Setting

X10029.doc Version 1.40 Page 1 FOSTERING SERVICE

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Lead Inspector Diana Waters Key Announced Inspection 10th July 2006 09:30 Local Authority Fostering Service DS0000040133.V293935.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 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 Local Authority Fostering Service DS0000040133.V293935.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 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. Local Authority Fostering Service DS0000040133.V293935.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 4

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Name of service

Address Children & Family Services Eastgate House Eastgate Street Gloucester Glos GL1 1PX Telephone number 01452 583600

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Name of service

Email address socialcare.enq@gloucestershire.gov.uk

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Name of service

Provider Web address www.gloucestershire.gov.uk

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manager (if applicable)

Type of registration Local Authority Fostering Service Local Authority Fostering Service DS0000040133.V293935.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 5

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Conditions of registration:

Date of last inspection 14th November 2005

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Brief Description of the Service:

Gloucestershire County Council Fostering Service reported that at 31st March 2006 there were 215 registered foster carers, providing 395 placements. A total of 284 children were reported to be in placement, with 113 in long term care, 99 in short/medium term care, 67 in kinship/family/friends care, 1 in a specialist fostering placement and 4 in respite. Additionally the Family Link service reported 87 households providing 92 placements (27 girls and 65 boys) Between March 2005 and March2006, 48 new households were approved with 10 of these Family Link carers.

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Brief Description of the Service:

The fostering service is divided in to the following components:

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Brief Description of the Service:

The Fostering Recruitment Team (FRT) recruits, trains and assesses prospective carers and has the stated aim of offering support for up to a year post-approval prior to carers transferring to STEPS or PFT.This team also hosts a post that focuses on providing placements for children and young people with disabilities and hosts a supported lodgings officer and a “new directions” (a specialist scheme for older young people)senior practitioner post The Short-Term Placement Service (STEPS) supports short-term, emergency and respite carers. This team also undertakes re-assessment of foster carers wishing to offer a permanent foster placement to young people in their care.

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Brief Description of the Service:

The Permanence Fostering Team (PFT) supports long-term foster carers and recruits, and assesses long-term carers. This team also undertakes assessments and support of friends and family carers. A responsibility that has transferred from field work teams during 2005/6

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Brief Description of the Service:

The Family Link Service operates with a large degree of independence from the other three components of the fostering service; it has separate line management and operates from a different geographical base. It has developed its own Statement of Purpose and a specific Foster Care Agreement. The Family Link Service was identified as a particular focus for this inspection. The Commission recognised that previous inspections had not fully inspected this element of the Council’s fostering service.

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Brief Description of the Service:

The Placement Finding Service attempts to find placement vacancies for Local Authority Fostering Service DS0000040133.V293935.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 6 children and young people referred to the service, this includes locating appropriate foster placements. (The single referral service (SRS) came under the management of the Looked After Children’s Services Manager in 2005.In 2006 the team underwent restructuring and the placement finding service is now under the management of the STEPS team manager), The fostering service placement duty system had been overseen by social workers from the fostering teams on a rota basis for 2 months prior to the inspection. In early June, a temporary appointment was made to the senior practitioner post allocated to oversee placement finding. The team operate from a different geographical base than the fostering teams, but are in the same location as the LAC Service Manager and Fostering Service Manager, when space permits the

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Brief Description of the Service:

team were due to be integrated into Sandford Park House with the other fostering teams.

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Brief Description of the Service:

The intervention team and education psychologists provide placement support functions. Since April 2006 The Looked after children resources are provided under the same management umbrella this includes support to carers via the LACES and activities team.

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Brief Description of the Service:

The Fostering Service Manager was the person nominated under Regulation 10 of the Fostering Services Regulations 2001 to act as the fostering manager. Local Authority Fostering Service DS0000040133.V293935.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 7

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SUMMARY

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

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SUMMARY

The judgements contained in this report have been made from evidence gathered during the inspection, which included a visit to the service and takes into account the views and experiences of people using the service.

