Setting

London Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Adoption Service DS0000050034.V294877.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 1 ADOPTION SERVICE

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Lead Inspector Rosemary Chapman Announced Inspection 15th May-18th 2006 09:30 London Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Adoption Service DS0000050034.V294877.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 2 The Commission for Social Care Inspection aims to:

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

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Reader Information Document Purpose Inspection Report Author CSCI Audience General Public Further copies from 0870 240 7535 (telephone order line) Copyright This report is copyright Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) and may only be used in its entirety. Extracts may not be used or reproduced without the express permission of CSCI Internet address www.csci.org.uk London Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Adoption Service DS0000050034.V294877.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 Adoption. They can be found at www.dh.gov.uk or obtained from The Stationery Office (TSO) PO Box 29, St Crispins, Duke Street, Norwich, NR3 1GN. Tel: 0870 600 5522. Online ordering: www.tso.co.uk/bookshop

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Every Child Matters, outlined the government’s vision for children’s services and formed the basis of the Children Act 2004. It provides a framework for inspection so that children’s services should be judged on their contribution to the outcomes considered essential to wellbeing in childhood and later life. Those outcomes are: • Being healthy • Staying safe • Enjoying and achieving • Making a contribution; and • Achieving economic wellbeing.

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

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Copies of Every Child Matters and The Children Act 2004 are available from The Stationery Office as above. This report is a public document. Extracts may not be used or reproduced without the prior permission of the Commission for Social Care Inspection. London Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Adoption Service DS0000050034.V294877.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 4

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Name of service

Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Adoption Service

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Name of service

Address Westway Aid and Information Centre 140 Ladbroke Garden London W10 5ND

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manager (if applicable)

Type of registration Local Auth Adoption Service

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of places

London Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Adoption Service DS0000050034.V294877.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 5

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Brief Description of the Service:

The adoption service provided by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is now part of the Children’s Social Care Service in the Family and Children’s Services Business Group. Their aim is to provide a high quality adoption and permanency service for children. The team consists of a team manager, senior social worker for post adoption, and 7 full time equivalent (FTE) social work posts, of which a half post is designated for post adoption work. There is also a recruitment officer who works with both the fostering and adoption team, and business support staff. All the team are based in one office, situated at 140 Ladbroke Grove.

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Brief Description of the Service:

The team: a. recruits, prepares and assesses both domestic and inter country adopters b. works with children’s social workers to identify matches for looked after children and assist in their placement c. provides support and counselling for birth parents d. provides an adoption support service e. provides a service to adopted adults and adult birth relatives of adopted adults including an intermediary service. Some of the services detailed in c, d and e are provided by a commissioned Voluntary Adoption Support Agency. London Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Adoption Service DS0000050034.V294877.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 is the second inspection of the adoption service provided by The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC). Prior to the inspection fieldwork taking place supporting documentary evidence was sent to and read by the lead inspector. Questionnaires were received from 2 birth family members, 7 prospective and approved adopters, 4 placing social workers, 1 placing authority, and 5 specialist advisers.

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SUMMARY

Two inspectors spent 4 days in the agency and interviewed 6 sets of adopters, 2 birth grandparents, 1birth parent, a group of placing social workers, the recruitment officer, a psychologist, an Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO), administrative staff, adoption social workers, the adoption support services adviser (ASSA) and post adoption social worker, the nominated manager, the service manager, the agency decision maker, and an elected member. The panel was observed, the chairperson was interviewed and a selection of files, including personnel files, adopters’ and children’s files were read during the course of the inspection. The premises and archive storage were also inspected.

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SUMMARY

The inspectors would like to thank the managers and staff for their cooperation during the inspection and the hard work which they put in when organising both the pre-inspection material and the inspection programme. The openness and helpfulness of staff at all levels enabled the inspection to be carried out efficiently and effectively.

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What the service does well:

The agency has good recruitment strategies and is able to provide appropriate families for children who need an adoptive home. Social workers in the adoption team offer a professional service to prospective adopters, which is timely. Prospective adopters have said: “all staff we were in contact with were diligent, helpful and very approachable”. All the adopters who responded to the questionnaires were positive – one said: “ we were recommended RBKC by friends who had a very positive experience. We have been so impressed we have recommended them on again”.

