Setting

X10029.doc Version 1.40 Page 1 FOSTERING SERVICE

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LE3 8RL

Lead Inspector Trisha Gibbs Announced Inspection Week of Monday, 23 rd January 2006 09:00 Leicestershire County Council Fostering Service DS0000043837.V260144.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 2 The Commission for Social Care Inspection aims to:

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LE3 8RL

• 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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LE3 8RL

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 Leicestershire County Council Fostering Service DS0000043837.V260144.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 3 This is a report of an inspection to assess whether services are meeting the needs of people who use them. The legal basis for conducting inspections is the Care Standards Act 2000 and the relevant National Minimum Standards for this establishment are those for Fostering Services. They can be found at www.dh.gov.uk or obtained from The Stationery Office (TSO) PO Box 29, St Crispins, Duke Street, Norwich, NR3 1GN. Tel: 0870 600 5522. Online ordering: www.tso.co.uk/bookshop

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LE3 8RL

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. Leicestershire County Council Fostering Service DS0000043837.V260144.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 4

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Name of service

Leicestershire County Council Fostering Service

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Name of service

Address County Hall Glenfield Leicester Leicestershire LE3 8RL

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Email address

Provider Web address www.leicestershire.gov.uk

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(if applicable)

Leicestershire County Council Social Services

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manager (if applicable)

Type of registration Local Auth Fostering Service

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of places

Leicestershire County Council Fostering Service DS0000043837.V260144.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 5

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Brief Description of the Service:

Leicestershire County Council fostering service is managed by the Service Manager Family Placements. Two Team Managers are responsible for two supervision groups of social work staff, and the day-to-day provision of the service. The groups operate from one base, focussing on maintaining an active duty point for placement requests, and on the recruitment and assessment of carers. Both groups also carry a caseload of carers, for whom they provide ongoing advice and support. Within each group there are supervising social workers dedicated to specific fostering tasks and activities. A Senior Practitioner is responsible for processing and supporting Friends and Family (Kinship) Care applications.

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Brief Description of the Service:

At the time of this Inspection 181 carers were providing placements designed to respond appropriately to the differing placement needs of 226 of Leicestershire County Council’s Looked After Children. Most placements continue to be of a mainstream family care nature however there are a growing number of Kinship placements. The service also provides Remand, Community, and Contract Care placements, supported with a high level of contact from the foster care service and providing placements for young people presenting with very challenging or offending behaviour. The service also includes a substantial group of Short Break Carers who provide flexible respite care to children who have disabilities, in addition to a Contact Carer who provides respite care to children with profound disabilities.

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Brief Description of the Service:

The foster care service undertakes the full range of fostering activities, recruiting, assessing, approving and supporting carers. Supervision and annual reviews identify achievements and ongoing training needs. Leicestershire County Council Fostering Service DS0000043837.V260144.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 6

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SUMMARY

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

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SUMMARY

This Announced inspection was undertaken by two inspectors over two and a half days and took 56 hours in total including pre-inspection visits, Inspection planning, Fostering Panel attendance, questionnaire analysis and For the purposes of this Inspection, and giving consideration to an Announced Inspection taking place only nine months ago, two carers (one contract care scheme and one mainstream) and the children placed with them were tracked through the Inspection of case files, home visits and discussions with Team Managers and Supervising Social Workers. Additional case files were looked at during the inspection. The inspectors also met with a group of carers. Personnel file for recently appointed staff to the Fostering Team were looked at.

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SUMMARY

30 carer, 26 children and 38 placing social worker questionnaires were returned. These had been circulated to all carers, children over the age of eight and placing social work teams, and have been referred to within the body of this report.

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SUMMARY

Prior to this inspection the Service Manager completed a Pre-Inspection Questionnaire, and a Self-Assessment analysis document, and information supplied in these has been incorporated into this report.

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SUMMARY

The Fostering Panel was attended on January 10 th 2006 and the Inspector talked to the Chair and Panel members.

