently in further education, training or employment. However, they access support to help them to research the different options that are available to them.

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and young people

The fostering service fully endorses the importance of supporting contact. Foster carers maintain good communication with families, and young people respond to these positive working relationships. Young people benefit from regular contact with people who are important to them. When contact is complex or sensitive, foster carers provide young people with appropriate advice and support. This enables them to make informed decisions about their arrangements.

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and young people

Young people develop some skills in line with their age and development. Some young people participate in an independence group (TWIG). In addition, young people’s foster carers support them to learn about travelling independently, budgeting, cooking and doing their own laundry. However, individual pathway plans lack a comprehensive assessment of young people’s needs, together with a clear plan about how these needs will be met. This means that their transition to adulthood is not being fully supported. Furthermore, plans are not clear for the young people who are rapidly approaching adulthood, and this creates uncertainty and anxiety for them. A recommendation is raised to address this shortfall in care planning.

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Quality of service

This service has recruited a range of foster carers who are able to meet the diverse needs of young people. This includes being able to provide care for young people who present challenging behaviour; young people who have complex emotional needs; and young people who have disabilities or specific medical needs.

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Quality of service

Different organisational priorities, including improving the quality of the fostering service following the last inspection, have meant that the recruitment of new foster carers has not been the primary focus. That said, recent investment by the board of trustees means that recruitment is now very much on the agenda again. Recent recruitment campaigns have raised the agency’s profile and staff work inclusively with local communities to recruit more foster carers. Plans are in place to actively recruit carers in order to broaden the agency’s carer base still further.

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Quality of service

Foster carers report high levels of satisfaction in the service and say that they receive extensive support. This helps them to provide young people with continuously high standards of care. One foster carer said: ‘[The agency] is brilliant to work for; that’s why we stay here. Their hearts are in it, and they have been there for us when things have been tough.’ Another carer described the support as ‘superb’, and said that staff are ‘there when needed’. Importantly, foster carers also said that managers, supervising social workers and support staff, provide support that ‘helps us to focus on the child’ and ‘takes the stress out of [fostering] for us’.

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Quality of service

The agency’s good-quality preparation training and its commitment to ongoing professional development mean that foster carers are equipped with the skills, knowledge and understanding to meet the needs of young people in their care. All foster carers who have been approved for a year have completed the training and development standards workbook. Those who are newly approved are in the process of undertaking this qualification. The post-approval training programme consists of mandatory and specialist courses, and is tailored to meet foster carers’ different needs. Parent and child training, remand foster carer training, and a newly delivered de-escalation training course reflect how the training programme meets the individual and collective needs of foster carers.

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Quality of service

Foster carers can articulate how they use training to inform their practice. For example, one carer said about attachment training: ‘In difficult times it will encourage me to go back to the child and remember to put them at the centre, to reflect on their life experiences and how these can affect their behaviour and feelings’. A focus on the secure base approach is promoting carer resilience, and this in turn promotes placement stability.

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Quality of service

The agency is looking at different ways to deliver training through online courses and webinars, so that they can reach out to those carers who find it difficult to attend training in person. Carers talk positively about the different training opportunities. For example, one carer said, ‘[The agency] has listened to what we need.’ Another carer said, ‘They have bent over backwards to find training options for us.’ This demonstrates that the fostering service is responsive to the needs of foster carers.

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Quality of service

The introduction of a new duty system means that staff respond quickly when referrals are made. Furthermore, staff share information with foster carers and request additional information from placing authorities, to help make some considered matching decisions. However, this is not always underpinned by good- quality records. For example, documentation does not clearly outline the reasons for matching young people with foster carers and in one case there was limited evidence that risk factors had been carefully considered and evaluated as part of the matching process. This has not yet impacted on placement stability. In fact, placement disruption rates are low. However, records of the matching process that do not contain sufficient information have the potential to hinder young people’s safety and welfare.

