Setting

X10029.doc Version 1.40 Page 1 FOSTERING SERVICE

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Lead Inspector Sarah Oldham / Maria McGranaghan Announced Inspection 16th January 2006 10:00 Manchester Fostering Service DS0000045099.V264869.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 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 Manchester Fostering Service DS0000045099.V264869.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 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. Manchester Fostering Service DS0000045099.V264869.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 Page 4

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Name of service

Address Manchester Social Services 102 Manchester Road Chorlton Manchester M21 1PQ

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Fax number

Email address ciaran.rafferty@notes.manchester.gov.uk

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(if applicable)

Manchester Children, Families and Social Care

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manager (if applicable)

Type of registration Local Auth Fostering Service

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of places

Manchester Fostering Service DS0000045099.V264869.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 Page 5

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Conditions of registration:

Date of last inspection 29th November 2004

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Brief Description of the Service:

Manchester Children and Families and Social Care provides the fostering and adoption service for the City of Manchester. The fostering service offers emergency out of hour placements, short-term, long-term/permanent placements for children and young people who are ‘Looked After’ by the local authority. There is also a Disabled Children’s Family Placement Team that provides short-term placements for families where there is a child with a disability . The service also provides for family and friend carers. An additional service of Support Workers is available and these workers support foster carers and children and young people placed.

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Brief Description of the Service:

The Fostering and Adoption service is situated in the Chorlton area of Manchester in a single office site and is accessible to people with disabilities. The service is in an area that is easily accessible to the main public transport route.

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Brief Description of the Service:

Manchester Fostering Service is responsible for the recruitment, assessment, approval and support of foster carers. Although, family and friend carers are assessed initially by social workers based in the area teams, the Form F assessments are completed by the family placement workers

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Brief Description of the Service:

The fostering service is divided into four teams. The teams are Recruitment and Assessment, Duty and Support, Long Term Fostering and the Disabled Children’s Family Placement Team. Each team has its own designated team manager with responsibility for the management of the team. Each of these teams consists of Family Placement Workers. Manchester Fostering Service DS0000045099.V264869.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 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 was the annual announced inspection of the fostering service and started on the 16 January 2006 and lasted for five days at the fostering service offices with a further two days visiting foster carers. The fostering service had prepared for the inspection with all the required pre- inspection material being forwarded to the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) as requested. The service provided facilities and engaged in the process as willing participants. The programme was appropriately arranged, coordinated and manageable.

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SUMMARY

The inspection included interviews with the Acting Manager, the Panel Chair, the Team Managers, Family Placement Workers, Support Workers and Administration staff. A range of files, policies and documents were viewed. An examination of staff personnel files was also undertaken.

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SUMMARY

Visits were made to the homes of four foster carers and some foster children spent time with the inspectors. In addition to this, the inspectors attended a foster carer support group.

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SUMMARY

The acting manager had completed a self-assessment and a pre-inspection form, which provided additional material.

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SUMMARY

Letters and questionnaires were sent out to carers (44) and young people (21) who were living with foster carers although only a small number of these were returned. Their views are incorporated into the text of this report.

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What the service does well:

The service positively promotes the recruitment of foster carers. In the past twelve months 88 carers have been approved. This also included a number of family and friend carers as well as respite, short term and long-term carers.

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What the service does well:

The foster carers met during the inspection appeared to be providing a good service and all the children that were spoken to said that they were happy living at their foster homes.

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What the service does well:

The Foster Carers spoken to were kept informed about the process of becoming a foster carer. Those spoken to commented that they had received a good level of support from the service. This enabled them to provide the appropriate support to the young person in accordance with their assessed needs and also with the child’s ongoing physical, social, psychological and development needs. Manchester Fostering Service DS0000045099.V264869.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 Page 7 The service had developed its training plan and foster carers spoken to felt that they had received support with their training needs. The training plan had been distributed to all foster carers and included details of the courses, dates of when the courses were being heldPand who to contact with regards obtaining a place on the course. One carer spoken to said that the level of training that she had received had been suitable and that further training was

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What the service does well:

The Disabled Children’s Team enlisted the help of approved foster carers to promote the needs and equal opportunities of children with disabilities at the preparation training.