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SUMMARY

The above methodology informed the evidence for this Inspection. Policies and Procedures, the agency’s Statement of Purpose, the Carer’s Handbook and other documentation have been fully inspected during previous inspections and were consulted only for clarification purposes on this occasion.

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What the service does well:

There is an established Fostering team of experienced workers.

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What the service does well:

There are good support systems in place for carers.

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What the service does well:

The Fostering Services Fostering Panel has a good membership representing an appropriate mix of skills and experience. Leicestershire County Council Fostering Service DS0000043837.V260144.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 7 Personnel files for staff recruited to the Fostering Service evidence very good recruitment practices.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Carer’s now have access to a foster care support line that provides an evening and weekend service.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Carer reviews now include recommendations about frequency of supervisory visits for the following year.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Authorisation of change of Approval status is now evidenced on file.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

Foster Carer Agreements now include Terms of Approval.

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What they could do better:

The Fostering Service should evidence the use of Risk Assessment processes where children are sharing bedrooms, and where there are combinations of children in placement, and maintain copies of these on file.

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What they could do better:

The Fostering Service should ensure that a Health and Safety checklist is carried out in respect of each foster home, and maintain a copy of this on file.

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What they could do better:

The Fostering Service should ensure that all carers draw up a written Safe Care policy, and maintain a copy of this on file.

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What they could do better:

The Fostering Service should provide written evidence to indicate how children and young people are matched to the carers they have been placed with, and maintain a copy of this on file.

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What they could do better:

The Fostering Service should ensure that placing social workers are notified promptly about any events that will impact on children in placement.

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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. Leicestershire County Council Fostering Service DS0000043837.V260144.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 8

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CONTENTS

Statutory Requirements Identified During the Inspection Leicestershire County Council Fostering Service DS0000043837.V260144.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 9

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The intended outcome for this Standard is:

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

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The Commission considers Standard 12 the key standard to be

inspected at least once during a 12 month period.

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JUDGEMENT – we looked at the outcome for Standard:

The Health needs of children and young people are given good attention.

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EVIDENCE:

Carers individually and as a group, demonstrated a good awareness of children’s health and medical needs. They talked about healthy eating, regular physical activity and of appropriate contact with dentists and general practitioners. One carer, who provides respite care for a child with significant medical needs, had received training on the administration of medication at hospital, prior to the child coming to stay. Although carers said they would record the administration of prescribed medication, some said they did not routinely record over the counter medication. The Carer’s Handbook provides a good pro forma for the recording of all medication and carers should be encouraged by their supervising social worker to complete this. There was a good example on file, of a supervising social worker checking medication storage, during a supervisory visit to a carer.

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EVIDENCE:

Carers receive health related training e.g.. Substance Misuse and The Management of Asthma and Allergies, and they reported that this was ‘really helpful’ and ‘excellent’. One carer spoken to works along side a specialist worker with a young person placed, to address his smoking and drug habits. Health workshops have also been made available to carers.

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EVIDENCE:

Children in their questionnaires made positive comments about their healthy diets and health routines. ‘My granny makes me have at least three pieces of fruit a day, and a bath every other day.’ ‘My carer got us into Tae Kondo and I take the dog for a walk.’ ‘I eat vegetables with my Sunday dinner and drink water.’ ‘They take me to the dentist and doctors.’ I am not that healthy but am trying to make myself more healthy.’ ‘I wear nice clothes.’ They made reference to a variety of healthy activities including horse riding, running, ball Leicestershire County Council Fostering Service DS0000043837.V260144.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 10 games, swimming, gymnastics and dancing. The work and commitment of carers to support children and young people to be healthy and active is commended.

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EVIDENCE:

Some Looked After Children have now been provided with the ‘Clayton File’ by their placing social workers. This is the child’s file, designed to capture their whole health and medical history for the duration of them being Looked After. Carers will support the maintenance of this Health Passport and may need clarification on how they should do this, since this could cause confusion in relation to recording tools they are currently utilising. Carers are transferring from the use of a total diary system of recording, to using log sheets, most carers still using both systems. Carers are receiving training on recording and the Fostering Manager indicated that recording systems should be streamlined by the end of the year.

