Setting

X10029.doc Version 1.40 Page 1 FOSTERING SERVICE

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Lead Inspector Ms Edi O`Farrell Announced Inspection 9 th to 13th January inclusive 2006 09:00 London Borough of Havering Fostering Service DS0000042373.V266140.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 London Borough of Havering Fostering Service DS0000042373.V266140.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. London Borough of Havering Fostering Service DS0000042373.V266140.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 Page 4

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Name of service

London Borough of Havering Fostering Service

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Name of service

Address Midland House 109-113 Victoria Road Romford Essex RM1 2LX

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(if applicable)

London Borough of Havering Community Services

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manager (if applicable)

Type of registration Local Auth Fostering Service

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of places

London Borough of Havering Fostering Service DS0000042373.V266140.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 Page 5

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Conditions of registration:

Date of last inspection February/March 2005

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Brief Description of the Service:

This is a Fostering Service provided by the London Borough of Havering. It is a part of the Family Placement Service, which is managed within the Children’s Services Section of Social Services. Short and long term fostering, shared care (Family Link), and kinship fostering are provided. Staff recruit, assess, train, review, and support foster carers. The service is divided into two teams; the Family Link Scheme provides respite breaks for children with disabilities, and the Fostering Team, which acts as the boroughs main Fostering Service provider. Where the needs of young people cannot be met from within the in- house service, a separate Commissioning Unit purchases placements from independent providers. A range of support groups are organised at various frequencies i.e. monthly group for carers of the younger age group, 0 to 12 years old, men’s support group, endings group, coffee mornings, Carers

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Brief Description of the Service:

Forum, and a group for foster carer’s own children. A newsletter is sent out five times a year, and a roll out programme of computers is well underway. London Borough of Havering Fostering Service DS0000042373.V266140.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, announced, inspection was carried out over five consecutive days. A range of documents, such as policies and procedures, and case records were examined. A foster carers coffee morning was attended, as well as the carer’s panel, which is responsible for recommending new carers, and reviewing existing carers. Young people’s views were obtained by a pre-inspection questionnaire, and by five face-to-face interviews. Information was also obtained from foster carers by these methods. Foster care staff were invited to a discussion group, and the manager of the service, and her line manager were seen individually. Some discussion was also held with staff from the social work service for children, and two social workers completed pre- inspection questionnaires. Recruitment files were examined and discussed with staff in Human Resources.

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SUMMARY

All who contributed to the inspection are greatly thanked as they provided a wealth of information on which to base the judgments and observations contained in this report. Particular thanks are given for the level of honesty, and hospitality that everyone extended.

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SUMMARY

All relevant standards have been assessed and the Requirements and Recommendations set at the previous inspection have been checked.

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SUMMARY

The inspection concentrated on the in-house provision, and did not include fostering services commissioned from the independent sector.

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What the service does well:

Management, staff, and carers show a high level of commitment to the service, and have a clear vision as to how they want it to develop. Carers value seeing young people ‘making progress’, and ‘turning their lives round’. They also appreciate the support they receive from the supervising social workers, who visit monthly, and for many the social network they have developed with other carers is very highly valued. Young People value living in a family home.

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What the service does well:

A fostering service can only work efficiently and effectively with good support from other service such as children’s social work, health, and education. There is a commitment to partnership working with colleagues from the children’s social work team, education, health, and the independent sector. This has resulted in some excellent packages of care. Children and young people are encouraged to attend, and engage with, school, and to lead full and fulfilling lives. The needs of the young people are regularly reviewed, and the care and placement plans are altered when needs change.

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What the service does well:

A colleague of the supervising worker carries out annual carer reviews, so there is a degree of independence in the process. Outcomes are reported to the Carers Panel, which then makes recommendations to the Head of service London Borough of Havering Fostering Service DS0000042373.V266140.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 Page 7 Children’s’ Social Services. Every third year a full report is presented to the panel, who then carry out the review, again making recommendations.