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What the service does well:

The service had good systems in place for recruiting new staff.

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What the service does well:

Staff spoken to felt that there was clear lines of accountability within the service and were clear about their roles and responsibilities.

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What the service does well:

The Fostering Panel had further developed its function and a panel meeting was now held weekly.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Since the last inspection an acting manager had been appointed who was responsible for the Fostering and Adoption Service. The acting manager although not having a background in fostering and adoption was aware of the aims and objectives of the service. Following the previous inspection there was evidence that work had continued to address the shortfalls identified and to move the service forward. However, there remains some outstanding matters, which the acting manager was addressing.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

In particular the general filing of records. Carers and children’s files showed signs of improvement and there was evidence that files are being monitored. All files had a front sheet that detailed what information was stored and in which section of the file.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The number of Panel meetings had increased and a Review and Complaints Panel was held on alternative weeks.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Form F assessments have improved and contained greater details. This was assisted by ongoing training offered to the staff team.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The CSCI had, prior to this inspection received a complaint about the service. Following on from the investigation it was identified that the service needed to review the procedures on investigating complaints. The service had taken action to address the concerns and shortfalls and had changed the practice of and the family placement workers undertaking complaints investigations of the Manchester Fostering Service DS0000045099.V264869.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 Page 8 carers that they supervise. This removed the potential for conflict and ensured that complaints are investigated objectively.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The foster carer’s review has been improved and is now chaired by a reviewing officer. The review is formally recorded and looks into all aspects of the placement and the needs of the child/young person.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Foster carer training had been given a high priority, in particular, the training for carers with babies/young children. This includes training on sudden unexpected death. Although this training is currently focused on carers approved for babies and younger children it is envisaged that once all these carers have participated in the training the course will be made available to other foster carers.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The authority had expanded the number of support workers who provided support to the foster carers and the children placed with them. Foster carers spoken to felt that the support workers were a valuable resource.

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What they could do better:

The fostering service was having difficulty recruiting and retaining staff. A number of agency workers were covering vacant posts. This resulted in a number of changes being made and a lack of consistency for foster carers. Some foster carers spoken to said that it was “hard to contact their social worker as they never seem to be available and messages do not always get passed on”. One carer stated that they felt that they had “just been left to deal with things”.

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What they could do better:

The base for the service did not provide adequate space for the staff and although the acting manager acknowledged the need to recruit more staff there was nowhere to physically put them. In addition to this, the offices were subjected to power failures with staff being unable to access computer systems that contained important information regarding the children and young people placed when the power failed.

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What they could do better:

Staff training was discussed in supervision although staff said it was left to them to identify appropriate courses that they wished to attend. However, no evidence of mandatory training was available. The authority had devised a training schedule for 2006 – 2007 and the acting manager said that there would be training available for all staff, but a training matrix detailing the training that staff had undertaken during 2005 – 2006 was not available

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What they could do better:

Since the last inspection, the matching process had improved, however there was still some evidence that matching was not always thoroughly explored. Staff indicated that the process needed to be more in depth to ensure that the children/young people are appropriately placed. Foster carers spoken to felt that on occasions adequate amount of information about a young person was not always available prior to the placement. When an emergency placement Manchester Fostering Service DS0000045099.V264869.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 Page 9 was made it was not always possible to ensure that the relevant paperwork and information was forwarded and foster carers commented that written information did not always arrive promptly.

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What they could do better:

Although the chairing of reviews was undertaken by a reviewing officer family placement workers were still currently chairing the reviews for short break carers. This needed to be addressed to avoid potential conflict and to ensure objectivity and transparency in the process.

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What they could do better:

The service did not have a clear policy/procedure in place regarding when a young person reaches the age of 18 that is available to assist the young person. For those in education the process was clear with regard ongoing financial support. However, for those reaching 18 who were not in education or unable to live independently the policy on financial support to carers was unclear. Foster carers commented that further discussions with the service regarding this issue was needed. They were concerned that if a young person did not have the appropriate support then the young person “would fail”. The acting manager was aware of the foster carers’ views and said that cases were considered on an individual basis. However, he planned to attend a carers’ support group to discuss their concerns further.