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EVIDENCE:

Some carers said that there were delays in children accessing therapeutic input when this was identified as needed, however the Fostering Manager said that to some degree this was probably due to a temporary reduction of staff in the CAMHS team, and that carers who provided placements with children with significant therapeutic needs were prioritised for training by team, to assist them in meeting the children’s need for love and stability. Leicestershire County Council Fostering Service DS0000043837.V260144.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 11

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The intended outcomes for these Standards are:

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

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

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

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

Although children visited during the Inspection appeared appropriately placed and safely cared for, written records did not adequately account for this.

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EVIDENCE:

Although carers are provided with very good guidelines and information in both the Carer Handbook and Fostering Network’s Safer Care booklet about Safe Care, and all carers spoken to had a real understanding of Safe Care issues, not all carers had a written Safe Care Policy (Standard 9.3). In one file there was additionally no Health and Safety checklist included in the Form F assessment (three years ago) or completed at time of review or unannounced visit. The Inspectors would strongly reiterate a recommendation made at previous Inspections with regard to the routine completion of Safer Care Policies and Health and Safety Risk Assessments for all carers. It is also recommended that these include a Fire Plan. The fostering Team Managers indicated to Inspectors that they were in the process of planning a file monitoring exercise.

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EVIDENCE:

A good standard of Health and Safety was observed in foster homes visited, and there was evidence that Health and Safety was discussed in carer supervisions and reviews. Leicestershire County Council Fostering Service DS0000043837.V260144.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 12 Carers have recently received training on Personal Safety and Management of Challenging Behaviours delivered by a Health and Safety Officer. They were appreciative of this course, since some had registered anxieties to Inspectors about the limitations in their management of young people’s potentially dangerous behaviours. They said that unless they had specific written permission from the Fostering Service, they were not allowed to physically restrain a child on the rare occasions this might be necessary to keep a child safe. The Fostering Managers informed Inspectors that the current above training will be built on to include more in depth Behaviour Management and

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EVIDENCE:

SKIP training in the future, and that carers, e.g. contract carers, will be prioritised for this. Inspectors when talking to a carer group were impressed with their understanding and general management of children’s behaviours. Children commented in questionnaires about punishment. ‘If I do something wrong I get grounded’. ‘I can’t watch television.’ ‘No computer.’ ‘I get time out to think about it.’ ‘If I was bad I would go to my room, but as I am 17 I behave like a grown up.’ ‘I go to bed early.’ ‘I’ve had no punishment for my behaviour and I‘ve been quite bad.’

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EVIDENCE:

Inspectors visited two foster homes; one where two unrelated children shared a bedroom, another where one young person (teenager) who sleeps on bunk beds, regularly shared his bedroom. There were no written risk assessments on carer files to evidence the impact of sharing for the children and young people involved. One file did record a good verbal discussion between the contract carer and their supervising social worker about appropriateness of a new room-sharing placement. Fostering Managers said that verbal risk assessments would always take place, and that risk assessments are routinely carried out at the time of the Placement Meeting, however in the absence of this information being on file it was not possible to ascertain whether such discussion or assessment had taken place. The Fostering Managers should ensure that risk assessments for bedroom sharing are evidenced on carer files.

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EVIDENCE:

Although Inspectors were satisfied that carers visited were well matched to meet the needs of the children placed with them, the Fostering Service does not utilise a written matching tool or matrix to evidence how children’s needs have been matched to carer competencies and experience. At previous Inspections, Inspectors have noted that verbal discussions take place between supervising social workers at time of referral and at team meetings to identify placements, however there is currently no documentation in carer files to evidence the matching process as detailed in Standard 8 of the National Minimum Standards and Regulations. Placement Agreements, are referred to in Standard 8 as a source of matching consideration, however Inspectors have been informed that copies of are these are not stored on carer files, but held by carers and placing social workers.