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What the service does well:

There was plenty of evidence to show that carers take the educational needs of the children very seriously. This included transporting them to and from school, informing the fostering service and the child’s social worker when there were problems, and working very hard to ensure that the child had a personal educational plan. It very encouraging to see the number of children whose educational attainment had increased since being in foster care. It was also very good to note the increased confidence and self-esteem that the young people had gained, and to see the obviously loving relationships that have been formed between the children and carers.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

A number of plans that were in the pipeline at the last inspection have come to fruition. Additional financial resources have been given to the service, which has been restructured into two teams, each with its own manager. This strengthens the management of the team, and will release more of the time of the senior manager to concentrate on strategic and quality assurance type work. It will also provide more ‘hands on’ time to team members. Vacant posts have been recruited to, so there is now a full team, providing more cover for sickness, and space for the team to develop further.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

An out of hours telephone support service has been set up, and improvements to mileage and retainer payments have been introduced.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

There has been an increase in the number of carers being recruited and assessed, and there are some good plans being discussed to increase the number of carers from minority ethnic communities.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

There are plan for the teams to move into new accommodation in April, where being in the same building with education and social work colleagues should assist joint working.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The results of a consultation of kinship carers (where family or friends foster a child) are being acted on. An independent organisation is going to provide support to these carers in the way that they prefer.

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What they could do better:

Most of what could be done better has already been identified by the service, and there are plans in place to take some of them forward, whilst others still need further discussion.

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What they could do better:

There are plans for a recruitment drive for carers for older children, children with very complex needs, and children from black and ethnic minority London Borough of Havering Fostering Service DS0000042373.V266140.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 Page 8 communities. The possibility of a career structure for carers based on experience and training, is currently being discussed.

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What they could do better:

Foster carers and staff brought up the stressful situation that carers go though when allegations of abuse are made. There has been some discussion of the authority providing independent workers to support any carer in this situation. There is a clear and agreed procedure for dealing with allegations or suspicions of abuse in foster care, but this is not always being followed. This needs review, and all workers need to be reminded of correct procedure. There are also concerns about the length of time that investigations can take, and that the stress can be on all the family not just the carers.

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What they could do better:

One young person made a very valid comment that consultation forms always ask the same questions, and that, ‘it’s boring, why can’t they ask different ones’. This comment goes wider than the fostering service and needs to be considered by both the local authority as a whole, and by the Commission.

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What they could do better:

Staff, managers, and foster carers, all raised the length of time that foster carer assessment takes. Most carers spoken to reporting that it had been between nine and 12 months. There seems to be a block in the system related to the completion of the form that goes to the panel. This is very comprehensive, and requires both the collection of vast quantities of sensitive information about potential carers’ histories and lifestyle, and analysis of how this might impact on their abilities as carers.

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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 Havering Fostering Service DS0000042373.V266140.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 Page 9

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CONTENTS

Statutory Requirements Identified During the Inspection London Borough of Havering Fostering Service DS0000042373.V266140.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 Page 10

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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 fostering service takes every step to promote the health and development of children and young people. Foster carers take this responsibility seriously.

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EVIDENCE:

The social work files of 11 young people were examined; these were a mix of short term, long term and respite. Four of these young people were visited, and their care was discussed with their carers and themselves. The organisation of the social work files makes audit extremely easy, and there was ample evidence to support the above judgement. Carers are prompt at reporting concerns to the social workers, and in ensuring that health related appointments are kept, and any follow up treatment happens. In respite, where the young people may have the need for specialist equipment assessments of the carers home had been carried out, and the equipment was in place. Annual medicals are arranged, but the older youngsters are at liberty to turn these down. The Primary Care Trust now provides child health record books for health histories, and every attempt is made to obtain these from the birth families.

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EVIDENCE:

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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

3, 6, 8, 9, 15 & 30 The service is organised and managed so as to offer the greatest possible protection to the young people, but actions taken by other parts of the Local Authority may jeopardise the safety of children.