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What they could do better:

The acting manager for the fostering service was only in a temporary “acting” position. The authority needs to recruit a permanent member of staff for this position.

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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. Manchester Fostering Service DS0000045099.V264869.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 Page 10

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CONTENTS

Statutory Requirements Identified During the Inspection Manchester Fostering Service DS0000045099.V264869.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 Page 11

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The intended outcomes these Standards are:

• 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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JUDGEMENT – The intended outcomes for these Standards are

The health and development of the children/young people placed with foster carers is in the main promoted and supported.

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EVIDENCE:

The health care needs of the children/young people were known and had been given to the carers although not all carers spoken to had a copy of the health care plans.

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EVIDENCE:

Carers who were approved to care for babies had undertaken specific training with regards to sudden unexplained death syndrome. This training was on a rolling programme of every three months. The training officer said that it would be open to all foster carers once the core foster carers had undertaken the training. In addition, specific training for health and educational needs was made available and information was also available to the carers in the form of this topic in the Foster Carers Training Handbook. One session of this training had already taken place and another session was planned. Induction training also covered basic health care needs.

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EVIDENCE:

The Looked After Children (LAC) link nurse said that health care was discussed as part of the preparation training and one of the LAC nurses attended this. Health care issues were discussed with the carers during their supervision and was noted to be on the review format. One carer said “ the health needs were discussed with the family lplacement worker whenever they visited and I’m able to ask for any advice I need”.

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EVIDENCE:

One young person spoken to said that “when I was sick and had to stay off school my foster carer looked after me and made sure that I got better”.

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EVIDENCE:

Not all foster carers spoken to had received the LAC documentation for the young people placed with them which would enable them to provide a holistic service to the young person. This was drawn to the attention of the acting manager for action Manchester Fostering Service DS0000045099.V264869.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 Page 12

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The intended outcomes 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, and 15 the key

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

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JUDGEMENT – The intended outcomes for these Standards are

The children placed with the foster carers were cared for safely, however some changes in practice with regards the matching of children/young people is required to ensure that appropriate placements are made.

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EVIDENCE:

Since the previous inspection the fostering service has appointed an acting manager. The role of the acting manager is to oversee the service and he was able to demonstrate an understanding and awareness of his role and responsibilities. The acting manager is a qualified social worker and has experience of childcare and reviewing of childcare provision although having limited experience in family placement. Manchester Fostering Service DS0000045099.V264869.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 Page 13 There were clear lines of accountability within the service and all staff spoken to were aware of who was responsible for different parts of the service, although at times they feel frustrated with the change over of staff and the pace of development of the service which they felt resulted in them not always achieving their aims and objectives. An example of this was the Duty and Support Team. Information received indicated that this team would be

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EVIDENCE:

separated into two teams but as yet this has not taken place. One of the factors for this not happening is that the site where the service is based could not physically accommodate any additional staff. Staff felt that due to the increase in duty referrals this placed additional pressure on them.

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EVIDENCE:

During the visits to the foster carers’ home, the inspectors noted that appropriate safety equipment was in place at the home of a particular foster carer caring for younger children . This was in accordance with the foster carers Safe Care Policy to ensure the safety and protection of the young children placed.

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EVIDENCE:

Foster carer’ spoken to confirmed that they had received training that covered health and safety issues as part of the preparation training. One carer said, “the initial training was very good and gave us lots of things to think about”. Initial training gave an overview of Child Protection and post approval training on ‘Recognising and Responding to Child Abuse’

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EVIDENCE:

Foster carers are required to develop a Safe Care Policy. There was evidence of these on some of the files viewed although one file did not contain the policy. Carers spoken to said that they had a policy and that it was reviewed on a regular basis. They were aware of the need for the policy to ensure the safety and well- being of the child/young person placed.

