Setting

Tameside MBC Adoption Service DS0000054157.V328840.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 1 ADOPTION SERVICE

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Lead Inspector Rosemary Chapman Announced Inspection 22 nd -25 th January 2007 09:00 Tameside MBC Adoption Service DS0000054157.V328840.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 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 Tameside MBC Adoption Service DS0000054157.V328840.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 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 Adoption. 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. Tameside MBC Adoption Service DS0000054157.V328840.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 4

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Name of service

Address Council Offices Wellington Road Ashton under Lyne Tameside OL6 6DL

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manager (if applicable)

Type of registration Local Auth Adoption Service Tameside MBC Adoption Service DS0000054157.V328840.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 5

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Brief Description of the Service:

Tameside’s adoption team has recently moved to an office base in Union Street, Hyde. The team consists of social workers who recruit, assess and support adopters and social workers who work with and place children for whom adoption is the plan. All these social workers are managed by a team manager and assistant team manager, and despite their differing roles, see themselves clearly as one team providing the adoption service for the Borough. The team consists of 7.5 social workers, 1.5 adoption support social workers and a community support worker. There are currently a small number of vacancies due to recent departures from the service.

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Brief Description of the Service:

a. Places children for whom adoption is the plan, with suitable adoptive families

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Brief Description of the Service:

b. Recruits, prepares, assesses and approves adoptive families

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Brief Description of the Service:

c. Provides and commissions a range of support services to adoptive families, birth families and adoptive children

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Brief Description of the Service:

d. Provides and commissions counselling, information and advice to birth families and adopted adults, including birth records counselling.

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Brief Description of the Service:

The adoption agency does not provide an intermediary service but provides information and advice to those seeking information.

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Brief Description of the Service:

The adoption agency does not assess applicants who wish to adopt from overseas but has commissioned this service from a Voluntary Adoption Agency based in the North West. Tameside MBC Adoption Service DS0000054157.V328840.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 6

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SUMMARY

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

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SUMMARY

This is the second inspection of the adoption service provided by Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council. Questionnaires were received from 8 prospective and approved adopters, 1 placing Authority, 3 birth family members and 2 specialist advisers. An inspection of the fostering service took place at the same time, the details of which will be found in a separate report.

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SUMMARY

Two inspectors spent a total of 9 days in the agency and interviewed:

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SUMMARY

The nominated manager The assistant team manager Administrative staff The elected member with portfolio responsibility for looked after children Children’s social workers in the adoption team Independent Reviewing Officers The Agency Decision Maker Recruitment and assessment social workers in the adoption team A CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health) worker A community support worker

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SUMMARY

Four adoptive families, including one who was receiving adoption support, were selected to be case tracked and this involved reading their files, the files of the children placed with them and a home interview. A birth parent was also interviewed with her independent support worker.

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SUMMARY

In addition, the adoption panel was observed, the chairperson was interviewed and a selection of files, including personnel files, adopters’ and children’s files were read during the course of the inspection. Other supporting documentary evidence, including policies and procedures were read and the premises, including archive storage were inspected.

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SUMMARY

The inspection programme was very well organised and the manager had clearly spent a lot of time in preparation for it. Inspectors would like to thank the managers and staff for their cooperation during the inspection. The openness, friendliness and helpfulness of staff at all levels enabled the inspection to be carried out efficiently and effectively.

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What the service does well:

Tameside’s planning for children is effective and timely. Good work is undertaken with children to explore their wishes and feelings and explain what is happening to them. Tameside MBC Adoption Service DS0000054157.V328840.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 7 There is good collaborative work with other agencies, both from the membership of Adoption 22, which increases placement choices for children and also through the joint preparation training, which improves timescales for adopters. The preparation training is valued by the participants and positive comments have been made about it: “really interesting”, “it completely prepared us for our assessment and helped us make a decision that adopting was right for us” and “very useful”.

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What the service does well:

Information giving about children and introductions are well planned, with a formal review process.

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What the service does well:

The organisation of the adoption panel and agency decision-making is efficient and timely and prevents delay.

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What the service does well:

Tameside has a small adoption support service, which provides effective support to families, both through direct work with them, collaborative work with other agencies and indirect help. There is access to specialist advisers such as the CAMHS service, medical and legal advice.