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JUDGEMENT – The intended outcomes for these Standards are

The fostering service carries out all required checks, and the safety of children is an integral part of the assessment of prospective foster carers, and the matching process.

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JUDGEMENT – The intended outcomes for these Standards are

The child protection protocol agreed between the fostering service and the children’s social work service can work well, but foster carers report concerns about the length of time taken in investigations, and that the protocol is not always followed.

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JUDGEMENT – The intended outcomes for these Standards are

The policy and practice in relation to CRB checks for staff needs to be reviewed, in collaboration with the Human Resource team.

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JUDGEMENT – The intended outcomes for these Standards are

The carers panel is generally well organised, but some attention is needed in order to improve the efficiency of the approval and review procedure.

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EVIDENCE:

London Borough of Havering Fostering Service DS0000042373.V266140.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 Page 12 The recent restructuring has strengthened the management of the service. All three managers have relevant qualifications and experience, and are obviously very committed to their work. The teams are well motivated, loyal, and feel able to air their views and contribute to the development of the service.

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EVIDENCE:

The foster carer assessment process includes a health and safety check on the home, and this is repeated at each annual review. Training includes health and safety, first aid, and child protection, and there are guidelines on safe fostering in the foster carers handbook. Discussions with foster carers during the inspection demonstrated that they are very aware of this area of care.

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EVIDENCE:

Staff and foster carers raised the issue of child protection procedures, in particular the length of time that investigations of allegations can take. There is an agreed protocol between the fostering team and the children’s social work team, which is very clear as to what action each set of workers must take if a child makes a disclosure, unfortunately this is not always followed. This can cause undue stress to the foster carers and their families, as well as to the children, and can cause an unnecessary breakdown of a placement. All foster carers spoken to were very clear that the needs of the children must come first, and stressed that they understood that all allegations must be thoroughly investigated. This view was also echoed in the questionnaires returned to the Commission by the foster carers. There has been some exploration as to how best to support foster carers, and their families, through such difficult periods,

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EVIDENCE:

but this remains an area of concern. The manager of the service meets on a regular basis with the managers of the children’s social work teams, to discuss these types of issues. Open three way discussions between the fostering service staff, children’s social workers, and the foster carers would take this a step further. This is Requirement 1.

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EVIDENCE:

A Human Resource team centrally administers the recruitment process, but the manager of the service also retains some records at the fostering service office. Two files were examined at both locations, with those at the fostering service holding CRB checks, references, and photo proof of identity. The records examined in the Human Resource team office were not as comprehensive; there were no CRB forms on file, though in one case there was evidence that one had been received, and there was also only one reference on one of the files. Discussions need to take place between the two teams to make sure that the manager of the fostering service can demonstrate to the Commission that all required checks are always undertaken. This needs to include agreement in relation to the retention of CRB check information. This is Requirement 2. London Borough of Havering Fostering Service DS0000042373.V266140.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 Page 13

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EVIDENCE:

A foster (called carers) panel was attended during the inspection, during which applications, reviews, and a deregistration were considered. The panel is comprised of people experienced in childcare, including a foster carer, and someone who has been in foster care. One of the changes connected with the new management structure is that the manager of the service will in future, carry out the role of professional adviser. There is an elected member of the local authority on the panel, though there have been difficulties in him attending lately, due to other commitments. In response to matters raised at the last inspection the role and functions of the panel have been reviewed.

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EVIDENCE:

The panel was observed to function in a very professional, yet relaxed, manner. Reports were scrutinised carefully and any gaps in information identified. Attention was paid to CRB checks, training to meet specific needs, such as mothers and babies, endings, appropriate language, child protection processes, diversity, and medical histories. Carers, who attend part of the meeting, were given time to give their views in an unhurried way. The fact that any decision is a recommendation only was stressed several times. Carers are asked to give feedback to the panel by completing and returning a form, and these are then considered at the next panel along with the minutes of the previous meeting. The meeting prior to the one attended during the inspection threw up a particular problem with the current approval system. This is that sometimes reports do not contain sufficient detail for safe decisions to be made. This is sometimes, but not always, dealt with by adjournment,

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EVIDENCE:

and request for further information. Other times a recommendation is made with the proviso that the matters are dealt with at the first review. It is not clear what criteria decides each course of action, and it can mean that prospective and current foster carers are placed in a very difficult position during the meeting. It also leaves the panel open to challenges of unequal treatment. The reports need to be scrutinised more fully prior to them being presented to the panel. This is Requirement 3.