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What the service does well:

The letters to birth parents and prospective adopters which notify them of decision made following panel recommendations are very sensitive and personalised and signed by someone of appropriate seniority in the Department.

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What the service does well:

There is a good range of specialist advice available for parents and children. Advisers are said to be approachable and accessible. There is also a good standard of support post adoption, which includes a very well managed and robust letterbox scheme. The positive attitude to contact with birth families, London Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Adoption Service DS0000050034.V294877.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 7 which was expressed by all adopters interviewed, demonstrates good preparation by adoption staff in this sensitive area.

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What the service does well:

The Borough is seen as a very good employer and the agency is well managed at all levels, with good access to training, supervision and support.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The agency has improved its file storage since the last inspection and now stores current case files in fire and waterproof cabinets.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The agency has developed good written policies and procedures which take into account the demands of the recent Adoption and Children Act and associated Regulations and has improved on the systems for confidentiality agreements. There are also clear policies and procedures in place for contacting ex partners of prospective adopters and protocols in relation to specialist advisers.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

All staff and panel members now have satisfactory and up to date Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks in place.

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What they could do better:

The service to birth parents, particularly in the pre-adoption order phase, is limited. More emphasis should be given to this, to actively encourage parental involvement in plans for the child, their contribution to the child’s heritage and sharing information at an appropriate time. There should be a choice of service for birth parents from an early stage in the process. Social workers need more time, training and resources to engage in life story work with children placed for adoption.

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What they could do better:

There is an inadequate number of administrative staff in the adoption team and the staffing levels in the post adoption service should be developed to provide a full range of services.

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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. London Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Adoption Service DS0000050034.V294877.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 8

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CONTENTS

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

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CONTENTS

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

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CONTENTS

Statutory Requirements identified during the inspection London Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Adoption Service DS0000050034.V294877.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 9

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The intended outcomes for these standards are:

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

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

Quality in this outcome area is good. This judgement has been made using available evidence including a visit to this service. The inconsistency of some practice in the assessment and approval of adopters and the recruitment of sessional staff could compromise the decision-making about safe placements for children.

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EVIDENCE:

The Borough has a Recruitment Officer who is responsible for the recruitment of both foster carers and adopters. There is a written recruitment strategy which is regularly reviewed. There is clear knowledge about the types and numbers of children in the Borough who require an adoptive family and the strategy would appear to be effective as there are only a small number of children waiting for a suitable placement. Careful consideration is given to matching and siblings are only ever separated after an assessment carried out by an appropriately qualified person. Children’s views are elicited by the IRO and given appropriate weight.

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EVIDENCE:

There is a formal process for the preparation and assessment of prospective adopters, which includes a 4-day preparation programme and home study. Currently, the application to adopt is accepted after the preparation groups, London Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Adoption Service DS0000050034.V294877.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 10 but the manager was made aware that this must now be taken prior to preparation. Those wishing to adopt from overseas attend preparation groups provided by a Voluntary Adoption Agency.

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EVIDENCE:

Adopters spoken with felt the preparation they received was effective in helping them care for children.

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EVIDENCE:

Safe caring is addressed but a few assessments were of a variable standard and had some shortfalls in them, such as checks which were not updated, no CRB on an adult member of a household and a lack of discussion about the impact of another child on the adopted child. The health and safety questionnaire does not include issues of guns, dangerous weapons and pull cords on blinds. In other files inspected, the full range of checks had been carried out, including employer checks and those of ex-partners. The issues surrounding diversity were not fully addressed in some files inspected, concentrating mainly around race, rather than the full range of diversity issues.

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EVIDENCE:

The manager undertakes a second opinion visit but this needs to form part of the assessment and be presented to panel.

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EVIDENCE:

Adopters interviewed and those who sent in questionnaires were generally full of praise for their social workers: “we consider ourselves privileged to have worked with such efficient, supportive and sensitive social workers and helpful adoption service” was a comment made by one.

