Setting

X10029.doc Version 1.40 Page 1 FOSTERING SERVICE

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Lead Inspector Mr Kevin Ball Announced Inspection 21st February 2006 09:00 West Sussex LA Fostering Service DS0000041960.V277290.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 2 The Commission for Social Care Inspection aims to:

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• Put the people who use social care first • Improve services and stamp out bad practice • Be an expert voice on social care • Practise what we preach in our own organisation

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Reader Information Document Purpose Inspection Report Author CSCI Audience General Public Further copies from 0870 240 7535 (telephone order line) Copyright This report is copyright Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) and may only be used in its entirety. Extracts may not be used or reproduced without the express permission of CSCI Internet address www.csci.org.uk West Sussex LA Fostering Service DS0000041960.V277290.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 3 This is a report of an inspection to assess whether services are meeting the needs of people who use them. The legal basis for conducting inspections is the Care Standards Act 2000 and the relevant National Minimum Standards for this establishment are those for Fostering Services. They can be found at www.dh.gov.uk or obtained 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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Every Child Matters, outlined the government’s vision for children’s services and formed the basis of the Children Act 2004. It provides a framework for inspection so that children’s services should be judged on their contribution to the outcomes considered essential to wellbeing in childhood and later life. Those outcomes are: • Being healthy • Staying safe • Enjoying and achieving • Making a contribution; and • Achieving economic wellbeing.

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In response, the Commission for Social Care Inspection has re-ordered the national minimum standards for children’s services under the five outcomes, for reporting purposes. A further section has been created under ‘Management’ to cover those issues that will potentially impact on all the outcomes above.

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Copies of Every Child Matters and The Children Act 2004 are available from The Stationery Office as above This report is a public document. Extracts may not be used or reproduced without the prior permission of the Commission for Social Care Inspection. West Sussex LA Fostering Service DS0000041960.V277290.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 4

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Name of service

Address Social & Caring Services County Hall Chichester West Sussex PO19 1QT

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Fax number

Email address ian.forbes@westsussex.gov.uk

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Fax number

Provider Web address www.westsussex.gov.uk

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manager (if applicable)

Type of registration Local Auth Fostering Service

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of places

West Sussex LA Fostering Service DS0000041960.V277290.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 5

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Conditions of registration:

Date of last inspection 4th January 2005

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Brief Description of the Service:

The Fostering Service for West Sussex County Council is created from statute under the Children Act 1989 and as such fulfils its legal responsibilities. The service covers the whole of West Sussex and is split in to three teams covering the various geographical localities. In addition to the Family Placement Teams, there is a dedicated team for children seeking asylum, young people leaving care, and children and young people with disabilities. The Fostering Service aims to achieve good outcomes for children, thereby maximising their life chances and choices. It sets out to achieve this by providing stable, safe and effective alternative care whilst balancing service costs against outcomes for children. The fostering service, along with the children’s services responsibilities of the local authority is undergoing a programme of organisational restructuring and change and this is reflected through the many initiatives that are proposed. Many of these will directly impact upon the

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Brief Description of the Service:

Fostering Service. The service benefits from a diverse workforce with a wealth of experience and skill, as well as an experienced and strong leadership team. It also benefits from collaborative working relationships with educational and health colleagues. The Statement of Purpose details “As of 31 st December 2005 the service had 395 foster families offering approximately 426 places to children. This includes 73 carers approved for specific children (mostly kinship carers) as well as local authority carers offering long term, short term, emergency, respite and day care”. Further documents that inform this report and provide a detailed analysis of many aspects of the National Minimum Standards for Fostering Services and how WSCC perform are; Foster Care Services: Improvement Plan Update January 2006 (Martin, Forbes), Service Plan 2005 –2006, UK National Standard for Foster Care: How West Sussex Matches Up

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Brief Description of the Service:

(2002, Martin), Foster Care Payment and Accreditation Scheme Evaluation (August 2005, Martin), WSCC Performance Assessment Framework Indicators, Every Child Matters – Pilot joint area review of children’s services, West Sussex Children’s Services Authority Area (June 2005). West Sussex LA Fostering Service DS0000041960.V277290.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 6

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SUMMARY

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

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SUMMARY

Two CSCI Inspectors, Kevin Ball and Elaine Southall conducted this inspection, over three full days, along with attendance at other relevant meetings prior to these three days. Foster carer questionnaires were posted to 465 carers with 73 being returned. Questionnaires were also sent to children and young people over five years of age using the fostering service, with 358 being sent and 66 being returned. The inspection focused upon key National Minimum Standards and information was gained through formal interviews with relevant individuals, observation of practice and meetings, examination of files and other documentation, responses from the questionnaires sent, and discussion with those who work for the service.