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EVIDENCE:

Another issue raised by carers, staff, young people, their social workers, and management was the length of time taken to assess and approve carers. Some foster carers reported that potential applicants had been lost to the service because of this. The allocation of work within the teams is currently being looked at to see if the development of more specialists roles could help in reducing the timescale i.e. some staff concentrating on assessment, and others on support and supervision of current placements. London Borough of Havering Fostering Service DS0000042373.V266140.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 Page 14

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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

7, 13 & 31 The fostering service values diversity, and promotes educational achievement.

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JUDGEMENT – The intended outcomes for these Standards are

The Family Link service specifically provides short breaks for the children, and is based on a shared care philosophy, which recognises that parents are the main carers.

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EVIDENCE:

Evidence has been taken from observation of the panel and a carer’s coffee morning, examination of files, discussion with, and observation of, some young people, and their carers, and discussion with managers and staff.

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EVIDENCE:

The panel shared examples of where they had had to challenge their own and each other’s values and assumptions when taking decisions about the suitability of potential foster parents. It was particularly positive to see that carers of all ages have been recruited, and well matched with the children they care for.

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EVIDENCE:

The service has already identified the need to recruit more carers from Black and Ethnic Minority communities, and have plans in place for this. To date the profile of the borough has been predominantly white UK, but this is changing, and information from the schools indicates that over the next few years there will be an increase in children from different races needing the service.

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EVIDENCE:

There was plenty of evidence to show that carers take the educational needs of the children very seriously. This included transporting them to and from school, informing the fostering service and the child’s social worker when there London Borough of Havering Fostering Service DS0000042373.V266140.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 Page 15 were problems, and working very hard to ensure that the child had a personal educational plan. It very encouraging to see the number of children whose educational attainment had increased since being in foster care.

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EVIDENCE:

The Family Link team work specifically with children with disabilities and their families to provide short-term respite care. This can either be in the family or the carer’s home, or in the local community. There is a strong commitment to shared care, as a means to provide continuity for the children. Families using this service value it greatly. London Borough of Havering Fostering Service DS0000042373.V266140.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 Page 16

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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

10 & 11 The fostering service gives a high priority to contact arrangements, and promotes consultation.

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JUDGEMENT – The intended outcomes for these Standards are

Some young people would appreciate a more creative approach to consultation.

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EVIDENCE:

Placement plans and social work files were examined, and five young people were asked their views. Eight young people and two placing officers completed questionnaires, along with 21 foster carers. Contact arrangements are very clearly laid out, and followed by the foster carers. The supervising social workers from the fostering team check the arrangements on each visit. Foster carers check with the children’s social workers when birth parents request changes. There were also some good examples of carers using life books and memory boxes to remind the young people of contact, having taken photos of separated siblings during the visits.

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EVIDENCE:

Where there was disagreement between foster carers, social workers, and young people about contact arrangements these were clearly recorded. It was also recorded that, despite not agreeing with the decisions taken by the local authority, foster carers agreed to assist in contact arrangements.

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EVIDENCE:

Children and young people stated that their foster parents, and their social workers, consulted them. This covered both day-to-day consultation, such as what to have for dinner, and where to go on outings, and the longer term plans about their futures. Their dissatisfaction tended to be where the latter decisions conflicted with their wishes, e.g. wishing to remain in a placement, but that not being possible. London Borough of Havering Fostering Service DS0000042373.V266140.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 Page 17 The judgement above regarding consultation needing to be more creative relates to the Commission, as much as it does to the fostering service, and the process that the local authority uses for the children that it is responsible for. One young person made the valid point that it is always the same questions that are asked each time. This was discussed with the Children’s Rights Officer during the inspection, who agreed to feed it into the current review of the

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EVIDENCE:

consultation procedure. A further point that was raised was that the children and young people should have the right to complete the forms separately from the foster carers, and social workers. This is Requirement 4. London Borough of Havering Fostering Service DS0000042373.V266140.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 Page 18

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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

14 & 29 The foster service assists in preparing young people for adulthood, working in close collaboration with other professionals to the benefit of the young person.