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EVIDENCE:

On one file looked at, two children had been well placed with new carers last November, and good planned introductions into this placement had taken place, but there was no record on file of this process, nor Placement Planning Leicestershire County Council Fostering Service DS0000043837.V260144.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 13 minutes. The Fostering Service should consider how best to evidence on file the matching of children to placements.

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EVIDENCE:

An Inspector attended and observed the Fostering Panel and was impressed with the manner in which the Panel Chair facilitated Panel Members to consider applications, some of which were of a complex nature. The knowledge and experience of the combined Fostering Panel in the field of childcare and child protection in relation to the fostering task, and increasingly, family and friends care, is very good. A Care Leaver has now been appointed as a Panel Member by the County Council’s Corporate Parenting Service (referred to later in the report) and will join the Panel following CRB clearance. An Educational Psychologist has also recently joined the Panel.

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EVIDENCE:

Personnel files of recently appointed staff were looked and noted to be maintained in very good order, with all checks appropriately completed and confirmed on an excellent appointment checklist.

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EVIDENCE:

Inspectors looked at records of Complaints and Allegations. These were well documented and included a summary of outcomes. Leicestershire County Council Fostering Service DS0000043837.V260144.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 14

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The intended outcomes for these Standards are:

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

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

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

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

7 and 13. Standard 31 was assessed at the last Inspection in March 2005 as being exceeded.

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

The Fostering Service through carers, provides a good level of support to children to promote their educational achievement.

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EVIDENCE:

The school attendance of all Leicestershire’s Looked After Children will now be monitored through the Welfare Call agency. Carers have received information about this service and it is hoped that the early identification of shortfalls in attendance will ensure that related difficulties are promptly resolved.

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EVIDENCE:

Carers have received very good training sessions on Education. One carer said that the training was ‘really excellent but not long enough’. Four sessions are offered as part of the core-training programme, one is compulsory and the other chosen by the carer. Carers visited showed a real commitment to supporting their children’s educational needs. This commitment was recognised in several placing social worker questionnaires.

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EVIDENCE:

In one household visited there were many books and games available, and one of the children receives a weekly numeracy and literacy homework session. One young person however in another placement had been excluded from both mainstream school and from the student support service. He is currently being offered a return to the support service for six hours a week only. Leicestershire County Council Fostering Service DS0000043837.V260144.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 15 The Fostering Manager said that carers are offered support when children are not in school, often in the form of day care, or the LACES team. Six carers are especially funded to provide additional input to support young people to pass GCSEs.

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EVIDENCE:

Children reported in their questionnaires ways in which their carers supported them to learn. ‘They go to school to meet my tutor.’ ‘They encourage me to work hard…I want to become a midwife.’ ‘She helps us with our maths.’ ‘I don’t need help’.

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EVIDENCE:

Some carers expressed concern within the carers group meeting about advised changes to Statement of Educational Needs process, and the prioritising of academic ability over emotional and behavioural difficulties in relation to the Statement.

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EVIDENCE:

Carers involved in the short breaks scheme or who provide placements for disabled children, are offered Disability Awareness training provided by social workers from the Fostering Team and from the Disabled Children’s Team. The two teams work closely together.

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EVIDENCE:

The Fostering Service has now implemented a Short Breaks Extra scheme, similar to that of Contract Care, where carers are paid a fee when children with disabilities, have additional behavioural difficulties.

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EVIDENCE:

One set of carers are undertaking commendable work to appropriately meet the needs of two Asylum seeking young people, taking them to the nearest Mosque and providing constructive activities and occupations during the day. Leicestershire County Council Fostering Service DS0000043837.V260144.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 16

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The intended outcomes for these Standards are:

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

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The Commission considers Standards 10 and 11 the key standards to

be inspected at least once during a 12 month period.

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

Standard 10 Standard 11 was assessed at the last Inspection in March 2005 as being fully met.

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

The Fostering Service encourages carers to recognise the importance of supporting children in placement to have contact with their families where appropriate.