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What the service does well:

West Sussex County Council Fostering Service has clear policies and procedures in place to guide practice. An experienced and competent management team and a committed group of Family Placement Social Workers inform the work of the Fostering Service. Training opportunities for both staff and foster carers are good, as well as the payment schemes for foster carers. The Fostering Panels are very well managed. Additionally, the service is able to demonstrate a reflective, receptive and pro-active approach to feedback and real progress has been made in respect of many areas where development was needed.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The Fostering Service has made improvements in the area of support and supervision to foster carers, which was specifically highlighted as being deficient in the last two inspections. The service has also developed its’ practice in respect of consultation with children and young people and has good prospects for progressing this area further. Outstanding Annual Reviews for foster carers have been reduced, however some work remains to bring this up to date.

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What they could do better:

The Fostering Service will need to consider strategies for demonstrating how they match children with foster carers, as well as ensuring basic information is exchanged between the child’s Social Worker and the Family Placement Teams. They are also advised to strengthen the relationships with educational and child mental health colleagues in order to ensure a seamless and comprehensive service is available for children that are fostered. The Requirements and Recommendations sections clarify these, and other areas. West Sussex LA Fostering Service DS0000041960.V277290.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 7 Please contact the provider for advice of actions taken in response to this inspection. The report of this inspection is available from enquiries@csci.gsi.gov.uk or by contacting your local CSCI office. West Sussex LA Fostering Service DS0000041960.V277290.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 8

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CONTENTS

Statutory Requirements Identified During the Inspection West Sussex LA Fostering Service DS0000041960.V277290.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 9

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The intended outcome for this Standard is:

• The fostering service promotes the health and development of children.(NMS 12)

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The Commission considers Standard 12 the key standard to be

inspected at least once during a 12 month period.

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NMS - 12

The Fostering Service aims to protect and promote children’s health. This is achieved through care planning and collaborative working with the relevant health professionals. There is scope for greater integration in these collaborative relationships as a means to ensure that children using the fostering service benefit from a comprehensive and seamless package of health support.

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EVIDENCE:

Foster carer’s should be provided with a copy of the Care Plan in respect of any child that is placed with them. This should detail health needs and the foster carer will be expected to play their part in ensuring these needs are met. This includes assisting the child to access appropriate health appointments and advice, advocating for the child and registering the child with the local doctor, dentist or other health professional as needed. This is clearly set out in the Foster Care Handbook. Foster Carers are provided with basic training such as ‘ Promoting Mental Health in Looked After Children’, People with Profound Learning and Multiple Difficulties’ and ‘Understanding Autism’. First Aid training is also provided. West Sussex LA Fostering Service DS0000041960.V277290.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 10 Additionally each looked after child will have an annual health check and any child’s health will be considered as part of the LAC Review. The framework for

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EVIDENCE:

annual health checks is under review, with a move to achieve consistency across the County whereby a Paediatrician will conduct the initial medical, with follow up being completed by either a Specialist Nurse, School Nurse or Health Visitor. In addition to this, a health record for children that are in public care is being created, that will include a health history as well as ongoing health/medical issues. This would ideally follow the child through their care pathway and avoid repeated assessments, information delays and knowledge being lost. This does rely upon information being available and provided in the first place. The Family Placement Teams, foster carers and health professionals interviewed, expressed the lack of information, as a common frustration. The Fostering Service is advised to strengthen collaboration and integration with health professionals in order to improve information exchange and a shared

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EVIDENCE:

value base on the needs of children in foster care. The Statement of Purpose makes clear reference to the collaborative working relationship with CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services). The Fostering Service benefits from two dedicated Clinical Psychology posts to work with children in long-term placements. These two professionals are able to deal with a variety of matters that may arise ranging from attachment issues, placement planning, risk assessment and reporting as well as offering a consultation service to Social Workers and foster carers. Feedback continues to highly value this service. The service is creating a 10-week training programme looking at the concepts around attachment. It will incorporate a reflective learning aspect and will initially be targeted at the more experienced foster carers. This dedicated CAMHS team is set to begin working with children in short term care and will need to expand in order to offer an effective