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EVIDENCE:

There is now a designated person who chairs foster carers’ review meetings. This person has responsibility for ensuring that reviews are undertaken at the appropriate time and that all information is available. The review format discussed the five outcomes for children as well as taking account of placement stability. The views of the young people were sought regarding their placement to be included in the foster carer review.

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EVIDENCE:

Family placement workers were still currently chairing the reviews for short break carers. This needed to be addressed due to a conflict of interest.

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EVIDENCE:

Matching of placements was undertaken although a matching format was not available on all the files viewed. Carers did not always receive an adequate amount of information prior to a placement being made. Feedback from the foster carers’ questionnaires varied on the amount of information that they received prior to placement. Staff spoken to said that matching was undertaken but that sometimes due to the demand for placement matching was not always as thorough as it could be. This could result in the placement Manchester Fostering Service DS0000045099.V264869.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 Page 14 not fully meeting the needs of the child and the potential for poor outcome for the child.

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EVIDENCE:

A selection of staff files examined contained the appropriate information required including details of qualifications and CRB disclosures. This ensured that staff did not have any conviction that might deem them inappropriate to work with children/young people therefore promoting the child’s safety. The authority also undertook CRB checks for all foster carers and all adults that had contact with the young person.

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EVIDENCE:

Staff spoken to were able to demonstrate a good knowledge and understanding of their roles and responsibilities. The Form F assessments contained greater details. This improvements have been supported by the appropriate ongoing training being made available to staff with regards this. Details about prospective foster carers ensured that the carers approved had the appropriate skills to provide the care and support to the children and young people placed with them.

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EVIDENCE:

As part of the inspection process a Panel meeting was observed. The Panel Chair is an experienced social work practitioner and ensures that the Panel operates within the new agreed Panel Procedures/Guidelines introduced since the last inspection. The members of the Panel contribute effectively to ensure that only appropriate carers are approved. As previously mentioned, the Panel operates every week, one Panel meeting operates purely to address reviews and complaints. A selection of Panel minutes was viewed and contained clear information and reasons for recommendations being made. Manchester Fostering Service DS0000045099.V264869.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 Page 15

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The intended outcomes 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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JUDGEMENT – The intended outcomes for these Standards are

The individual and the educational needs of the children/young people placed were in the main being met, however the agency needed to ensure that Personal Education Plans (PEP) of the young people are available to demonstrate that there is a commitment to promoting educational achievement.

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EVIDENCE:

Manchester Fostering Service DS0000045099.V264869.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 Page 16 The authority promoted equal opportunities through the foster care recruitment policy and equal opportunity policy in the Foster Carers Agreement. The needs of children/young people in respect of their cultural, religious, language, and disability needs were outlined in the Statement of Purpose.

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EVIDENCE:

The disabled children’s team enlisted the help of approved foster carers to promote the needs of children with disabilities. This was undertaken by discussing specialist needs of the children/young people during the preparation training. Specialist equipment was arranged to support the child in their placement to maximise their full potential.

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EVIDENCE:

The authority had further expanded the number of foster carer support workers who provided support to the foster carers and child to ensure access to community facilities and to promote the interests of the child.

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EVIDENCE:

The acting manager said that the Personal Education Plans (PEP) of the young people were shared with the foster carers although not all carers visited had a copy of the completed PEP. Files inspected contained copies of the PEP and the acting manager was advised to ensure that all foster carers receive were given this information to enable them to support the children/young people in accordance with the plan.

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EVIDENCE:

Foster carers spoken to said that they felt that the educational needs of the young people placed with them were being met. One carer gave examples of joint working with the school to ensure that the child in placement was supported with their educational needs. In turn the foster carer discussed this during their supervision with the Family Placement Worker. One young person said ‘I enjoy going to school and know that if I need any help I can talk to my carers’.

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EVIDENCE:

Foster carers spoken to were aware of who to contact if they had any concerns or issues regarding education. One carer said that the young person was now enjoying school and that the child received support from the teaching staff at the school with extra curriculum studies.