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EVIDENCE:

Training on ‘Managing Contact with the Birth Family’ is being planned for carers this year. A Fostering Manager and social worker from a Child Care Operations team will facilitate this. This training is important and should help address concerns raised again by some placing social workers in their questionnaires about carers who struggle to support, or understand the need for, children’s contact with their natural families.

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EVIDENCE:

Carers visited showed commendable commitment to the support of children’s contact with their family. One carer had worked hard to help four rehabilitate young people back with their families and said ‘You have to keep working at it with them’. Leicestershire County Council Fostering Service DS0000043837.V260144.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 17

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The intended outcomes for these Standards are:

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

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The Commission considers Standards 29 the key standard to be

inspected at least once during a 12 month period.

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

The Fostering Team and carers support young people to develop independence skills and to seek employment

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

Good written information is made available to carers about payments and allowances.

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EVIDENCE:

Managers said that the fostering service is planning to provide written guidelines and training on the financial options open to young people leaving care, for young people and their carers. Carers visited and spoken to confirmed that they encouraged children and young people to assist with simple domestic tasks at home and to take some responsibility for keeping their rooms tidy and clean. Carers also support young people in finding employment. One young person (17) said in the questionnaire ‘My carers encouraged me to get a part time job to get experience of life.’

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EVIDENCE:

Care leavers are encouraged to apply for work within the County Council. The Fostering Manager indicated that the statistics on young people gaining employment and training on leaving school were good. One young person who has recently left care has been appointed by the Corporate Parenting Service to contribute to the work of the Children and Families Service Are through representing the views of young people who have been looked after. The post includes the undertaking of a formal academic or vocational training opportunity. The young person’s role will include Fostering Panel membership. This is a commendable initiative. Carers said that young people with Leicestershire County Council Fostering Service DS0000043837.V260144.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 18 disabilities and learning difficulties received a different service to other young people leaving care, and that the process could be protracted with few options

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EVIDENCE:

available to them. Fostering Managers noted that for these young people, the Transitions Team and Disabled Children’s Teams would be involved, and that there were specific protocols for the Transitions Team process. They accepted that young people with mild learning difficulties could fall between the two services.

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EVIDENCE:

Carers confirmed that payment systems were prompt. Professional fees on four levels have now been introduced where children’s needs merit this. Although carers are paid two weeks in arrears, emergency payments are available to them in the event of an unplanned placement requiring immediate expense, and this financial information is made available to carers in the Carer’s Handbook and an annual letter that details payment levels. Carers and Managers acknowledged the information, advice and support provided to them by the Payments Officer in County Hall. Leicestershire County Council Fostering Service DS0000043837.V260144.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 19

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The intended outcomes for these Standards are:

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

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The intended outcomes for these Standards are:

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

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

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

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

17 and 21 Standard 24 was assessed at the last Inspection in March 2005 as being almost met.

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

The Fostering Team are experienced and appropriately qualified, and provide carers with good support, however communication with placing social workers could be better.

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EVIDENCE:

Leicestershire County Council Fostering Service DS0000043837.V260144.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 20 A team of appropriately skilled and qualified workers with considerable experience deliver the Fostering Service. A childcare support worker has recently been appointed to the team, and there are no current vacancies. One supervising social worker has now been allocated to some kinship care support, along side the Senior Practitioner who has been undertaking most of this work for almost three years. Both the Fostering Panel and Fostering Managers commented upon the growth and demands of kinship care. Managers acknowledged that there was potential for this area of work to be developed specialised and noted that written information is currently being produced for kinship carers about different permanency options. Although Inspectors did not inspect Standard 32 on this occasion, it was their view that

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EVIDENCE:

the fostering service will need to consider how to allocate additional resources to the assessment; training and support of kinship care work.

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EVIDENCE:

Positive feedback was received from placing social workers about foster carers. Several noted how well carers supported children in their education. Thirty- one questionnaires said that carer’s looked after children very well while the others said quite well, or all right most of the time. They gave details about different aspects of positive care being provided.