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EVIDENCE:

service. The 2005 Joint Area Review (JAR) report highlighted mental health provision deficits for children in short term care, with the community teams not being best placed to meet their needs. This is clearly an area of development for the Fostering Service and again, strengthened collaboration and integration would benefit the service provision. Performance indicators provided for the year 2004/05 gave the following result regarding health information: The average of the percentages of children looked after at 30 September 2005 who had been looked after continuously for at least 12 months, who had their teeth checked by a dentist and an annual health assessment during the previous 12 months was 84.18%. This is a very slight increase on the previous year. West Sussex LA Fostering Service DS0000041960.V277290.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 11

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The intended outcomes for these Standards are:

• Any persons carrying on or managing the service are suitable. (NMS 3) • The fostering service provides suitable foster carers.(NMS 6) • The service matches children to carers appropriately.(NMS 8) • The fostering service protects each child or young person from abuse and neglect.(NMS 9) • The people who work in or for the fostering service are suitable to work with children and young people.(NMS 15) • Fostering panels are organised efficiently and effectively.(NMS 30)

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The Commission considers Standards 3, 6, 8, 9, 15 and 30 the key

standards to be inspected at least once during a 12 month period.

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NMS – 6, 8, 9, 15 & 30

The Fostering Service has policies and procedures in place to keep children safe whilst placed with foster carers. These strategies, on the whole, appear to be effective and robust, however the service does need to ensure further strategies are in place to maximise the likelihood of successful placements for children with carers.

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EVIDENCE:

The Fostering Service appears to have a rigorous mechanism in place to safeguard the Local Authority in ensuring that they make available foster carers who can provide safe, healthy and nurturing homes. Through the process of assessment and approval foster carers are screened as to their suitability and capability to care for children. This process includes an inspection of the home premises to be used for fostering and a risk assessment of any hazards. Foster carer’s training covers health and safety issues and the Foster Care Handbook also contains guidance on this issue. This will include the use of transportation of any children placed and any assistance that may be required. Annual reviews and regular visiting ensure that the required standard is maintained, with appropriate action being taken when it is breached. Inspection of files highlighted, that on the whole, regular supervisory visits were taking place to foster carers. Family Placement Social

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EVIDENCE:

Workers (FPSW) and foster carers confirmed this to also be the case. West Sussex LA Fostering Service DS0000041960.V277290.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 12 The previous inspection noted that a Child and Foster Carer Matching Protocol along with a Children’s Services Family Placement Risk Assessment framework had been developed in order to maximise the chance of a successful placement and match being made. Of the small selection of case files examined these do not appear to be being used. In some cases there was very limited, if any evidence of the thought that had been applied to matching a child to a foster carer. However the matching process is also informed through discussion and information sharing amongst Family Placement Social Workers and other relevant professionals. Clearly, in many cases birth parents are unable to be consulted about matching considerations, however those parents who receive a

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EVIDENCE:

service from the Child Disability Service can be consulted. The benefits of open consultation clearly promote the likelihood of a successful placement. Whenever possible introductions and pre-placement planning is promoted in order to maximise a successful placement however emergency situations do not always allow this and a comprehensive matching process may not always be possible. As an indicator of matching success, the percentage of children looked after with three or more placements during the year 2005 – 2006 was 9.74% (September 2005) and the percentage of children who had been looked after continuously for at least four years who had been in their foster placement for at least two years for the same period was 60.96% (September 2005). A new referral framework is expected to be used that will greatly assist the initial process of matching a child and their need to a suitable foster carer. This new system should encourage greater information sharing between

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EVIDENCE:

localities and the FPSW Teams. However the Fostering Service is required to demonstrate greater analysis of the matching process, whenever practicable, as a means of ensuring the best possible outcomes for children placed by them. This recommendation is also made in the context of the local authority currently reviewing its’ policy and practice on the use of longer term foster placements whilst trying to achieve permanence and stability for children. All Social Workers have a responsibility to pass on relevant information to the foster carer regarding a child’s history and behaviour, which may create risk or vulnerability for the child, the foster carer and the success of the placement. These issues will also form part of the risk assessment undertaken at the point of matching. This would include assessing any risk factors if the foster carer has children of their own. As previously stated, given the paucity of

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EVIDENCE:

information on some files regarding matching, this area needs reinforcing. West Sussex LA Fostering Service DS0000041960.V277290.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 13 The West Sussex Child Protection Procedures apply to the Fostering Service and records inspected showed that the policy and procedure is being adhered to. All foster carers receive child protection training at the beginning of their caring responsibilities or within the first two years. Refresher training is always available. Within this training attention is paid to safe caring, managing discipline/behaviour and issues of bullying, all of which have the potential to evolve into or generate child protection issues. The Foster Care Handbook sets out clear guidance about behaviour management issues as well as possible alternative strategies to use for managing difficult behaviours. The Fostering Service is providing training for some foster carers, in a holistic approach to