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EVIDENCE:

Adopters are given clear written information about the matching, introduction and placement process and felt they were given full information about any child who may be placed with them. One said; “we felt 100% informed at all times”. This had been lacking in an inter agency placement, but the social worker from the Borough had done all she could to obtain and chase up missing details from the child’s local authority. Prospective adopters are able to meet with the medical advisor to discuss any issues, as well as receiving advice and support from their social worker. Currently the agency does not hold life appreciation days and it is recommended that consideration be given to this.

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EVIDENCE:

Currently, the agency does not have a system whereby a written record is kept of the adoptive parents’ decision to agree to notify the agency in the event of the death of an adoptive child and pass that information on to the birth family and this should be implemented.

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EVIDENCE:

The agency has clear policies and procedures for the operation of the adoption panel and adopters are able to attend (and have done so for some time) for both consideration of their approval and for matching. It is suggested that the procedures are amended to invite adopters to attend rather than expect them to, however. Adopters spoken with commented very favourably on how London Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Adoption Service DS0000050034.V294877.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 11 welcome they were made to feel and how the Chairperson put them at their ease: “the chair was lovely, put me at my ease and made it comfortable”.

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EVIDENCE:

The panel is properly constituted, with a good mix of independent members with experiences of being adopted and adopting. All panel members have up to date CRB checks and have signed confidentiality statements. A joint training day with the agency staff is planned for June and this occurs on at least an annual basis.

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EVIDENCE:

The panel is well organised and papers are received in advance of the panel to ensure members have the time to read them. One adopter commented that it was obvious the panel members had read their papers. The minutes are informative and full, giving reasons for the recommendations. Advice has been given about structuring these to ensure that the capacity in which members are on the panel is stated, and that the membership is detailed on each minute once it is placed in the individual files of adopters or children. There should be a separate minute for each child, even if they are siblings. The minutes also need to ensure that the age range, gender and numbers of children do not form part of the recommendation for approval of adopters but are given as advice.

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EVIDENCE:

The panel adviser is the adoption team manager and is responsible for supervising the work of the adoption social workers who write the prospective adopters report. There is a clear conflict of interest in the quality assurance aspects of this role and consideration should be given to appointing a more independent person to be the panel advisor.

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EVIDENCE:

The agency decision is made in a timely manner and the decision maker has all the information available to her, including the panel papers and minutes. The letters of notification of the decision to adopters and birth parents are personalised and sensitive, signed by the decision maker and sent within the timescales.

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EVIDENCE:

Appropriate recruitment checks are undertaken on the manager and permanent staff members, although there was no evidence that telephone calls are made to verify references. Recruitment of sessional workers appears less robust and their personnel files did not contain all the evidence required to confirm that appropriate recruitment practices take place. This will be discussed further in the management section and standard 28. London Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Adoption Service DS0000050034.V294877.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 12

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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

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

Quality in this outcome area is good. This judgement has been made using available evidence including a visit to this service. The Borough provides a good range of specialist services for children, in conjunction with social work support, which enables families to access appropriate help and provide permanent placements.

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EVIDENCE:

Adopters spoken with and who responded with written questionnaires, in most cases felt they received good support from their social workers. One person commented: “our experience of having a child placed with us has been very good. There has been lots of support and we also feel that we had an excellent social worker”. They felt they had received good preparation before placement, in terms of information received and advice in considering whether or not a child was right for their family. They also felt the preparation groups had been useful. The attitude of adopters in relation to information from the birth family was very positive and demonstrated a good awareness of the importance of such information for children.

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EVIDENCE:

Adopters visited who were in receipt of support post order spoke highly of their worker and felt she had helped them understand issues in relation to the adoption of their child. Adopters were clear about the support available to them at any point in their life and some had utilised the seminars provided by the Consortium on issues such as “telling” and “contact”. There was also evidence of good support given by this Borough when another Local Authority was involved and not giving appropriate support in relation to the child placed.