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EVIDENCE:

The service employed foster carer support staff. The foster carer support team also gave support to young people with regards their educational needs especially with young people who had been excluded from school. The number of children excluded from school was not assessed at this inspection. Manchester Fostering Service DS0000045099.V264869.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 Page 17

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The intended outcomes 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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JUDGEMENT – The intended outcomes for these Standards are

The agency ensured that there were clear procedures in place to ensure that the wishes and views of the children/young people are obtained and acted upon.

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EVIDENCE:

The service promoted contact arrangements for the child/young person in care. This was undertaken by looking at each individual need of the child/young person. The children with disabilities team provided link care workers to work with parents and foster carers. The recruitment and assessment team stated that they promoted contact with birth parents and foster carers confirmed this.

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EVIDENCE:

Foster carers spoken to confirmed that arrangements regarding contact were discussed and confirmed. Carers also said that the importance of contact was discussed as part of the preparation training.

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EVIDENCE:

The views of the children/young people and their families were sought via their social workers and other support staff.

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EVIDENCE:

The inspectors visited a number of foster carers and spoke with the children/young people placed with the foster carers. The views of these children were that they were given the opportunity to say how they felt about their placement. One young person said “ I’m really happy here. I feel part of the family and have been able to do lots of things since coming here”. Manchester Fostering Service DS0000045099.V264869.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 Page 18 There is an established children’s group facilitated by the Welfare Rights Team. The group is set up to enable children/young people to discuss their views being fostered. The children/young people have been involved for example in the development of the Anti-Bullying policy.

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EVIDENCE:

The children/young people met were aware of the complaints procedure and whom they would contact. Manchester Fostering Service DS0000045099.V264869.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 Page 19

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The intended outcomes 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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JUDGEMENT – The intended outcomes for these Standards are

The agency in general ensured that the payment of allowances and agreed expenses was effectively managed, however the financial support when young people reached aged 18 was not clear.

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EVIDENCE:

Each foster carer received an allowance that had been agreed as part of the registration process. However, foster carers raised their concerns about the lack of financial support available for those young people not in education who were not ready to move to live independently. These concerns were discussed with the acting manager who had arranged to visit the foster carer group meeting to discuss the areas of concern.

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EVIDENCE:

Foster carers’ spoken to confirmed that their allowances were received at the appropriate time. A copy of the scale of allowances was given to foster carers prior to a child being placed and this is updated on a yearly basis. Manchester Fostering Service DS0000045099.V264869.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 Page 20

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The intended outcomes 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 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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JUDGEMENT – The intended outcomes for these Standards are

1,2,16,17,19,21,22, 23,24,26 The service is generally managed well. However the facilities for the service are restrictive and do not facilitate the opportunity for the service to expand. The service needs to further develop its recruitment and retention of staff to ensure a consistent service is provided.

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EVIDENCE:

Manchester Fostering Service DS0000045099.V264869.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 Page 21 The Statement of Purpose had been redrafted to contain up to date information, this was still in draft format awaiting agreement. Staff spoken to were aware of the Statement of Purpose and it’s contents. Several of the new staff confirmed that they had been given a copy as part of their overall induction to the service.

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EVIDENCE:

The acting manager had achieved the Diploma in Social Work (DipSW) and was currently undertaking NVQ Level 5. He had previously worked as a quality assurance officer reviewing LAC Reviews and chairing Child Protection Conferences before becoming Team Manager of the Quality Assurance and Performance Management Unit. He had been acting manager of the fostering service for 11 months. Staff felt that there was a clear staffing structure and lines of accountability in place in place.

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EVIDENCE:

Staff members interviewed were aware of the fostering service policies and Procedures. They were aware of the lines of accountability and were in general able to discuss issues/areas of concerns with the team manager. All staff spoken to say that they received supervision on a regular basis. Training for staff was discussed as part of the supervision process. Staff were able to identify courses that they wished to attend and if appropriate these were improved. The new training programme for the Children and Families division was being developed and the acting manager stated that staff would be able to access any training that was being held following consultation with their team manager. There was no evidence that there were mandatory training courses that staff had to attend and following discussions with staff it appeared that they felt that the emphasis was on them to identify appropriate training. Those staff recruited via an agency were also able to access training

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EVIDENCE:

At the time of the inspection the service had a number of agency staff due to difficulties recruiting appropriately trained and experienced staff. The acting principle manager said that the service was advertising, however response rate had not been high.