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What the service does well:

Work with birth families is excellent. The team demonstrate a real understanding of, and commitment to, the importance of involving birth families at all stages, to obtain information for the child as well as offer support. Although there is a good, independent service available to birth parents, Tameside’s own social workers have been seen as very supportive and helpful too. Good life story work is undertaken, there is a robust letterbox system in place and the importance of a child’s understanding about their heritage is not underestimated.

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What the service does well:

The agency is very well managed. The organisation of the team to include children’s social workers and adoption workers is effective and promotes a very child focussed service. Staff have said: “it allows both sides to look at and be aware of each role”. Staff are extremely committed to what they do and feel well supported by the management of the agency in terms of supervision, support and training: “it’s not difficult to get decisions and there is a good quality of supervision”.

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What the service does well:

Record keeping is of a good quality, and the archive storage is very secure yet accessible.

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What the service does well:

Adopters have been very positive about the whole process and one said: “ I would recommend Tameside to anyone” and “it has been completely positive - start to finish”. Staff have been called “brilliant”, “supportive, professional, encouraging and reassuring at all times” and “spot on with everything”. Tameside MBC Adoption Service DS0000054157.V328840.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 8

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Since the last inspection, all the requirements and recommendations have been addressed. The statement of purpose has been completed, written protocols, policies and procedures have been developed and updated in line with the new legislation and standards, written information to adopters has improved and there are now effective systems in place for good communication between the 3 agencies who cooperate in the provision of adopter preparation. Evidence of file monitoring by the managers is now in place, the standard of record keeping has improved and the process for approval of inter country adopters has been established via a voluntary adoption agency.

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What they could do better:

The assessment process could be improved by more consistency of analysis and competencies. Checks of other Local Authorities and other countries should be undertaken if applicants have lived elsewhere. The inclusion of checks on all previous partners and all employers would be of benefit.

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What they could do better:

The agency should review its staffing levels, as there has been a reliance on sessional staff to undertake assessments. The files on sessional staff and panel members need to contain more information to comply with regulations and CRB checks must be current and commissioned by Tameside.

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What they could do better:

Children’s adoption files should be reviewed in terms of content and they must contain notifications to birth parents that the agency decision is that their child is being placed for adoption.

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What they could do better:

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. The summary of this inspection report can be made available in other formats on request. Tameside MBC Adoption Service DS0000054157.V328840.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 9

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CONTENTS

Being Healthy - There are no NMS that map to this outcome

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CONTENTS

Achieving Economic Wellbeing - There are no NMS that map to this outcome

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CONTENTS

Statutory Requirements identified during the inspection Tameside MBC Adoption Service DS0000054157.V328840.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 10

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The intended outcomes for these standards are:

• The agency matches children with adopters (NMS 2) • The agency assesses and prepares adopters (NMS 4) • Adoptors are given information about matching (NMS 5) • The functions of the adoption panel are as specified (NMS 10) • The constitution and membership of adoption panels are as specified (NMS 11) • Adoption panels are timely (NMS 12) • Adoption agency decision is made without delay and appropriately (NMS 13) • The manager is suitable to carry on or manage an adoption agency (NMS 15) • Staff are suitable to work with children (NMS 19) • The agency has a robust complaints procedure (NMS 24 Voluntary Adoption Agency only) • The agency safeguards and promotes the welfare of its service users (NMS 32)

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The Commission considers Standards 2, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 19, 24

and 32 the key standards to be inspected.

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JUDGEMENT – we looked at outcomes for the following standard(s):

This judgement has been made using available evidence including a visit to this service. The agency has systems in place to safeguard the needs of children and promote the making of safe placements.

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EVIDENCE:

Tameside’s planning for children is effective and timely. The IROs are also committed to raising adoption as a possible plan at an early stage in the review process. There were examples of full assessments of children’s needs leading to placements which met cultural, religious and ethnic backgrounds, with their siblings where this is appropriate. Tameside MBC Adoption Service DS0000054157.V328840.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 11 The direct work which is undertaken with children of all ages to ascertain their wishes and feelings is very good and social workers undertaking this demonstrated an awareness of the importance of non verbal communication when children were not able to verbalise their wishes.

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EVIDENCE:

As Tameside is a small Local Authority, their recruitment strategy also takes into account the needs of children in the wider area and their membership of Adoption 22 is significant in enabling them to place their children outside of their own Local Authority but within a reasonable distance. Likewise, they are able to provide suitable placements for children from other Local Authorities.

