Worcestershire County Coucil Adoption Service

Worcestershire County Coucil Adoption Service Inspection report for la adoption agency

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SC057349 Unique reference number 17 July 2007 Inspection date Sean White Inspector Key Type of Inspection

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40 Bilford Road Address WORCESTER WR3 8PU 01905752830 Telephone number

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Email

Worcestershire County Council Education Department

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Registered person

Jacqueline Dossett Registered manager Jenny Bashforth Responsible individual 27 October 2007 Date of last inspection .

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Registered person

This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Registered person

You can obtain copies of The Children Act 2004, Every Child Matters and The National Minimum Standards for Children's Services from: The Stationery Office (TSO) PO Box 29, St Cripins, Duke Street, Norwich, NR3 1GN. Tel: 0870 600 5522. Online ordering: www.tso.co.uk/bookshop

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About this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcome for children set out in the Children Act 2004 and relevant National Minimum Standards for the establishment.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is strong Good: this aspect of the provision is sound Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is not good enough Inadequate: 3 of 10 Inspection Report: Worcestershire County Coucil Adoption Service, 17 July 2007

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Brief description of the service

Worcestershire Council's adoption service undertakes all statutory responsibilities associated with current legislation and regulations. It is managed from Wildwood in the County Hall complex and operates from Bridgewater house. It consists of a development team for recruitment and preparation, a county adoption team that does assessments and placement support and a post-adoption team. The duties it undertakes are as follows: the recruitment, preparation assessment and approval of adopters, both domestic and inter-country; the matching, introduction and placement of children with adopters; the support of adoption placements; post-adoption support to those whose lives have been touched by adoption, including birth records counselling and intermediary work; support to birth parents of children placed for adoption, or who have been adopted.

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Summary

This agency has a strong approach to keeping children safe and protecting their welfare; this is achieved by a thorough and rigorous approach to recruiting and approving adoptive families. The adoption service works well in partnership with children's social workers in the matching process to achieve realistic permanent placements. There are effective systems in place to provide on-going support to adoptive families through a dedicated adoption support team. This team, in partnership with the Integrated Service for Looked After Children (ISL), also provides a range of innovative and sophisticated support packages for people who have been affected by adoption. The agency's work with birth parents is not as well organised as other parts of the adoption process. Although every effort is made to engage with them in the planning for adoption, there are issues surrounding consistency in providing adequate support

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Summary

and developing life-story work. The agency is well managed across the board and sufficiently staffed by experienced, qualified and knowledgeable workers. The arrangements in place to organise allocations, workloads and support are of a good standard; workers are clearly committed and demonstrated significant skills in adoption matters. Opportunities for training and development are very good. The administrative arrangements were efficient and premises are secure. The overall quality rating is good. This is an overview of what the inspector found during the inspection.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The agency has made significant strides in recent times. The restructuring of the Council, a new management structure, that has been further augmented this year, have all played a part in developing the service to an overall good standard. The indicators are that there is potential for further improvement. The agency has improved in all areas following the inspection of three years ago, except in relation to the services provided to birth parents, which were reported as requiring improvement at the time and still do.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Worcestershire County Coucil Adoption Service, 17 July 2007 The agency has a thorough and robust approach to meeting the needs of children whose plan is for adoption; it is a child-centred agency that has a focused approach to safeguarding the welfare and future wellbeing of children. The structural model of choice of the agency is through having a Development Team, which undertakes recruitment and preparation and a County Adoption Team (CAT) that undertakes assessments and placement support. It was very clear that the adoption service works well in partnership with children's social workers and that management structures support this. The systems in place to alert the team about children requiring an adoption placement are robust and enable the recruitment of adopters to be undertaken from a fully informed standpoint. The recruitment practices are based on a research