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JUDGEMENT – The intended outcomes for these Standards are

Foster carers are paid an allowance and agreed expenses, and they reported that these payments are prompt.

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EVIDENCE:

Examination of records, discussion with, and observation of young people and their carers, and discussion with carers and staff have been used to form the above judgements.

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EVIDENCE:

There was a lot of evidence to show that care is taken in matching older children with appropriate foster carers, in order that they are assisted in reaching adulthood. Foster care staff and carers work closely with colleagues in the leaving care team, to ensure that appropriate plans are in place.

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EVIDENCE:

Carers, via questionnaires and face-to-face conversations, said that expenses are paid on time. Since the last inspection the mileage allowance has been increased, and the length of time of vacant placements receiving a retainer fee has been reduced from two weeks to one. London Borough of Havering Fostering Service DS0000042373.V266140.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 Page 19

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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, 4, 5, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28 & 32 The fostering service is well managed by knowledgeable and experienced managers, and the new management structure has already started to impact positively on the service.

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JUDGEMENT – The intended outcomes for these Standards are

The increase in staff numbers should mean that unforeseen absences of workers would not adversely affect the service in the future. There are sufficient numbers of experienced and qualified staff, but further training and London Borough of Havering Fostering Service DS0000042373.V266140.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 Page 20 development in-put is needed to ensure that all are confident in carrying out the foster carer assessment.

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JUDGEMENT – The intended outcomes for these Standards are

Staff, and foster carers, are properly supported, trained and supervised, and there are clear lines of accountability.

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JUDGEMENT – The intended outcomes for these Standards are

Children, foster carers, and the fostering service, would benefit from more consistently prompt and comprehensive information about the needs of children from the children’s social work teams.

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JUDGEMENT – The intended outcomes for these Standards are

Kinship fostering is given a high priority, and the carers have been consulted on the level and type of support they prefer.

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EVIDENCE:

Since the last inspection a full review of documentation, such as the Statement if Purpose, has been carried out, and all are accurate and comprehensive. They clearly state what the aims, objective, and underlying principles, of the service are.

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EVIDENCE:

During the inspection the managers and staff demonstrated extensive knowledge of childcare, and fostering, policy and procedure, as well as broader social policy. The two staff teams are relatively new, with the re-organisation only having been put into operation in October 2005, with some staff only having started the week of, or immediately preceding, the inspection. All are very positive, and committed, and it is particularly beneficial, given that the team wish to recruit a more diverse range of foster carers, that the team is itself more diverse than previously.

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EVIDENCE:

In discussion with staff, managers, and foster carers, the process of the foster carer assessment repeatedly came up, in particular the length of time that approval takes. All agreed that the national target of six months was not being met, with most of the carers spoken to reporting that it had been between nine and 12 months. There seems to be a block in the system related to the completion of the form that goes to the panel. This is, of necessity, very comprehensive, and requires both the collection of vast quantities of sensitive information about potential carers’, and their family members’ histories and lifestyle, and analysis of how this might impact on their abilities as carers. Options for reducing the timescale are currently being considered, including designating individual workers to specific task, as is the case in teams in some other local authorities. This is Requirement 5.

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EVIDENCE:

Foster carers spoke highly of the support they receive from the supervising social workers, the support groups, and from other foster carers. London Borough of Havering Fostering Service DS0000042373.V266140.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 Page 21 In the questionnaires several carers commented on the negative impact of staff sickness, and suggested that an increase is needed. This was discussed with the manager, who agreed that there had been a particular problem over the summer. The recent increase in staffing should resolve this issue. Carers also commented that if their supervising social worker was not available, they felt comfortable in seeking support from other team members.