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EVIDENCE:

There is a thorough, formal preparation, assessment and approval process for prospective adopters. Preparation training is undertaken jointly with a neighbouring authority and voluntary adoption agency, to maximise the number of courses run each year. This seems to work well and there is good communication and joint evaluation between the 3 agencies. Adopters commented positively about their experiences on the course: “the course was superb – they were really straight with you”; “it gave you realistic expectations of what to expect” and “it turns it around – its not about you two, there’s a child here”.

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EVIDENCE:

Health and safety questionnaires are in place, and although the ones seen on the files did not include references to guns and weapons, the manager said these have now been updated and more recent ones include these issues.

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EVIDENCE:

Assessments seen were of a variable quality; some addressed competencies and were analytical, others were less so. All would benefit from addressing issues of diversity more widely than race and culture. Although all prospective adopters had up to date CRB (Criminal Record Bureau) checks and a statutory check of their current local authority, previous local authorities had not been contacted and if applicants had lived or worked abroad, this had not been addressed either. Consideration should also be given to widening checks on employers and previous partners to include an expectation that this will be done, not only if they had care of children or if the job includes working with children or vulnerable people.

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EVIDENCE:

Some questionnaires from adopters referred to delays in the process; others said it had been quick. The manager commented that there had been difficulties but she felt these were now resolved. All adopters were positive about the service they received from Tameside: “I can’t say a bad word about them”.

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EVIDENCE:

Once adopters are approved, they receive another pack of information, which gives details of the matching and introduction process, which is very useful. Adopters said they received as much information as possible about the child who was being matched with them and in some cases, this includes a life appreciation day. They are also able to meet with foster carers, the medical Tameside MBC Adoption Service DS0000054157.V328840.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 12 adviser, schools and anyone else who may have helpful information. Adopters also said that their support workers helped them analyse information and formulate relevant questions to ask. Introductions are well planned and there is a formal written review with a very useful form.

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EVIDENCE:

The adoption panel has comprehensive policies and procedures in place and adopters are invited to attend panel for their approval. Some adopters found this a daunting experience; others commented that they had been made to feel at ease and found the questions appropriate. The panel is properly constituted and the panel adviser is aware that it is important to get a good balance of people. Panel members receive training including joint training with the staff of the agency. Currently, the role of panel adviser is filled by the team manager. Consideration should be given to this appointment as it is a demanding role, and one that cannot easily be added on to what is already a full time job. There is also the issue of independence and quality assurance.

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EVIDENCE:

Panels are held at regular intervals and there were examples of emergency panels being held to prevent delays in recommendations and decision making. Panels are well organised and papers are received in good time. Minutes are generally full and accurate and state the membership of panel. It would be useful if they also stated in what capacity a panel member appears e.g. independent, social worker and so forth.

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EVIDENCE:

The agency decision is made in a timely way and the decision maker has systems in place to ensure she has the panel papers, the minutes and time to give these matters due consideration within the appropriate time limits. Not all the children’s files inspected contained the notifications to birth parents of the agency decision in relation to being placed for adoption, although the decision in relation to matching was there.

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EVIDENCE:

The personnel files of the manager and employed staff contained all the appropriate safeguarding checks, which were up to date. However, the files of sessional staff did not contain CRBs which had been commissioned by Tameside and in one case, the CRB was out of date. The manager confirmed this person would not be used again until a new check has been received. Staff are appropriately qualified, skilled and knowledgeable.

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EVIDENCE:

The agency has a child protection policy and procedure, which is currently being reviewed. This must comply with regulation 10. Currently, the procedure does not make specific reference to children placed for adoption, although other procedural documents clarify this. It would be useful if this were contained within one document however. Tameside MBC Adoption Service DS0000054157.V328840.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 13

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The intended outcomes for these standards are:

• The adoption agency provides support for adoptive parents (NMS 6) • The agency has access to specialist advisers as appropriate (NMS 18 • Services are tailored to meet the needs of people affected by adoption (NMS 33)

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JUDGEMENT – we looked at outcomes for the following standard(s):

This judgement has been made using available evidence including a visit to this service. Tameside is developing its support services to adopters to enable them to care for their children and keep families together.

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EVIDENCE:

Adopters are prepared for looking after their children from the preparation training onwards and adopters commented that the whole process had been realistic and useful. The adopters interviewed demonstrated a clear understanding of the importance of information about the birth family and encouraging a child to understand their past.