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

and marketing model that is developing a sophisticated approach to targeting the most appropriate people to meet the needs of children. The systems in place to prioritise and 'fast-track' applicants with particular potential enables children with complex circumstances to have greater opportunities for matching at an earlier stage. The approach to preparation and assessment is, in the main, very thorough. There is a rigorous screening system that involves information evenings and exploratory home visits both before and after preparation groups, undertaken by the Development Team - and a thorough approach to assessment carried out by the CAT. The assessment reports (Forms F) are, overall, of a good standard, which enables the panel to be fully informed when considering its recommendations. There were, however, instances whereby more detail and analysis of complex situations would have provided a fuller

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

picture of the applicants' situations and circumstances. There is a very thorough approach to Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) forms, statutory checks and reference gathering. All the adopters who provided information for this inspection were happy with the thoroughness of approach by the agency. Child Permanence Reports (CPRs) are less consistent. There are some good examples, however, and it is understood that the agency is aware of some of the quality issue and lack of consistency and indicated its intentions to improve matters. The agency's approach to foster carers or second time adopters undertaking preparation training is not as clearly defined as with other applicants and does not demonstrate a consistency in all cases. The systems in place for identifying the permanence needs of children are of a good standard and avoid delay in most circumstances. The monitoring systems in respect of children placed for

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

adoption - and in respect of referring children to the adoption service are equally of a high standard. The processes for identifying potential adopters, including the sharing of information, is well established and well-organised and the matching, introductions and placement processes are well managed, thorough and rigorous. The panel is appropriately constituted and independently chaired by a suitably qualified and experienced social worker. There have been no problems with it maintaining a quorum and members are said to be conscientious and full contributors to the proceedings. There are satisfactory procedures in place to govern the activities of the panel but the recruitment of new members is less well managed than it could be in respect of not having a formal competitive recruitment system. The minutes of the panel are thorough and provide clear evidence of why and how recommendations are made. Decision

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

making is timely and robust and adds a further positive dimension to the quality management of adoption business. Overall, the panel business is well administered. The agency is managed and staffed by suitably qualified and experienced people. Recruitment practices are robust with all necessary checks being carried out.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. The agency provides regular support to adoptive placements and works well in partnership with children's social workers to encourage and maintain families' journeys through adoption. The 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Worcestershire County Coucil Adoption Service, 17 July 2007 family social worker continues to provide support for up to three months after the adoption order is made; after this the responsibility passes to the adoption support team, should continued support be necessary or required. There is a very low disruption rate in this authority. A dedicated adoption support team is a reasonably recent addition to the service, as is the Integrated Service for Looked After Children (ISL), which has a wide ranging, integrated, responsibility across education, health and social care services. Together, these provide for a sophisticated and innovative approach to supporting adoptive families and indicators showed that it is having an

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

increasingly positive impact across the board. Adoption support and ISL work closely together and the range of specialisms available enables appropriate input to be sourced and deployed where necessary or required. Access to medical and legal advice was of a good standard and it was repeatedly reported that the quality of the advice provided was of a very high standard. Cases were noted where significant input had been employed to enable adoptive families deal with complex and distressing situations and feedback from these families praised the skills and efforts of agency staff very highly. The approach to adoption support is thorough and entails full assessments of need with appropriate support packages put in place to meet those needs. There is a range of post approval and post adoption training opportunities that have been arranged and made available (on attachment and challenging behaviour, for instance) and an

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

adopters' support group has been influential in promoting these. There are also other events and activities throughout the year that enhance the overall support networks available to adoptive parents and their children.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. The agency demonstrated that it makes efforts to engage birth parents in the adoption planning process for their children and their views, when given, were clearly recorded. The Independent Reviewing Officers (IRO) make sure that the involvement of parents is encouraged throughout the reviewing and planning processes. There is no clear strategy for working with and supporting birth parents. Support for birth parents is provided by the agency, but the arrangements are not very well managed making the delivery of such services somewhat inconsistent. Although the arrangements for birth parent support includes having access to support independent of their child's social worker, they did not have any coherence and it is confusing how the opportunities for independent support are promoted or accessed. Life-story work and the production of later-life letters is a developing aspect of the agency that, although enabled by