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SUMMARY

The inspection took place in July 2006, the last inspection was in November 2005, and therefore only 8 months had elapsed between inspections. The Commission also recognises that there was a significant delay in issuing the last inspection report (7/6/06) and therefore the service had limited opportunity to act upon the action points from this report.

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SUMMARY

The inspectors • Visited 3 Family Link homes and 1 foster home/adoption placement. • Spoke to young people, parents and carers, • Inspected records in 2 homes. • Observed Foster Care Panel. • Interviewed Panel vice chair • Inspected case files, interviewed managers and discussed cases with fostering and adoption officers and Family Link officers • Interviewed a SRS placement officer. • Talked to placing social workers and carers • Distributed questionnaires and received responses from: Social workers: Family Link 6, mainstream 10, (representing at least 28 children.) Young people over 8 years: Family Link 26, Mainstream 26 Carers: Family Link 24, Mainstream 25 Parents: Family Link 25.

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SUMMARY

The inspectors would like to thank all young people, parents, carers and staff for their assistance.

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SUMMARY

Evidence regarding the mainstream service are based upon information gathered in the last inspection, the updates on progress, information extracted from the pre inspection paperwork submitted to CSCI, discussions with the Fostering Services Manager and some new inspection activity Local Authority Fostering Service DS0000040133.V293935.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 8

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What the service does well:

• The AQAA and data provided for CSCI was well prepared and presented providing detailed information and evidence to support the data. • The service has continued to carefully monitor and track progress of the mainstream service where gaps have been identified plans are being drawn up to improve services. • The Service Manager LAC Resources continued to have the confidence of the fostering teams, although at the time of the inspection staff reported they felt some uncertainty about the exact reorganisation of children’s services senior posts and the impact on the fostering service. • The review of the management structure resulting in the creation of a specialist Fostering Services Manager’s post has led to clearer management of the fostering service. • There was at the time of the inspection a full complement of fostering team managers, retaining the experience of 3 fostering team managers (including Family Link) and a newly appointed Steps team manager,

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What the service does well:

• Many experienced family placement workers remain in the all of the fostering teams. • Mainstream Carers reported that support continued to be regular, helpful, well documented and welcomed. • GCC pay Fostering Network membership fees for carers. • Foster Panel were observed to process applications in line with promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children in foster care. • Parents in the Family Link scheme generally welcomed the scheme that provides them and their children with much needed break. • K4K (Kids for kids) a service to foster carers’ children was commended. • Close liaison with the LACES team promoting education. • Family Link introductions to placements are sensitive to individual need, often matching children from within their own networks. • Long term matching is now presented to Foster Care panel. • 10/17 standards were met and 7/17 standards were nearly met.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

• Safe Care, and health and safety audits and risk assessments have been introduced into the Family Link team. • Closer liaison between Family Link and the other fostering teams, although this area still requires further improvement • Support and promotion of education for looked after children. • Performance monitoring of: visits, unannounced visits, safe caring, health and safety checks, foster carer agreements, monitoring of LAC dental and health checks. • Support to specific carers. • The payment system for carers (Payment for skills) had been revised and was implemented in June 2006. Local Authority Fostering Service DS0000040133.V293935.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 9

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What they could do better:

• Foster care panel should be constituted in accordance with Fostering Services Regulations. • The Family Link service should be included whenever services are audited and improvement plans developed. • Training for mainstream carers could be further utilized for Family Link where appropriate. • Supervision visits to Family Link carers should be more regular and in line with the fostering standards, including unannounced visits. • Ensure there is better health and medical information, available and documented before admission • Ensure that internal staff transfers are subject to suitable checks. • Increase the choice available when matching children to placements, document this process to identify gaps in matching and what services are required for each child.

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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. Local Authority Fostering Service DS0000040133.V293935.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 10

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CONTENTS

Statutory Requirements Identified During the Inspection Local Authority Fostering Service DS0000040133.V293935.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 11

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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:

Overall children live in a healthy environment however where there are specific health needs these should be clearly recorded. Quality in this outcome area is judged to be adequate. This judgement has been made using available evidence, including a visit to this service.