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EVIDENCE:

Although the agency has not had a placement disrupt in the last 12 months, one placement did not take place following introductions and a disruption meeting was held, chaired by an independent person, to see what lessons could be learnt from this. This is very good practice.

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EVIDENCE:

A small adoption support service has been developed and there is a commitment from Tameside to support their adopters, even if the children placed with them are from another Authority and currently the responsibility of that Authority. There was clear evidence that a lot of support had been given to a family in this circumstance and the family commented: “Tameside has done more in 12 months than (the other Authority) has done in 3 years”. Tameside MBC Adoption Service DS0000054157.V328840.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 14 There was evidence that the family are given a written assessment which they sign and which details the help available. The family interviewed confirmed it offered what they wanted and was relevant to their needs. Regular reviews of the service provision were undertaken which involved the family.

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EVIDENCE:

Not only do they provide direct support through working with parents and children, they also provide indirect support by working with other agencies such as schools to increase the level of understanding and knowledge of the possible needs of adopted children.

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EVIDENCE:

Other support includes weekly surgeries, monthly support groups, newsletters, social events and access to training.

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EVIDENCE:

The CAMHS service for looked after children also offers support through regular consultation with social workers and families, direct work, training, a weekly surgery and an attachment support group. This service can respond quickly when necessary.

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EVIDENCE:

Specialist advisers, such as the medical, legal and CAMHS workers were said to be accessible and helpful. Tameside MBC Adoption Service DS0000054157.V328840.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 15

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The intended outcomes for these standards are:

• Birth parents and birth families are involved in adoption plans (NMS 7) • Birth parents and birth families are involved in maintaining the child’s heritage (NMS 8) • The Adoption agency supports birth parents and families (NMS 9) • Service users receive good quality services based on their needs (NMS 34)

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JUDGEMENT – we looked at outcomes for the following standard(s):

Quality in this outcome area is excellent.

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JUDGEMENT – we looked at outcomes for the following standard(s):

This judgement has been made using available evidence including a visit to this service. The clear commitment to birth parents facilitates their involvement in planning and information giving in order to promote the child’s heritage and sense of well being in the future.

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EVIDENCE:

There is clear evidence from written and verbal information received from birth parents, discussions with adopters and interviews with staff that the service is committed to providing a good service to birth families. Social workers interviewed demonstrated a commitment to involve birth parents in plans for their children and use creative ways to engage parents who are less willing to be involved, for example through liaison with other services with whom they have ongoing contact. Independent Reviewing Officers (IRO) also confirmed that social workers try hard to engage birth parents.

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EVIDENCE:

The Child Permanence Reports (CPR) inspected gave clear evidence that birth parents views are recorded.

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EVIDENCE:

There is now a service level agreement with a voluntary adoption agency to provide an independent support worker for birth parents and this support has Tameside MBC Adoption Service DS0000054157.V328840.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 16 been appreciated. Birth parents receive information about this service following the adoption panel, it is in the letter from the Agency Decision Maker and the worker from the agency confirmed that the system seems to work well. Tameside pass information through to them quickly and this is full and informative. Social workers also respond to them when asked to do so. However, birth parents have also expressed appreciation for the support received from Tameside’s adoption team and one social worker was said to be “excellent”, “sympathetic and helpful”, “caring and understanding” and a birth mother felt “that everything would work out and be as OK as OK is after losing a child” because of that standard of care, understanding and patience. Another

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EVIDENCE:

birth parent said she was kept informed, was supported all the time and said the service was “brilliant”.

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EVIDENCE:

Social workers also demonstrated a real understanding of the importance of obtaining information from birth families and capturing early, anecdotal information, again using a variety of imaginative and creative ways to do this for the benefit of the child. For example, staff at a housing project wrote about the period when the child was there as a baby and gave personal reminiscences about that time. Adopters also spoke about having memory boxes for their children.

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EVIDENCE:

There is a real understanding of the importance of life story work with children and the IROs said: “there are some very skilled workers in the team”.

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EVIDENCE:

There is a robust letterbox scheme in place, which has a reminder and review system. Staff are available to assist with letter writing if needed and there are also examples of letters which give further assistance.