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EVIDENCE:

Training for foster carers had been developed and a foster carer-training handbook had been produced. All foster carers had been sent a copy of the handbook and were able to identify training that they would like to attend over and above the induction-training course, post approval and NVQ level III training. The induction training was a rolling programme and two sessions had been identified for the carers approved during the past twelve months. However, the number of foster carers approved over the twelve-month period exceeded the number of places available. To insure that all newly appointed carers have participated in the training there was a need for the service to review the training programme and expand the number of training dates. Following the previous inspection, training for foster carers who were approved for babies now included sudden unexplained death syndrome. Manchester Fostering Service DS0000045099.V264869.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 Page 22

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EVIDENCE:

The local authority had a Recording and File keeping and Access to Files Policy. The Foster Care Agreement set out that the foster carer should have essential information in relation to the basis, purpose and duration of placements and details of the child’s legal status. Foster carers visited confirmed that they had received the appropriate information relating to the child placed with them. The authority issued black box files that were lockable for foster carers to store this information in. The family placement workers were responsible for ensuring that foster carers received these.

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EVIDENCE:

As previously mentioned the service is located in the social services office in Chorlton. This is the main office for the Adoption and Fostering service with the teams being supported by an administration team. However, lack of available space was a cause for concern. This was compounded by frequent power failures that resulted in no heat or access to computer systems being available on these occasions. The authority urgently needs to review this situation. Manchester Fostering Service DS0000045099.V264869.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 Page 23

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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 2 Standard No Score 14 X STAYING SAFE 29 2 Standard No Score 3 3 MANAGEMENT 6 3 Standard No Score 8 1 1 3 9 2 2 3 15 3 4 X 30 3 5 X 16 3 ENJOYING AND ACHIEVING 17 2 Standard No Score 18 X 7 3 19 2 13 2 20 X 31 X 21 3 22 3 MAKING A POSITIVE 23 3 CONTRIBUTION 24 2 Standard No Score 25 X 10 3 26 1 11 3 27 X 28 X 32 X Manchester Fostering Service DS0000045099.V264869.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 Page 24 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 The Service must record all matching decisions. 30/06/06

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STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

2 FS9 12 The Service must ensure that all foster carers have a Safe Caring Policy that is reviewed on a regular basis with amendments made as necessary. A copy must be maintained at the home and on the foster carer’s file. 30/06/06

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STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

3 FS12 17 The Service must ensure that the health care needs of the children/young people placed are documented and made available to the carers. 30/06/06

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STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

4 FS24 17 The Service must ensure that the Foster Carer receives the Personal Education Plan (PEP) for the child placed. 30/06/06

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STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

5 FS24 17 The Service must ensure that all the key documents regarding the care and support of the child/young person are issued to the foster carer to ensure that they are able to provide the appropriate service to the child/young person. 30/06/06

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STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

6 FS23 21 The Service must ensure that the foster carer induction training is provided at the 30/06/06 Manchester Fostering Service DS0000045099.V264869.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 Page 25 appropriate level to meet the numbers of carers approved. 7 FS26 23 The authority must review the adequacy of the current office premises to ensure that they are fit and suitable for purpose and to ensure a safe working environment for its staff 30/06/06

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STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

8 FS19 21 Training undertaken by staff must be clearly recorded and reviewed to ensure that all staff have access to training and personal development. 30/06/06

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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 FS29 The Service should include in the written policy allowances payable to carers once the young person has reached the age of 18 2 FS2 The Service should make a permanent appointment for the post of fostering manager. Manchester Fostering Service DS0000045099.V264869.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 Page 26

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Commission for Social Care Inspection

CSCI, Local office 9th Floor Oakland House Talbot Road Manchester M16 0PQ

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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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