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EVIDENCE:

Comprehensive records are kept of the monthly visits made by the supervising social workers, as well as all other contacts. During the visits the daily records are examined and discussed. Where a placement is difficult more frequent visits take place.

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EVIDENCE:

There is an on-going training programme, which is much appreciated by most of the carers. Some of the Family Link carers commented in the questionnaires that training is often more geared to foster carers. The manager of that team reported that this was being addressed.

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EVIDENCE:

In some of the carers’ files some essential information about the children was missing. This meant that it was only possible to get a full picture of the child’s history, and purpose of the placement, by also looking at the child’s file. This could mean that supervising social workers, and foster carers, do not have the full picture, which can often be a reason for placement breakdown. Co- operation from colleagues in children’s social work will be need in order that the fostering service manager can meet Requirement 6.

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EVIDENCE:

All records are securely stored, and an audit system has been put in place, which identifies gaps and details action to be taken.

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EVIDENCE:

The service is currently based in a self-contained building in central Romford. The adoption and leaving care team are also in the same building. The authority has recognised that the office is overcrowded. One attempt to reduce the impact of this on staff is home working. This has included the provision of IT. There is a plan to move all children’s services into one building during the coming year. This will both provide more space for the team, and greatly aid joint working with children’s social work and education colleagues.

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EVIDENCE:

Prior to the previous inspection the authority recognised that Kinship carers were not receiving the same level of support as other carers. A survey was carried out by an independent organisation to find out how this group of carers wished to be supported. This has resulted in the same organisation being contracted to provide the support. There was evidence in all the files seen that Kinship fostering had been considered as the first choice. London Borough of Havering Fostering Service DS0000042373.V266140.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 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 3 Standard No Score 8 3 1 3 9 2 2 3 15 2 4 3 30 2 5 3 16 3 ENJOYING AND ACHIEVING 17 2 Standard No Score 18 3 7 3 19 3 13 3 20 3 31 3 21 3 22 3 MAKING A POSITIVE 23 3 CONTRIBUTION 24 2 Standard No Score 25 3 10 3 26 3 11 2 27 X 28 3 32 3 London Borough of Havering Fostering Service DS0000042373.V266140.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 Page 23 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 FS9 12 The fostering service manager must, in consultation with colleagues from the children’s social work teams, review the impact of recent child protection investigations on fostering placements. This should include three way discussions between foster carers, fostering workers, and social workers. Plans must be developed that minimise the disruption to children’s placements and foster family relationships, whilst still offering full protection. 30/06/06

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STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

2 FS15 20 The fostering service manager must, in consultation with colleagues from the Human Resource team, review all staff files, and ensure that all documents required by regulations have been obtained, and are available for inspection. This must include the policy in relation to CRB checks. 30/06/06

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STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

3 FS30 26 & 28 The fostering service manager must ensure that all assessment reports contain sufficient detail for the panel to make decisions. 30/06/06 London Borough of Havering Fostering Service DS0000042373.V266140.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 Page 24 Reports must be quality checked before being presented to the panel. 4 FS11 11 The fostering service manager must ensure that all foster carers, and the children placed with them, know that the child has the right to complete all consultation questionnaires in confidence, i.e. separate from carers or workers. 30/06/06

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STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

5 FS17 20 & 27 The fostering service manager must ensure that staff who carry out assessments of potential foster carers are equipped to do so in a timely manner. 31/08/06

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STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

6 FS24 11 The fostering service manager must ensure full information on the needs of the child, and the purpose of the placement is available prior to a placement being agreed. 30/03/06

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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 London Borough of Havering Fostering Service DS0000042373.V266140.R01.S.doc Version 5.0 Page 25

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Commission for Social Care Inspection

Ilford Area Office Ferguson House 113 Cranbrook Road Ilford IG1 4PU

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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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