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EVIDENCE:

Some placing social workers expressed concern that they were not being consulted by the fostering service when new placements were being considered with carers with whom they had children already placed. In particular they said they were not being consulted about respite placements. The Fostering Service should ensure that placing social workers are notified promptly about any events that will impact on children in placement.

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EVIDENCE:

A member of the fostering service team and some placing social workers also noted that because there were not enough carers to meet demand, that good placements could be compromised by additional placements. For this reason it is the Inspectors view that the use of risk assessments should be utilised more rigorously. In terms of their relationship with the Fostering Service, Fourteen social worker questionnaires said the service ‘worked well’ with them, seven ‘fairly well’, eleven ‘average’, three ‘disappointing’ and three did not comment.

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EVIDENCE:

The average supervising social work case list for mainstream carers is twenty, with lower numbers for higher maintenance placements.

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EVIDENCE:

The Fostering Managers noted that recruitment is taking place for remand care placements.

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EVIDENCE:

A newly appointed Contracts Officer will work with the current Placements Officer to assist in the commissioning of placements with Independent Fostering Agencies where in house placements cannot be identified. Leicestershire County Council Fostering Service DS0000043837.V260144.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 21 Carer support needs and visiting patterns are discussed and agreed at Annual Reviews.

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EVIDENCE:

Carers were again almost unequivocal in Questionnaires about the support they received from the fostering service and their Supervising Social Workers. ‘There is always someone available.’ ‘A professional dedicated team.’ ‘Good communication and support.’ ‘We are valued as carers.’ ‘It’s rewarding.’ ‘’Excellent support.’ Some Carers at the Carer Group meeting also commented very positively about the Fostering Team and the supervising social workers in particular. All carers are members of the Fostering Network, paid for by the service and the local LFCA. They talked about the success of the out of hours Foster Care Support Line introduced last year, but some were less positive about EDT support.

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EVIDENCE:

Good training opportunities are made available to carers and annual training newsletters and updates are sent to them. Training is now being delivered with the help of colleagues from Child Care Operations teams and the Therapeutic social work teams.

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EVIDENCE:

Although Standard 24 was not inspected on this occasion, Inspectors noted the limited amount of information on one carer’s case file about the placements being provided for four children. There was no LAC information about the children, and one supervision session recorded over three years. Additionally there were no contact/running records. Another file looked at was maintained to an excellent standard and contained good working records and placement information. Leicestershire County Council Fostering Service DS0000043837.V260144.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 22

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SCORING OF OUTCOMES

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

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SCORING OF OUTCOMES

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

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SCORING OF OUTCOMES

BEING HEALTHY ACHIEVING ECONOMIC Standard No Score WELLBEING 12 3 Standard No Score 14 3 STAYING SAFE 29 3 Standard No Score 3 3 MANAGEMENT 6 2 Standard No Score 8 2 1 x 9 2 2 x 15 3 4 x 30 3 5 x 16 x ENJOYING AND ACHIEVING 17 3 Standard No Score 18 x 7 3 19 x 13 3 20 x 31 x 21 3 22 x MAKING A POSITIVE 23 x CONTRIBUTION 24 x Standard No Score 25 x 10 3 26 x 11 x 27 x 28 x 32 x Leicestershire County Council Fostering Service DS0000043837.V260144.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 23 Are there any outstanding requirements from the last inspection?

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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

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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 FS9 Safer Care Policies, and Health and Safety Risk Assessments should be completed for all carers. These should include a Fire Plan.

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RECOMMENDATIONS

2 FS6 Where children share bedrooms, risk assessments should be evidenced on carer files.

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RECOMMENDATIONS

3 FS8 The matching of children to placements should be evidenced on carer files.

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RECOMMENDATIONS

4 FS8 The Fostering Service should ensure that placing social workers are notified promptly about any events that will impact on children in placement. Leicestershire County Council Fostering Service DS0000043837.V260144.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 24

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Commission for Social Care Inspection

Leicester Office The Pavilions, 5 Smith Way Grove Park Enderby Leicester LE19 1SX

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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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