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Helping children make a positive contribution

dedicated workers who concentrate on this issue and assist social workers in their responsibilities, is still inconsistent across the board.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The agency has a clearly written Statement of Purpose that outlines the aims and objectives of the service and there is a range of up to date policies and procedures that underpin the strategic and operational practices. The services offered by the agency are well presented in the adopters' information pack, which also includes a DVD. This is a very welcoming pack that adopters said was useful in informing them of what Worcester offered, and what they could expect. The management team, at all levels of the organisation, demonstrated strong leadership, 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Worcestershire County Coucil Adoption Service, 17 July 2007 commitment to the best outcomes for children and a supportive and encouraging outlook. Workers said that they felt the organisation, through its managers, provided them with direction, support and enabled them to develop professionally. Managers are from a range of professional

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Organisation

backgrounds and were appropriately experienced and qualified. The management structure, which is reasonably recent, has been strengthened by the addition of an operational manager. This has clearly had a positive impact in developing practice and strategic direction. It is clear that communication and interaction across the management structure is well defined and enables the different participants in the adoption programme to work as 'seamlessly' as possible. Overall, the agency and its services are well managed, processes were efficient and strategic direction well considered. Operational management, including supervision and staff support, is well coordinated. Allocation and workload management is undertaken with care and sensitivity. The training and development opportunities for workers are very good, which include external and specialist subject courses, and it was clear that staff took advantage of these whenever it

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Organisation

was appropriate or necessary to further their knowledge and skills; there is a high proportion of workers with Post Qualifying Awards. New workers undergo a well coordinated and structured induction programme. There is a conscientious overview of the service taken by the executive, which receives regular reports and management information from the agency to keep it up to date with the service. The administrative arrangements are well managed and there is adequate support for the service from workers who have an efficient and well-organised approach. Case records are generally well maintained and include most of the required material; there was an inconsistent approach, however, to the recording of supervision decisions and there was little evidence of records being routinely audited. The records in respect of agency staff and adoption panel members were well maintained and included all required information. The premises from

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Organisation

where the adoption service operates - which are new to the service - are located on the outskirts of the city. They are not particularly accessible, although there is public transport nearby; parking, for instance, is very limited, which is also an issue for workers. The limitations on space in the premises has led to an arrangement whereby workers do not have their own desk; vacant desks can be used by everyone but it was said that, at times, there are only limited spaces available. This was an area of discontent amongst workers but there was no evidence that it adversely affected the operations of the service. Security of records, including archives was well maintained, and the Council is launching a disaster recovery plan.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions, which must be taken so that the registered person meets the Care Standards Act 2000, The Adoption Agencies Regulations 2005 and the National Minimum Standards. The Registered Provider must comply with the given timescales.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • develop a consistent approach to the production of Child Permanence Reports. NMS 5. • develop a more coherant approach to preparation training for foster carers who wish to adopt and for second time adopters. NMS 4. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Worcestershire County Coucil Adoption Service, 17 July 2007 • develop a formal system for recruiting members to the adoption panel, particularly the independent members. NMS 10. • develop a more coherent approach to working with birth families. NMS 9. • develop a more consistent approach to the preparation of life-story work. NMS 8. • develop a consistent system of recording supervision decisions on adopters' case files. NMS 25. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Worcestershire County Coucil Adoption Service, 17 July 2007

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The intended outcomes for these standards are:

• Ofsted considers the key standard to be inspected.

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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) • adopters 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 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) Ofsted considers 6 and 33 the key standards to be inspected.

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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) Ofsted considers 7, 8, 9 and 34 the key standards to be inspected.

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The intended outcomes for these standards are:

Ofsted considers none of the above to be key standards to be inspected.

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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) 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Worcestershire County Coucil Adoption Service, 17 July 2007

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Annex A

• 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) • 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)

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Annex A

• the adoption agency is financially viable (NMS 30 voluntary adoption agency only) • the adoption agency has robust financial processes (NMS 31) Ofsted considers 1, 3, 16, 21, 25 and 27 the key standards to be inspected. 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Worcestershire County Coucil Adoption Service, 17 July 2007

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