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EVIDENCE:

Fostering Link carers were often trained by school nurses in medical procedures and receive training from their main employers. A carer’s competency following this ‘training’ had not been verified or confirmed in writing.

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EVIDENCE:

There were some confusing medical instructions found on files and whilst carers and parents were clear what had been agreed, written medication records were not adequately detailed.

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EVIDENCE:

The service regularly monitors medical and health checks, the service have a PCT lead nurse who liaises with the health service about health care provision and school nurses and health visitors have been trained to carry out review health assessments.

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EVIDENCE:

Improvements planned include revising foster care training, inclusion of specific health information in the foster care handbook, continuation of health visitors and school nurses carrying out health assessments reviews.

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EVIDENCE:

The service reports there needs to be better health information on young people available to carers at the time of the placement, and even better take Local Authority Fostering Service DS0000040133.V293935.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 12 up of health assessments. The service reports they are in the top performance band for health assessments Local Authority Fostering Service DS0000040133.V293935.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 13

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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):

Quality in this outcome area is judged to be good. The service makes suitable arrangements for the protection of children and young people. This judgement has been made using available evidence including a visit to this service.

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EVIDENCE:

The manager of the Family Link scheme holds a social work qualification, is registered with the GSCC and has experience of caring for children with disabilities, within the last year the secondment of the Family Link manager to the STEPS team was reported to be beneficial in more closely aligning Family Link with fostering.

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EVIDENCE:

Homes visited during the inspection were fit for purpose with young people having their own bedrooms whilst staying. New health and safety checks had been implemented on Family Link households, it is suggested that a record is kept of mot dates and motor insurance seen at the time of the check. Social work staff were able to give a clear account of how placements were matched, although this was not always recorded in a clear and consistent manner, and logs and files tracked did not always run sequentially. Staff Local Authority Fostering Service DS0000040133.V293935.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 14 meetings did reflect some brief discussion on matching. Some placement/care plans reflected matching details but as many children don’t have an allocated social worker this was not always up to date. In one tracked case inspectors found that, whilst the placement was successful, information about the child had not been updated since 1999.

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EVIDENCE:

Carers and Parents confirmed the tracked children had been introduced to their Family Link homes in a gradual, and sensitive way, planned with the individual needs of each child in mind. Questionnaires from parents indicated satisfaction with carers ”We have only recently found a family but it was worth the wait, The family are ideally suited”, ”Family Link have been very helpful in getting the right family, we feel very pleased and my child is very happy when he goes and on his return from respite”

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EVIDENCE:

The service had successfully matched a child within their own cultural community, both carer and parent were very happy with the match and stated the child was able to maintain the cultural value base and avoided mixed messages.

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EVIDENCE:

Matching of some children was also enhanced by carers’ knowledge of them from their daytime educational placements.

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EVIDENCE:

The files of staff were examined and some staff were interviewed during the inspection. All qualifications were on file and GSCC registration details. Whilst job descriptions were on files, not all were relevant to current posts. Internal applicants from within the county council did not have updated references, from the previous line manager, the most recent references found on one file were 1996 when originally employed by the local authority, this staff member was appointed to adoption and fostering in 2004 and whilst there had been telephone contact with a line manager this had not been formally followed up in writing.

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EVIDENCE:

The service maintains it is appropriately staffed by experienced and qualified staff, with a thorough recruitment process. Overall the recruitment of staff ensures that young people are protected, the service recognises there are improvements that can be made, these include checking and recording gaps in employment history and recording follow up calls to referees. The recruitment process for foster carers is reported to be thorough, with some identified areas for improvement: Implementing a process for ensuring checks on motor vehicles is recorded. Improving recording for risk assessments for shared bedrooms and recording gaps in matching when placing children and identifying services that are provided to fill the gaps. Local Authority Fostering Service DS0000040133.V293935.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 15 Questionnaires from placing social workers raised concerns about placement choice, staff within SRS confirmed that there is limited placement choice; this

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EVIDENCE:

was further confirmed by the Fostering Services Manager. As a result some children are placed with carers despite limited matching. The service has acknowledged the need to recruit more foster carers and they are targeting over the next 12 months recruitment from the black and ethnic minority groups and carers for older children.