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EVIDENCE:

The Borough has a Looked After Children Support and Review team, which include a looked after children’s nurse, 4 IROs, an education advisor and a psychologist. Children placed for adoption have access to this team’s advice and input. London Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Adoption Service DS0000050034.V294877.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 13 There is also a good range of specialist services available and social workers interviewed felt very positively about the availability and accessibility of these services. The medical adviser was said to be approachable and available to speak to adopters about any medical issues in relation to their child. The legal adviser was similarly available for advice to staff. There is access to psychological, educational and the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), and staff felt they had good links and good relationships with local professionals. Advisers commented that they were used appropriately. There

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EVIDENCE:

are good written protocols in place for accessing specialist advice. London Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Adoption Service DS0000050034.V294877.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 14

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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)

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

Quality in this outcome area is poor. This judgement has been made using available evidence including a visit to this service. The service to birth families is inconsistent, in particular pre adoption order, and results in a lack of positive involvement in adoption plans and information sharing for adoptive children.

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EVIDENCE:

There were some excellent examples of work with birth families post adoption order seen and the 2 questionnaires received gave positive comments about the support with contact arrangements. Birth family parents/members interviewed were also full of praise about the support received from the post adoption worker .One person said: “she is very supportive, sympathetic and really cares. She reassured me and I felt she really understood”.

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EVIDENCE:

Unfortunately, work with birth families pre adoption order appears very limited. The Borough has a contract with a Voluntary Agency to provide independent support, but the take up has been poor. Also this is the only choice available and the timing of the offer is not early enough in the process. This needs to be addressed.

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EVIDENCE:

There was little evidence of the involvement of birth parents in plans for the children. Forms E inspected had not been signed, did not always give parents views and social workers said they were not always shared with parents prior to the panel.

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EVIDENCE:

Social workers spoken with felt they had little training in life story work and the preparation of later life letters and although committed and eager to do a good job, felt they were muddling through with little support and advice. Adopters spoken with had one good life story book for their child but a very poor and inappropriate one for their other child. A birth parent interviewed said London Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Adoption Service DS0000050034.V294877.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 15 she had not been asked to contribute anything towards her child’s information. One file inspected showed lots of effort from the social worker from RBKC in trying to obtain a life storybook from another Authority.

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EVIDENCE:

There is a good and robust letterbox system in place for assisting with indirect contact and the post adoption worker is also involved in assisting with direct contact. Her efforts in resolving contact issues were praised and much appreciated by adopters and birth family members alike. London Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Adoption Service DS0000050034.V294877.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 16

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The intended outcomes for these standards are:

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

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The intended outcomes for these standards are:

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

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

Quality in this outcome area is good. This judgement has been made using available evidence including a visit to this service. The agency is well managed at all levels and the well developed monitoring processes which are in place ensure that staff are supported in providing a good standard of service to children and families.

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EVIDENCE:

London Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Adoption Service DS0000050034.V294877.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 17 There is a good, clear statement of purpose which reflects the work of the agency and its policies and procedures. This has been recently reviewed and approved by the Executive. Although the staff in the adoption team were aware of it, staff in other parts of the agency were not.

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EVIDENCE:

The Borough uses the BAAF Children’s Guide but this needs to include information about adoption support services, local information and the complaints procedure to comply with the regulations. It also needs to be available in other formats and to be suitable for younger children. Placing social workers interviewed and those who responded to questionnaires did not know of its existence and thus were not giving it out to children who have adoption as their plan.

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EVIDENCE:

The agency has clear information for both domestic and inter country adopters which outlines the process and eligibility criteria. Staff interviewed confirmed they could prioritise prospective adopters who were most likely to meet the needs of children waiting without compromising on the quality of assessments. Prospective adopters are able to talk to approved adopters either through a pre arranged meeting, for example if they wish to adopt a larger sibling group, they will be put in touch with someone with a similar experience, or at the preparation group. Prospective adopters are made aware of the types of children needing families, through information at the initial meeting, the preparation groups and from publications made available to them.

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EVIDENCE:

The agency is well managed at all levels. The manager has suitable professional and managerial qualifications and experience, her responsibilities are detailed and there are clear lines of accountability throughout the agency.