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EVIDENCE:

There was evidence that service users are aware of their entitlement to ask for an assessment of adoption support needs and that they are involved in this, see the assessment and are engaged in regular reviews of the service offered. Tameside MBC Adoption Service DS0000054157.V328840.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 17

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The intended outcomes for these standards are:

• There is a clear written statement of the aims and objectives of the adoption agency and the adoption agency ensures that it meets those aims and objectives (NMS 1) • The agency provides clear written information for prospective adopters (NMS 3) • The manager has skills to carry on or manage the adoption agency (NMS 14) • The adoption agency is managed effectively and efficiently (NMS 16) • The agency is monitored and controlled as specified (NMS 17) • The staff are organised and managed effectively (NMS 20) • The agency has sufficient staff with the right skills / experience (NMS 21) • The agency is a fair and competent employer (NMS 22) • The agency provides training for staff (NMS 23) • Case records for children and prospective / approved adopters are comprehensive and accurate (NMS 25) • The agency provides access to records as appropriate (NMS 26) • The agency’s administrative records processes are appropriate (NMS 27)

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The intended outcomes for these standards are:

• The agency maintains personnel files for members of staff and members of adoption panels (NMS 28) • The premises used by the adoption agency are suitable for purpose (NMS 29) • The adoption agency is financially viable (NMS 30, Voluntary Adoption Agency only) • The adoption agency has robust financial processes (NMS 31)

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JUDGEMENT – we looked at outcomes for the following standard(s):

1,3, 14,16, 17, 20, 21,22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29

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JUDGEMENT – we looked at outcomes for the following standard(s):

This judgement has been made using available evidence including a visit to this service. The agency is well managed at all levels by managers who are committed and knowledgeable about the adoption service to ensure good outcomes for all service users. Tameside MBC Adoption Service DS0000054157.V328840.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 18

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EVIDENCE:

There is a comprehensive statement of purpose and a suitable children’s guide to adoption, although the agency is continuing to look at ways of making the latter more accessible for younger children and those with differing needs.

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EVIDENCE:

There is good written information available for applicants and prospective adopters and this is available at various stages of the process, geared to what is most relevant at that time. The initial response by the service has been seen as very friendly and welcoming by applicants who described it as “dead helpful”. Applicants have the opportunity to speak to approved adopters during their preparation training. There is good, clear information about children who need families, both locally and further afield.

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EVIDENCE:

The team manager is knowledgeable, experienced and skilled, both in adoption work and management. She is professionally qualified but has not undertaken a management qualification as yet, although she has applied to do so. However, the management of the adoption service is extremely effective and well organised. The post of assistant team manager makes delegation of responsibilities clear and both people were said by staff to be knowledgeable, accessible and supportive.

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EVIDENCE:

The agency has good systems in place for monitoring its work at all levels. The lead Council member for Children’s services demonstrated a knowledge and enthusiasm about the work of the agency and clearly saw it as a service for children. Regular meetings with senior staff and the provision of written reports and information enable her to keep well informed and up to date with any issues. Likewise systems of supervision and monitoring by senior staff ensure there is regular oversight of all aspects of the work.

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EVIDENCE:

The adoption team in Tameside not only consists of social workers who recruit, assess and approve adopters but also the social workers who work with the children for whom adoption is the plan. They work as one team and are managed by the team manager, although supervision is shared between the team manager and the assistant team manager. This is an unusual system and one which has potential for conflict and difficulties. However, the management of the team is such that it works extremely well, for children and adopters. All workers are child focussed, all have clear and up to date information about the children needing families and the families who are available and communication is effective.

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EVIDENCE:

Staff confirmed they received regular supervision of a good quality and commented that: “supervision is considered a priority”. They feel the administrative support and equipment is sufficient for their needs and they Tameside MBC Adoption Service DS0000054157.V328840.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 19 have access to relevant information and advice. They commented that: “a particular strength of the team is that people help one another”.

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EVIDENCE:

Staff are very committed to the maintenance of the service at a good level and have covered work which should have been undertaken by staff who have recently left. The assistant team manager has played a large part in this also and staff felt supported by this and felt they could trust the agency to fill vacancies at the earliest opportunity. However, there has been a reliance on sessional staff to undertake some assessments of adopters, and given the size of the service, this has been quite a large number. As the use of sessional workers for this purpose has inherent difficulties, in that they are not available to support families post approval, consideration should be given to reviewing the staffing complement. Some adopters have commented about delays in the process and staff shortages in the questionnaires received. Birth records counselling has had to be undertaken by a sessional member of staff and there

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EVIDENCE:

is potential for an increasing demand for this and other adoption support services.