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EVIDENCE:

Foster panel was attended, the vice chair was interviewed and panel minutes were scrutinised, observations include professional chairing of panel, involvement by all panel members, appropriate and courteous questioning of social workers and applicants and comprehensive minutes. This year it was reported that long-term matches were being submitted to foster care panel, the inspector would commend this practice.

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EVIDENCE:

Foster panel make recommendations on all applications put before them, including fostering link applications, these are scrutinised and assessing social workers are expected to be present and applicants are encouraged to attend. The vice chair of Panel had at the time of the inspection just been asked to consider the ‘chair ‘appointment and if successful a vice chair will be required.

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EVIDENCE:

The service report they have identified an elected member to join foster care panel, Whilst there has been a significant period in which there has been no elected member sitting on panel, since Nov 2005, this is reported to be due to delays in obtaining the appropriate statutory checks. In addition panel has no foster parent representative who has, within the last 2yrs, been a foster parent for a fostering service other than GCC.

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EVIDENCE:

Fostering Panel have acknowledged their need for training in order to more carefully consider the applications that come before them, particularly about private fostering and the relevant legislation and Family Link, it was reported that this training is planned. Local Authority Fostering Service DS0000040133.V293935.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 16

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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):

The service promotes educational achievement and encourages attendance at School. Quality in this outcome area is judged to be good. This judgement has been made using available evidence including a visit to this service.

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EVIDENCE:

In recruiting Family Link carers, Family Link service have recruitment leaflets in minority languages and have a dedicated answer phone message in Gujarati and Urdu. The service has recently been used as a pilot looking at encouraging black and minority ethnic families to become carers and use family based short breaks. The team were keen to advertise their vacant post as widely as possible including the local black press to encourage applications from a diverse work force. The inspectors were concerned that some of the questionnaires returned from fostering link carers demonstrated a lack of insight into diversity and equality, noting this was not relevant. Several carers in questionnaires also indicated they were not being supported to assist children in attending community activities. However the manager reports in the AQAA that the annual review and the supervisory contact form ask about activities the child enjoys. Children

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EVIDENCE:

are able to experience life in another family and try different activities, and family link workers keep themselves abreast of activities and outings that would be suitable for carers and children, it was also acknowledged that the Local Authority Fostering Service DS0000040133.V293935.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 17 service could advertise activities and outing possibilities in the carers news letter.

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EVIDENCE:

Children within the Family Link scheme are offered experiences within other families which one child describes as” fantastic, I do computer games, go to china town, read my books, go to bbq’s, like the carers children, Its greatest of all, brilliant” one parent said’ I think he likes it, he gets to do things with someone who is not too tired/cross. Within Family Link files there was little evidence of education details, those that were found were dated 1998,carers themselves had knowledge of their individual linked child’s progress and development, often working in the school the child attended. Parents often saw the link arrangement as a break/holiday for the child and themselves and passed on what they considered necessary. Home school diaries were seen as good practise and the service is encouraged to remain mindful of the need to strengthen and evidence links between schools, carers and parents.

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EVIDENCE:

It was clear within Family Link parents remained central to the promotion of both health and education needs for their children and carers understood the partnership arrangements with parents.

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EVIDENCE:

The mainstream service report they are targeting black and ethnic minority carers to take young people aged 12+.

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EVIDENCE:

The service expects that the combining of education and social services into a Children and Young Person Directorate will help integration for looked after children. The service report there have been many projects implemented within the last year, involving carers and children with “love literacy”, “aim higher”, LACES intervention and support to carers and young people including revision support, involvement with foster carers, their website, together with a conference planned for October highlighting education and attachment issues. There are also plans to integrate the A-Z education booklet available to carers and social workers into the Foster Carers Handbook. The service will also clarify financial guidance to carers relating to school funding, including guidance on school trips. The admissions criteria for many secondary schools allow LAC to take priority. Local Authority Fostering Service DS0000040133.V293935.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 18

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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):

The service promotes contact and undertakes some consultation with children and young people. Quality in this outcome area is judged to be adequate This judgement has been made using available evidence including a visit to this service.