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EVIDENCE:

dealing with challenging situations that will include physical intervention strategies. The service will need to ensure that the use of such strategies is carefully monitored in order to fully safeguard the child and the foster carer. Management systems are in place to record and monitor trends regarding complaints and child protection issues. These are held by each Team Manager and also monitored by the Service Manager. The Fostering Service benefits from the expertise of the County’s dedicated Child Protection Unit. The Service has a robust and thorough approach to protecting and safeguarding children in care. The Local Authority Fostering Service benefits from a wealth of experience, skill, knowledge and expertise in children’s’ services work. This is shown in the Statement of Purpose. All Social work staff employed in the Fostering Service, as well as going through a detailed recruitment process, are qualified with a

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EVIDENCE:

minimum of two years post qualifying experience. Records and evidence of the recruitment process are held in the Human Resources Department of the Local Authority. A small selection of staff files were inspected, mostly newly appointed staff. All files examined contained satisfactory references, Criminal Records Bureau checks and application forms. Some minor inconsistencies were noted on files examined and these were around inconsistent evidence of qualifications. This will need to be rectified. The Local Authority demonstrates a commitment to maintaining its workforce’s social work qualifications and is keen to ensure that Social Workers attend the Post Qualifying Award Part One of the Post Qualifying Child Care Award, as appropriate in order to remain current and up to date with practice. The Local Authority has a clear and comprehensive policy document regarding Fostering Panels as required by the Fostering Services Regulations 2002. Three

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EVIDENCE:

Fostering Panels across the County have been established in order to manage the demands and workload of the service. An Inspector attended one Fostering Panel as part of this inspection and noted robust and efficient management and operation of the Panel as found during previous inspections. The Panel remained child focused throughout and issues were discussed sensitively and thoroughly. The process was appropriately critical and information was available to members prior to the Panel. The Chair was very aware of the Panels limitations and chaired the meeting professionally and sympathetically. West Sussex LA Fostering Service DS0000041960.V277290.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 14

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The intended outcomes for these Standards are:

• The fostering service values diversity.(NMS 7) • The fostering service promotes educational achievement.(NMS 13) • When foster care is provided as a short-term break for a child, the arrangements recognise that the parents remain the main carers for the child.(NMS 31)

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The Commission considers Standards 7, 13, and 31 the key standards

to be inspected at least once during a 12 month period.

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NMS – 7, 13 & 31

The Fostering Service strives to value diversity and promote equality as well as provide flexible care packages for children and families where short-term breaks are needed. Additionally the service has progressive plans for improving the educational attainment for children in foster care.

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EVIDENCE:

The Local Authority has a Foster Carer Recruitment Strategy Policy (2003) that details its intentions and proposals for recruiting new foster carers. This is based upon internal reviews, county need and patterns of demand. The vast majority of foster carers for the county are from a white European heritage, therefore finding suitable matches for children from other backgrounds can be a challenge for the service, particularly those unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. The Fostering Service attempts to match according to need and in assessing this will take into consideration gender, religion, ethnic origin, language, culture, disability and sexuality. Clearly this is not always possible and the service may approach other agencies who may have more focused and specific resources and foster carers to cater for individual need. An alternative placement will be found if the initial placement is unsatisfactory. Training on

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EVIDENCE:

diversity issues is provided, however the Fostering Service may wish to consider providing further specific opportunities on this subject. West Sussex LA Fostering Service DS0000041960.V277290.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 15 The local authority has a dedicated Asylum team, working with children and young people seeking asylum. This team presently works with 47 (as of 31/12/05) children that are also in foster care. The Fostering Service also benefits from a dedicated Leaving Care team that is split into two teams across the county. Both the Asylum Team and the Leaving Care Team have developed good links with other agencies in order to support and compliment the work undertaken with young people. Examples of this include the Chichester Christian Care project and Aspaleia Project. The Fostering Service currently benefits from a dedicated Looked After Children Education Team. This team is able to take referrals from Social

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EVIDENCE:

Workers and Teachers, and occasionally foster carers, and operates a casework approach, mostly advocating for children to gain an education i.e. gaining school placements, special educational needs support, exclusions and pastoral support issues. The Team also supports the implementation of Personal Education Plans and attends reviews as appropriate. The service is organising and hosting a conference in 2006 for designated teachers designed to empower schools to take responsibility for building the educational attainment of looked after children. This is an excellent opportunity to build effective working relationships between educationalists and Social Service professionals. The Local Authority organises an Annual Awards Ceremony that celebrates the profile of the educational achievements of looked after children in West Sussex. Additional measures include; targeting Refugee and Asylum seeking children that are looked after through Supporting Asylum Seekers in School

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EVIDENCE:

(SASS); a Literacy Development Project Worker promoting and encouraging access to library services for children in care; the majority of foster carers having computers provided for the children placed with them; an All Inclusive Allowance paid to foster carers to help support education; complex case panels for reviewing particularly complex cases where further funding may be required; a review of the PEP system (Personal Education Plan) in order to ensure a more comprehensive and seamless educational service is provided for children in foster care; the use of Educational Psychologists to complement other professionals involvement with children. As indicators of performance in this area the PAF Indicators reveal that; the percentage of children who had been looked after continuously for at least 12 months and were of school age, who missed a total of at least 25 days of schooling for any reason during the period of 2005 – 2006 was 14.57%; the percentage of

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EVIDENCE:

young people looked after in their 17 th year (aged 16) who were engaged in education, training or employment at the age of 19 was 57.9%; the percentage of young people leaving care aged 16 or over with at least one GCSE at grade A-G or GNVQ for the same period was 48% The Fostering Service and the Looked After Education Team demonstrate energy and drive to raise the profile of children’s educational opportunities and promote positive outcomes. The Fostering Service is advised to intensify the existing positive collaboration between the appropriate agencies/professionals as a building block in promoting better outcomes for children in foster care. West Sussex LA Fostering Service DS0000041960.V277290.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 16 The Fostering Service also provides a service for children with disabilities, the Child Disability Team. This service provides short-term breaks, respite and day care for parents. The majority of children placed by this service either maintain

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EVIDENCE:

regular contact with their birth parents or live with them for a significant proportion of time. As such, parents are heavily involved with care planning. This service appears to be developing and steadily merging with the mainstream Fostering Service however discussions with the staff team highlighted that the two services do not necessarily fit neatly as the emphasis of work is slightly different. An example of this is the frequent need for day care where a different legislative framework exists. Work is being undertaken to provide a practical fit for this much needed form of care to be provided in the form of a synthesised assessment process, drawn from both the foster care assessment procedure and the Under 8’s framework. Further work is therefore needed on the development and delivery of this service. West Sussex LA Fostering Service DS0000041960.V277290.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 17

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The intended outcomes for these Standards are:

• The fostering service promotes contact arrangements for the child or young person. (NMS 10) • The fostering service promotes consultation.(NMS 11)

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The Commission considers Standards 10 and 11 the key standards to

be inspected at least once during a 12 month period.

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NMS 10 & 11

The Fostering Service works in collaboration with the locality teams to ensure contact is maintained when and where appropriate. The service values opportunities for consultation with children and their families and empowers children, whenever possible to express their opinions.

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EVIDENCE:

Each child accommodated by the Local Authority Fostering Service should have a Care Plan at the outset of the placement, which is reviewed on a regular basis. This plan will address any contact issues and the child’s Social Worker and the Family Placement Social Worker have a responsibility to remain alert to the changing needs of children once in placement, whether it be voluntarily accommodated or through Court mandate. Many Care Plans will have restrictions upon contact and similarly contact may be given the highest priority. Risk assessments will be carried out accordingly. Foster carers will be reimbursed for any costs involved concerning transportation, or alternative arrangements will be made that do not directly involve the foster carers. Local placements will be made whenever possible in order to maintain links with families, friends and communities. Guidance and information about contact for

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EVIDENCE:

foster carers is given in the Foster Care Handbook. Training opportunities are also provided and form part of the training pathway for foster carers. Examination of files revealed a limited number of Care Plans, highlighting information gaps between the FPSW Team and the locality Social Worker for the child. In order for the Fostering Service to work effectively for the welfare of the child, improved information sharing strategies will need to be devised. This was highlighted during the previous inspection. West Sussex LA Fostering Service DS0000041960.V277290.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 18 Where appropriate, children will be consulted about contact. Children have access to an advocacy service and independent visitor scheme as a further form of support in resolving any contact difficulties. This advocacy service – operated by PAR (Participation, Advocacy and Rights office of The Children’s Society) has recently been bolstered by the employment of a Project

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EVIDENCE:

Participation Worker who is raising the profile of children’s involvement and empowerment. This has included increased networking with relevant professionals, pilot projects with the Police, and a training day for Social Workers and Senior Managers set up by Children’s Rights Officers and Advocates. The PAR Project also publishes the views of young people through the ‘ Rant and Rave’ magazine. The Fostering Service is due to produce a new Children’s Guide for those in foster care as a result of consultation with children who use the service. The Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) team expressed a clear view that the Fostering Service is receptive and engaged in promoting children’s participation and consultation. Further examples of this are when young people who have been in care have been asked to attend Foster Panels to approve new foster carers as well as assist in delivering training courses for foster carers. The full involvement and engagement of all

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EVIDENCE:

of those young people leaving care does however remain an area for the service to build upon. West Sussex LA Fostering Service DS0000041960.V277290.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 19

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The intended outcomes for these Standards are:

• The fostering service prepares young people for adulthood.(NMS 14) • The fostering service pays carers an allowance and agreed expenses as specified.(NMS 29)

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The Commission considers Standards 29 the key standard to be

inspected at least once during a 12 month period.

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NMS 14 & 29

The Fostering Service strives to assist young people to prepare for adult living within the resources and provision they have; this area remains a challenge for the local authority. The service values it’s foster carers and rewards them accordingly dependent upon skill, experience and ability.

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EVIDENCE:

The Local Authority has dedicated Leaving Care Teams whose function is to support young people as they move in to independence and adult life. This team is almost fully staffed and the relationship between this team and the Fostering Service was described as reasonable. Staff in these teams have high numbers of young people to see, as part of their caseload. Many foster carers offer specific placements for young people who are in a position to be moving onto greater independence and these carers benefit from additional training courses such as ‘Independent Living Skills’ and ‘Preparation for Adult Life’. Additionally the Local Authority has an Adolescent Accommodation Service, which can complement the Leaving Care Teams as well as provide a natural progression for the young person in attempting to achieve greater independence. This supported lodgings scheme provides a useful service however would benefit from being strengthened in order to meet demand. The

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EVIDENCE:

JAR report (2005) highlighted some deficiencies across the county for those young people leaving care, namely a lack of affordable and adequate accommodation. West Sussex LA Fostering Service DS0000041960.V277290.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 20 Age appropriate documents are available for young people that detail services, information and advice. As a child approaches the age of leaving care a Pathway Plan should be devised with the young person. The designated Personal Advisor from the Leaving Care Team, in consultation with other relevant professionals and the young person, will complete a Leaving Care Needs Assessment document. Through discussion with the Service Manager the Inspector was informed that the Leaving Care Team places a strong emphasis upon the young person’s participation in formulating Care Plans, however the service essentially relies upon caseworkers to drive the process, as motivation for some young people leaving care can be problematic. This

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EVIDENCE:

means that, in practice, many young people do not have a Pathway Plan as they have failed to engage in the process. The local authority has a payment scheme for foster carers that comprise of two elements: the All Inclusive Allowance, which covers the cost of caring for the child and the ongoing cost of an extra child in the household. This is paid per child according to a schedule relating to the age of the child. The second element is the Household Fee, which is the reward element paid to each foster family dependent upon the level of accreditation reached by the primary carer in the family. Additional costs may be met through application to the Exceptional Payments Panel. This Panel meets on a regular basis and will consider specific requests from Social Workers regarding additional funding. The Panel membership includes someone from the Finance Department, a Fostering Service Manager and a foster carer representative.

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EVIDENCE:

Financial remuneration can be linked to the stage of development a foster carer achieves and this is linked to training undertaken. Some foster carers benefit from a retainer scheme if they have achieved Level 3 or 4 whereby they will continue to receive the Household Fee for a period of time despite having no child in placement. Feedback from foster carers during previous inspections was generally positive concerning the payment scheme and interviews with Committee members of the Fostering Network suggested that on the whole foster carers were happy with the payment scheme in West Sussex. West Sussex LA Fostering Service DS0000041960.V277290.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 21

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The intended outcomes for these Standards are:

• There is a clear statement of the aims and objectives of the fostering service and the fostering service ensures that they meet those aims and objectives.(NMS 1) • The fostering service is managed by those with the appropriate skills and experience. (NMS 2) • The fostering service is monitored and controlled as specified. (NMS 4) • The fostering service is managed effectively and efficiently.(NMS 5) • Staff are organised and managed effectively.(NMS 16) • The fostering service has an adequate number of sufficiently experienced and qualified staff.(NMS 17) • The fostering service is a fair and competent employer.(NMS 18) • There is a good quality training programme. (NMS 19) • All staff are properly accountable and supported.(NMS 20) • The fostering service has a clear strategy for working with and supporting carers.(NMS 21) • Foster carers are provided with supervision and support.(NMS 22) • Foster carers are appropriately trained.(NMS 23)