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EVIDENCE:

The teams are well organised but the child care teams said their managers sometimes lack adoption experience, given that they are generic child care teams, covering the whole range of services to children, and the infrequency of adoption work. Although the adoption team said they were linked with the childcare teams by a named worker, the childcare teams were not aware of this. Thus more work needs to be done to ensure there are good links between the placing side of the agency and the adoption team, to ensure their expertise is known and accessed as required. Questionnaires received form placing social workers commented that adoption team staff were “knowledgeable and helpful”, so this positive attitude could be built on by more formalised means. All staff felt that managers and colleagues were responsive to their needs and would enable them to prioritise their work pressures, although there was not a formal caseload management system in place.

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EVIDENCE:

Staff receive regular supervision and they said that training was accessible and available to them.

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EVIDENCE:

There is a good quality of administrative support in the adoption team but there is an inadequate number of staff, given the demands of the adoption and fostering panels, financial systems which appear to be be slow and London Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Adoption Service DS0000050034.V294877.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 18 unresponsive and the requirements of the job. Social workers reported that they undertook many clerical tasks themselves and the letterbox contacts are managed solely by a social worker, which includes a lot of administrative tasks. This is a poor and inefficient use of time and should be addressed. The administrative team commented that they feel appreciated and part of the team and this view is endorsed by the social work staff.

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EVIDENCE:

In addition to inadequate levels of administrative support, there is an inadequate number of staff to undertake the full range of services involved with adoption support, including support to birth parents pre order. Although there is a service level agreement with a voluntary agency, this does not appear to be as effective as it should, given the comments made in the previous section, and leads to a lack of choice for birth parents in selecting an appropriate and responsive service for their needs. The staff in the post adoption service are very well thought of and many very complimentary remarks were made about their work. However, this is an expanding area, given recent requirements on local authorities and expectations and demands on the service will increase.

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EVIDENCE:

Staff reported that they have easy access to all the policies and procedures on the intranet and were aware of significant ones mentioned.

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EVIDENCE:

All staff spoke highly of the Borough in terms of being a good employer. It is politically stable and staff said “it feels very safe”. They felt it was well organised, well managed with high standards, good training opportunities and good communication.

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EVIDENCE:

Although staff felt training was readily available it is recommended that adoption team staff undertake refresher training in child protection, due to the length of time some of the social workers have been in that team and when such training was last undertaken. Likewise, it is recommended that childcare staff undertake training in life story work and later life letters, as there was a clear gap in knowledge and experience in this area. Staff had undertaken training in the new legislation and there is an annual appraisal system and personal development plans in place for staff.

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EVIDENCE:

There are good procedures in place for monitoring and controlling the agency at all levels. These include supervision, team meetings, management information systems, management meetings, and regular involvement of the executive and clear reporting procedures. The lead cabinet member demonstrated an enthusiasm and commitment to adoption, despite her much larger brief and ensures she is kept informed of the operation of the agency through regular meetings with management and the receipt of statistical information on a regular basis. A full report is prepared every 6 months which goes to the Council.

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EVIDENCE:

Records on children and adopters were generally comprehensive and there are written procedures in place for accessing the confidential adoption records. London Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Adoption Service DS0000050034.V294877.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 19 There are also very good and clear written procedures in place for recording. A file audit system is in place but had not been implemented on the files inspected. It is recommended that separate records are maintained of allegations and complaints. There was clear recording of decisions of supervisors on the case files inspected. The archives are stored in a basement at the Town Hall, and although this appears adequate, could be improved and there should be a risk assessment in place to ensure that damage from water and fire is minimised.

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EVIDENCE:

Personnel files on permanent staff are generally adequate but those on the panel members lack significant information such as references, CV, application form and photographs.