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Quality of service

Foster carers report that they are able to give consent for outings, so that young people can enjoy sleepovers and go on school trips. Young people support this approach and told inspectors that this was rarely problematic. As a result, young people are not disadvantaged by having to wait to get special permission. Arrangements for delegated authority work well and this enables young people to enjoy ordinary childhood experiences along with their peers.

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Quality of service

Well-thought-out respite arrangements provide young people with continuity and a sense of belonging. For example, most young people stay with their foster carers’ extended families or with consistent respite carers. This means that when young people and foster carers need to take a break, they can do this with confidence. This improves placement stability. The agency has a central list of fostering panel members, who bring with them a range of experience and impartiality. New additions to the panel have resulted in greater diversity and a better gender balance. This is a positive step. Panel members complete feedback forms on the quality of foster carer assessments and annual review reports. This allows the fostering agency to develop its practice and make improvements where necessary. When the panel recommends that certain actions are taken, the chair tracks the progress of these recommendations at future panel

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Quality of service

meetings to ensure that they are appropriately followed up. This has had a positive impact on areas of practice such as foster carer training, which has improved since the last inspection

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Safeguarding children and young people

Safeguarding practice is not consistent and requires improvement in order to be good.

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Safeguarding children and young people

This inspection identified that fostering assessments vary in quality and do not always have a strong focus on safeguarding. The inspectors found that some assessments are comprehensive and contain all the required information. However, one foster carer assessment was not sufficiently robust. All relevant checks had not been completed and issues that could have affected safe caring and health and safety had not been fully explored during the assessment process. Although some shortfalls were highlighted by the fostering panel, not all were. Furthermore, the panel continued to recommend the foster carers as suitable and the agency’s decision-maker ratified their approval before the shortfalls were addressed. This raises questions about the quality assurance of the agency’s foster carer assessments.

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Safeguarding children and young people

To date, no young people have been placed with the foster carers. The manager took immediate action by placing the foster carers on hold until all the shortfalls have been addressed. Nevertheless, a lack of robust assessments has the potential to compromise the safety and welfare of young people. This shortfall contributes to the judgement of ‘requires improvement’ in safeguarding.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Skilled foster carers identify and manage risk. They respond well to young people’s occasionally risky behaviour, such as offending and self-harm. They are alert to young people being vulnerable to child sexual exploitation and the dangers of social media.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Records demonstrate that on the rare occasions that young people have either been missing or absent from their foster home, it has been dealt with promptly and in line with agreed protocols. Foster carers work collaboratively with their supervising social workers, support staff and partner agencies to keep young people safe from harm.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Good practice is not always underpinned by robust risk assessments. The quality of risk assessments is variable. For example, not all risk assessments are completed in a timely way; the information in some risk assessments is contained in different documents and therefore is not easy to follow; and control measures are not sufficiently detailed in some risk assessments. This is a recording issue and has not directly impacted on young people’s safety, but it does have the potential to do so. The standard of risk assessments is an area that has been identified as requiring improvement.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people and foster carers regularly see staff from the fostering agency through home visits and supervision. However, not all foster carers receive an unannounced visit every year, which means that safe care is not being fully promoted.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people know how to complain and young people have confidence that any issues they raise will be taken seriously and dealt with promptly. Complaints have been dealt with appropriately and, as a result, young people’s wishes and feelings are taken into account.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff and foster carers receive training on managing allegations, safer caring and responding to disclosures of abuse. As a result, they have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities with regard to keeping young people safe. Clear protocols ensure that allegations of abuse are handled fairly and quickly. Records demonstrate that staff are rigorous in their management of incidents and allegations or disclosures of abuse. This promotes young people’s safety and welfare.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The agency’s open and transparent culture enables young people, staff and foster carers to raise issues with leaders and managers, confident in the knowledge that they will be listened to. They understand how to escalate concerns outside of the service should they need to do so.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people say that they feel safe and secure living in their foster families. They are protected from harm by carers who know them well. Young people have become increasingly safe since living with their foster carers. Foster carers and staff help young people to express themselves through discussions. Every effort is made to encourage young people to think about approaching situations differently. Training in behaviour management focuses on de-escalation, and foster carers use their learning and positive relationships with young people to good effect.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Foster carers strike a good balance between independence and risk management. As a result, they support young people to take appropriate risks as part of their natural development. For example, young people learn to spend time in the community with their friends, use public transport and participate in different activities. This process is carefully managed in order to build up young people’s confidence and trust.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Thorough and robust vetting of staff and fostering panel members ensures that the service adheres to the principles of safer recruitment. As a result, the suitability of people who work for the service and with young people is assured.