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The intended outcomes for these Standards are:

• Case records for children are comprehensive.(NMS 24) • The administrative records are maintained as required.(NMS 25) • The premises used as offices by the fostering service are suitable for the purpose.(NMS 26) • The fostering service is financially viable. (NMS 27) • The fostering service has robust financial processes. (NMS 28) • Local Authority fostering services recognise the contribution made by family and friends as carers.(NMS 32)

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The Commission considers Standards 17, 21, and 24 the key standards

to be inspected at least once during a 12 month period.

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NMS – 17, 18, 21, 22 & 25

The Fostering Service benefits from strong and experienced management and a committed staff team. Positive and progressive developments ensure foster carers receive adequate support. Consideration on how to improve information sharing between relevant professionals involved with the child could be strengthened.

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EVIDENCE:

West Sussex LA Fostering Service DS0000041960.V277290.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 22 The workloads of Family Placement Social Workers are closely monitored and may fluctuate dependent upon experience, skill and knowledge as well as hours employed. Through regular supervision this is continually reviewed. WSCC has a Supervision contract with all staff and a sample or records showed that this is being adhered to. WSCC offer very good training opportunities for all workers. Information regarding the assessment process for new foster carers is also held in the Foster Care Handbook. The assessment process covers all of the areas in Standard 17 and the allocated Social Worker is expected to cover all of these areas before presenting the case to the Fostering Panel for approval. Foster carers may now apply via the website. The Panel, along with the FPSW line management system provide scrutiny of the assessment process.

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EVIDENCE:

Previous inspections have included meetings with the Chair of the West Sussex Foster Care Association, who has reported that there had been a significant improvement over the previous two years in the delivery of the service. This continues to be the case with a similarly positive and progressive picture being portrayed. Through the use of Annual Reviews, returns to the Fostering Panel, training, LAC Reviews, regular supervision and training, foster carers have a number of routes to enable them to express their views. Additionally each foster carer is a member of the Fostering Network, providing a comprehensive support package for them. This includes free legal advice and a legal expenses insurance scheme. WSCC operate an Out of Hours service that is available to all foster carers. They are also able to contact the United Foster Care Association/Fostering Network for advice and support if needed. Further

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EVIDENCE:

packages of support for foster carers have been put in place including telephone help lines, holiday activity programmes and support in the event of allegations being made. The feedback about these additional measures was positive. The Foster Carer Agreement sets out details regarding insurance and responsibilities for both the Local Authority and the foster carer. The Local Authority’s Speak out policy is set out in the Representations and Complaints section of the Foster Care Handbook. West Sussex LA Fostering Service DS0000041960.V277290.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 23 The Foster Care Handbook provides comprehensive information to foster carers concerning many items listed in Standard 21. The Local Authority also has a website and intranet service that provides many other useful details. It is intended that all policies and procedures will be made available on the Internet for foster carers to access. Annual Reviews and regular supervision provide

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EVIDENCE:

forums to review progress, achievements and areas for development for foster carers. The previous inspection revealed a significant backlog of Annual Reviews, and progress appears to have been made on rectifying this matter however some remain outstanding. The Fostering Service does therefore need to actively ensure Annual Reviews are carried out. Previous inspections highlighted a good Mentoring Scheme where foster carers are trained to support prospective foster carers before or whilst they are proceeding through the assessment process. The UFCA (United Foster Care Association) meeting did not seem to recognise the mentoring scheme as something that was active or being used at present. The Fostering Service may therefore wish to resurrect this as a further source of support for foster carers. Previous inspections have highlighted deficiencies in respect of support available to foster carers, however this inspection revealed, overall, a greater sense of

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EVIDENCE:

satisfaction and contentment with the level of support in place. Short-term breaks/respite care remains an ongoing challenge to the Fostering Service and the Service/Improvement Plans 2005 – 2006 outline a number of additional areas to be addressed in respect of supporting foster carers. There is, therefore, a distinct sense of progress, direction and achievement. No particular patterns or themes concerning complaints were noted. West Sussex LA Fostering Service DS0000041960.V277290.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 24 A small selection of case files was inspected at each locality office. Three files are used and consist of one for assessment information for the foster carer, a second for ongoing support, communication and day-to-day information and a third for the child in placement. The placing Social Worker holds an additional file, and the primary file for the child, where all of the information about the