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EVIDENCE:

The premises are identifiable, accessible and secure. There are appropriate security systems in place for the storage of records and the IT systems. The Borough has a disaster recovery plan but this does not specifically address the requirements of the adoption agency and this should be developed to cover the premises and the safeguarding and back up of records amongst other things. London Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Adoption Service DS0000050034.V294877.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 20

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SCORING OF OUTCOMES

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

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SCORING OF OUTCOMES

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

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SCORING OF OUTCOMES

BEING HEALTHY MAKING A POSITIVE Standard No Score CONTRIBUTION No NMS are mapped to this outcome Standard No Score 7 2 8 2 9 2

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SCORING OF OUTCOMES

STAYING SAFE ACHIEVING ECONOMIC WELLBEING Standard No Score Standard No Score 2 3 No NMS are mapped to this outcome 4 2 5 3 MANAGEMENT 10 3 Standard No Score 11 3 1 1 12 3 3 3 13 4 14 3 15 3 16 3 19 2 17 3 24 N/A 20 2 21 2 ENJOYING AND ACHIEVING 22 3 Standard No Score 23 2 6 3 25 3 18 3 26 3 27 2 28 1 29 3 30 N/A 31 N/A London Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Adoption Service DS0000050034.V294877.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 21 Are there any outstanding requirements from the last inspection? NO

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STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

This section sets out the actions, which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Voluntary Adoption and the Adoption Agencies Regulations 2003 or Local Authority Adoption Service Regulations 2003 and the National Minimum Standards. The Registered Provider(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

No. Standard Regulation Requirement Timescale for action 1 AD4 22 (AAR 2005) The agency must ensure that the application to adopt is accepted prior to the preparation group. 30/09/06

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STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

2 AD4 23 (AAR 2005) The agency must ensure that checks on all adults in a household are completed. 30/09/06

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STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

3 AD1 3 (LAA 2003) The agency must ensure that there are appropriate Children’s Guides which meet the requirements of Schedule 2 and that social workers are aware of their responsibilities in relation to this. 30/09/06

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STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

4 AD21 10 (LAA 2003) The agency must ensure there is an adequate number of staff to deliver post adoption support services including an adequate level of administrative support. 30/09/06

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STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

5 AD28 11 (LAA 2003) The agency must ensure that files on panel members and sessional staff contain all the information required by Schedule 3 and 4. 30/09/06 London Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Adoption Service DS0000050034.V294877.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 22

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RECOMMENDATIONS

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

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RECOMMENDATIONS

No. Refer to Standard Good Practice Recommendations

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RECOMMENDATIONS

1 AD4 The agency should ensure the 2 nd opinion visit is recorded and presented to panel. 2 AD4 The agency should develop its health and safety questionnaire to include guns, weapons and pull cords for blinds. 3 AD5 The agency should ensure that the decision of adopters to notify the agency in the event of the death of an adopted child is recorded. 4 AD11 The agency should consider who should undertake the panel advisor’s role to ensure independence in the quality assurance aspects of this. 5 AD12 The panel minutes should not recommend numbers, age or gender of children for whom adopters have been approved, but should be detailed as advice. There should be a separate minute for each child. 6 AD19 There should be evidence of telephone calls to verify references on all personnel files. 7 AD7 The agency should ensure that birth parents are more involved in the plans for their child and that information prepared for the adoption panel is shared with them prior

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RECOMMENDATIONS

to the panel. 8 AD8 Social workers should have training to undertake life story work and later life letters and be given the support, time and technology to provide quality pieces of work. 9 AD9 The agency should develop its strategy for working with birth families, particularly pre adoption order, to ensure advice and counselling is available at an early stage in the process and that birth parents have a choice of service to access. 10 AD1 The agency should ensure that all staff are aware of the statement of purpose. 11 AD20 The agency should ensure there is sufficient administrative staff to carry out the functions required. 12 AD23 Staff in the adoption team should have updated training in child protection. 13 AD25 There should be a risk assessment on the storage of archived files to ensure they are protected from damage by fire and water. 14 AD27 Separate records should be maintained in relation to London Borough of Kensington & Chelsea

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RECOMMENDATIONS

Adoption Service DS0000050034.V294877.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 23 complaints and allegations. 15 AD29 The agency should have a disaster recovery plan which takes into account the safeguarding and backup of records of the agency and the premises. London Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Adoption Service DS0000050034.V294877.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 24

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Commission for Social Care Inspection

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

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Commission for Social Care Inspection

National Enquiry Line: 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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