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EVIDENCE:

Tameside was seen as a fair and competent employer by staff – “a good Authority”. They reported good training opportunities, both internal and external and feel their developmental needs are recognised and acted upon through the appraisal system. They felt well supported and well prepared by the manager in the implementation of the new legislation.

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EVIDENCE:

Records on adopters and children are well organised and information within them is accessible. There is clear evidence of supervision decisions recorded on case files, recording is legible, signed and dated and files are subject to audits. The children’s adoption files do not comply with the regulations, however, as some items which should be on them were missing, such as copies of court orders, medical histories and notifications to birth parents. The setting up of an adoption file should be reviewed so that they contain all relevant information pertaining to the child’s adoption but not all the case recording and correspondence, so that it is an accessible document for an adult adoptee wanting to access the reasons for their adoption and how they came to be with their adoptive family.

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EVIDENCE:

The agency has appropriate policies and procedures in relation to case recording and access to records. Records are stored in lockable cabinets in secure rooms.

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EVIDENCE:

Personnel files are maintained with appropriate information on them. However the files of sessional staff and panel members do not meet the required standard and need further work, so they comply with schedule 3 and 4 of the Local Authority Regulations 2003.

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EVIDENCE:

The agency has recently moved into new premises in Hyde, which staff felt were much better than their previous accommodation. However, there is a lack of space for interviewing, meetings and for supervision. The venue for the Tameside MBC Adoption Service DS0000054157.V328840.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 20 adoption panel is also under review. It has been moved from the Council offices to another venue, but this is not without difficulties and the manager is exploring other possibilities.

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EVIDENCE:

The archive storage is also on the premises and is very good. The room is secure, the cabinets are fire and waterproof and there are good systems for record retrieval in place. Tameside MBC Adoption Service DS0000054157.V328840.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 21

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SCORING OF OUTCOMES

This page summarises the assessment of the extent to which the National Minimum Standards for Adoption 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 MAKING A POSITIVE Standard No Score CONTRIBUTION No NMS are mapped to this outcome Standard No Score 7 4 8 4 9 3 34 3

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SCORING OF OUTCOMES

STAYING SAFE ACHIEVING ECONOMIC WELLBEING Standard No Score Standard No Score 2 3 No NMS are mapped to this outcome 4 2 5 3 MANAGEMENT 10 3 Standard No Score 11 3 1 3 12 3 3 3 13 2 14 3 15 3 16 3 19 2 17 3 24 N/A 20 4 32 3 21 3 22 3 ENJOYING AND ACHIEVING Standard No Score 25 2 6 3 26 3 18 3 27 3 33 3 28 2 29 3 30 N/A 31 N/A Tameside MBC Adoption Service DS0000054157.V328840.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 22 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, Voluntary Adoption and the Adoption Agencies Regulations 2003 or Local Authority Adoption Service Regulations 2003 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 AD13 AA Regs

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STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

12(1)d The agency must ensure that the child’s adoption file contains evidence of the notification of the decision maker in relation to a child being placed for adoption. 30/04/07

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STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

2 AD19 LA Regs 2003 14 The agency must ensure CRB checks are up to date and commissioned by Tameside. 30/04/07

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STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

3 AD32 LA Regs 2003 10 The agency must ensure that the updated child protection procedures comply with Regulation 10. 30/04/07

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STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

4 AD25 AA Regs 2005 12 The agency must review the contents of a child’s adoption file to ensure it complies with the regulations. 30/04/07

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STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

5 AD28 LA Regs 2003 11 and 15 Records on panel members and sessional staff must contain all the information required in Schedules 3 and 4. 30/04/07 Tameside MBC Adoption Service DS0000054157.V328840.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 23

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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 AD4 The agency should ensure that checks are made of other local authorities and overseas if applicants have lived or worked elsewhere. 2 AD4 The agency should consider undertaking checks on all employers and previous partners. 3 AD11 The agency should reconsider who should undertake the role of panel adviser. 4 AD14 The manager should undertake an appropriate management qualification as soon as possible. 5 AD21 The agency should review its staffing levels to ensure there are sufficient staff to undertake all roles. Tameside MBC Adoption Service DS0000054157.V328840.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 24

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Commission for Social Care Inspection

North West Regional Office 11th Floor West Point 501 Chester Road Old Trafford M16 9HU

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Commission for Social Care Inspection

National Enquiry Line: Telephone: 0845 015 0120 or 0191 233 3323 Textphone: 0845 015 2255 or 0191 233 3588 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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