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EVIDENCE:

child’s pathway into the care system will be stored. It would be this file that the child/family would see if a request was made and tends not to be the files held by the Fostering Service. The files inspected were noted to be in good physical condition and reasonably well maintained using a modular system. The use of three files appears to make filing more manageable and systematic. However gaps in information held were noted. These deficiencies were in respect of Looked After Children documentation and matching information. In two cases no information or file could be located. For the Fostering Service to work effectively with children and foster carers all information relating to the child’s placement needs to be available to the Family Placement Social Worker. The integration of the documentation between the placing Social Worker and the Fostering Service and foster carers continues to remain a challenge to the

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EVIDENCE:

service. Given that all of the information is held within one organisation the Fostering Service is advised to devise robust strategies for ensuring this information is obtained. Foster carers also advised the Inspector that they frequently did not receive appropriate documentation at the time of placement and often had to wait some time before they did receive it. A rigorous audit followed by a clear strategy and action to deal with the integration of information between localities is needed, along with the quality and adequacy of records held. West Sussex LA Fostering Service DS0000041960.V277290.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 25

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SCORING OF OUTCOMES

This page summarises the assessment of the extent to which the National Minimum Standards for Fostering Services have been met and uses the following scale.

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SCORING OF OUTCOMES

4 Standard Exceeded (Commendable) 3 Standard Met (No Shortfalls) 2 Standard Almost Met (Minor Shortfalls) 1 Standard Not Met (Major Shortfalls) “X” in the standard met box denotes standard not assessed on this occasion “N/A” in the standard met box denotes standard not applicable

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SCORING OF OUTCOMES

BEING HEALTHY ACHIEVING ECONOMIC Standard No Score WELLBEING 12 3 Standard No Score 14 3 STAYING SAFE 29 4 Standard No Score 3 N/A MANAGEMENT 6 3 Standard No Score 8 2 1 X 9 4 2 X 15 3 4 X 30 4 5 X 16 X ENJOYING AND ACHIEVING 17 3 Standard No Score 18 3 7 3 19 X 13 3 20 X 31 3 21 3 22 3 MAKING A POSITIVE 23 X CONTRIBUTION 24 X Standard No Score 25 2 10 3 26 X 11 3 27 X 28 X 32 X West Sussex LA Fostering Service DS0000041960.V277290.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 26 Are there any outstanding requirements from the last inspection? No

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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 Regulations 2002 and the National Minimum Standards. The Registered Provider(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

No. Standard Regulation Requirement Timescale for action 1 FS8 33 & 34 Demonstrate and strengthen an effective matching process for children placed with foster carers. 30/09/06

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STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

2 FS25FS21FS10 22 & 30 Strengthen information sharing and records management between the child’s Social Worker, the Fostering Service and the foster carer regarding all aspects of a child’s placement. 30/09/06

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STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

3 FS25FS24 22 Audit children’s case files in the Fostering Service to ensure the appropriate information is held. 30/09/06

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RECOMMENDATIONS

These recommendations relate to National Minimum Standards and are seen as good practice for the Registered Provider/s to consider carrying out.

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RECOMMENDATIONS

No. Refer to Standard Good Practice Recommendations

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RECOMMENDATIONS

1 FS12 Strengthen the collaboration and integration between health colleagues. This concerns both the medical and mental health services of the respective health authorities West Sussex LA Fostering Service DS0000041960.V277290.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 27 across the county. 2 FS9 Ensure robust systems are in place to monitor the use of physical intervention in foster carers’ homes. 3 FS15 Ensure a consistent approach is adopted in relation to staff recruitment processes and that all information/checks are in place, specifically verification of qualifications. 4 FS7 Consider further training opportunities for foster carers around diversity and meeting the need of children from other ethnic backgrounds. 5 FS21 Review the use of the mentoring scheme for newly approved foster carers. 6 FS21 Ensure all Annual Reviews are achieved at the appropriate time and are up to date. West Sussex LA Fostering Service DS0000041960.V277290.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 28

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Commission for Social Care Inspection

Worthing LO 2nd Floor, Ridgeworth House Liverpool Gardens Worthing West Sussex BN11 1RY

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Commission for Social Care Inspection

National Enquiry Line: 0845 015 0120 Email: enquiries@csci.gsi.gov.uk Web: www.csci.org.uk © This report is copyright Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) and may only be used in its entirety. Extracts may not be used or reproduced without the express permission of CSCI

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