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Leadership and management

The fostering service is effectively managed. The registered manager is suitably qualified and experienced and was registered with Ofsted in April 2015. She is supported by the head of service, who has been in post for 18 months. Together with the responsible individual, they make up a strong management team.

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Leadership and management

Foster carers describe leaders and managers as ‘dynamic, visible, and approachable’. Through these qualities, managers make the agency an inclusive organisation that is easy for young people and foster carers to engage with.

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Leadership and management

The service has recently experienced a period of significant change as the result of a restructure within the organisation. The inspectors found that staff and foster carers were positive about the changes. Both groups said that they have observed improvements in communication and consistency. One carer said, ‘[The head of service] has explained why things had to happen and now we understand. Sometimes there are things that we don’t agree with, but she will talk us through it’. Managers have successfully led the service through change, which reflects good leadership.

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Leadership and management

Foster carers, young people and partner agencies have confidence in the service. For example, social workers describe ‘excellent communication with the agency’ and say that it delivers ‘high-quality placements’ to young people. Young people told the inspectors, ‘There is nothing we can think of that we would like to change.’ Managers, staff and foster carers work collaboratively with partner agencies and remain child focused. As a result, young people receive good help and support to keep safe, enjoy positive experiences and make good progress.

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Leadership and management

Leaders and managers ensure that young people are cared for in line with their relevant plans. Managers effectively challenge placing authorities when they are not making decisions in the best interests of young people. For example, managers advocated for a young person who did not want to move on to a particular placement, following introductions. The young person’s views were acknowledged and the move did not take place. In addition, specific respite arrangements were progressed after managers raised concerns about delays in this process. Furthermore, the introduction of ‘child in centre’ meetings has ensured that managers and staff review the support needs of young people and their foster carers when difficulties arise.

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Leadership and management

Staff receive regular supervision and training that enables them to reflect on their practice and develop their skills. Managers carry out annual staff appraisals, but these do not accurately reflect individual learning needs in all cases. This is an area identified for improvement in order to strengthen all aspects of performance management.

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Leadership and management

Ofsted receives timely notifications about serious incidents that occur. This means that the fostering service keeps the regulator well informed.

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Leadership and management

Quality assurance processes vary. For example, owing to improvements in the quality of care review, reports now include the views of young people, foster carers and placing authorities. High levels of consultation ensure that stakeholders contribute to the development of the agency. New audit processes capture gaps in records, and managers set objectives for supervising social workers to complete outstanding tasks. However, the standard of record-keeping varies in quality. For example, unannounced visit records, initial visit reports and risk assessments do not always include relevant information. Furthermore, the lack of robust monitoring of foster carer assessments has the potential to compromise safety and welfare standards.

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Leadership and management

Leaders and managers recognise the need to improve quality assurance and this is part of their development plan. Consequently, they have already invested in new tools to assist with this process. These are to be implemented imminently, which will help to secure improvement, moving forward.

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Leadership and management

Most of the requirements and recommendations raised at the last inspection have been addressed. For example, training programmes and training completion rates have improved significantly; foster carer agreements are reviewed regularly; staff appraisals now incorporate the views of the young people; and young people have prompt access to specialist services in order to promote their emotional well-being. This demonstrates that managers learn from inspection and drive improvements forward.

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About this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to inform 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, 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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