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EVIDENCE:

For the most part Family Link carers are caring for children for short stays and so there is a high level of contact between carers and parents. Questionnaires from parents confirmed that good communication takes place

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EVIDENCE:

Family Link carers stated they received a newsletter from the service and updates to the handbook.

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EVIDENCE:

A significant number of returns stated the children were not consulted by the service and parents were not regularly contacted for feedback. One parent interviewed stated they did receive communication from the service but were busy and often forgot to respond/return, they thought it might be helpful to be chased about the information required, they hadn’t returned the ‘about me’ dated 2004. Other parents readily took on the responsibility to ascertain if their child had concerns/were happy and knew how to raise concerns appropriately. The service produced attractive picture guide questionnaires for carers’ children and for children placed to complete for inclusion at carers reviews. Local Authority Fostering Service DS0000040133.V293935.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 19 Mainstream

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EVIDENCE:

Whilst this was not inspected in any depth at this inspection, in Nov2005 the service was found to promote contact for young people.

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EVIDENCE:

Consultation with children appears to be taken seriously, children are asked to complete questionnaires in preparation for their carers’ reviews and for their own reviews.

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EVIDENCE:

There was evidence in the data provided of a ‘Listening to Children’s Reference Group’, with minutes of a meeting in March 2006 involving, councillors, senior managers and young people, the aim being “to look at the way looked after children and the adults employed by the children’s and young persons services can work together to improve the lives of as many young people as possible”. Y Plan, children’s rights and advocacy issued a report with the issues raised in the last 12 months. Local Authority Fostering Service DS0000040133.V293935.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 20

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

These are not key standards and were not inspected

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EVIDENCE:

The service reported the” Payment for Skills” payment to carers had been revised after extensive consultation and this had been implemented on 11 June 2006,The inspection took place in July 2006 and therefore there was not sufficient evidence from carers available to comment further at this inspection. Local Authority Fostering Service DS0000040133.V293935.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 21

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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, 24 and 32 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):

The fostering service is organised and led by qualified and experienced managers, it is staffed with experienced and qualified staff. Few children placed with Family Link carers had allocated social workers, as a result levels of supervision were judged to be inadequate.

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

Overall quality in this outcome area is judged to be adequate. This judgement has been made using available evidence including a visit to this service. Local Authority Fostering Service DS0000040133.V293935.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 22

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EVIDENCE:

The Statement of Purpose will need to be updated to reflect the current management and staff structure and needs to include the numbers of foster carers and children on the scheme.

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EVIDENCE:

The children’s handbook for Family Link was attractive and well thought out.

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EVIDENCE:

Supervision of staff was found to be regular and described by staff to be useful and constructive. Staff in the Family Link team was found to have a strong identity and commitment to the task and all spoke well of the manager, responsibilities for various tasks were clear and team meetings were held regularly and records were kept.

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EVIDENCE:

Many children on the Family Link scheme were found to have no allocated social worker or had been deallocated, with no reviews of their care, despite the fact that the inspector would consider them to be Looked After Children. In some cases Family Support Workers had been allocated. With the absence of a nominated worker, the first point of call for everyone involved with the child in the absence of a nominated social worker was often the Family Link worker, subsequently increasing their workload.

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EVIDENCE:

The Family Link service has a 1/2 manager, 3 fte link workers and at the time of the inspection had a ½ time vacancy. The team reported 87 households with 5 on hold. The inspectors did not consider that this team was sufficiently well staffed to complete the tasks required in the national minimum standards.

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EVIDENCE:

Whilst there is a clear strategy of working with carers in Family Link some carers were only visited once a year. In the absence of allocated social workers for the children in Family Link, communication is predominantly with the fostering link workers. Further policy developments regarding minimum visiting is being developed by the service.

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EVIDENCE:

The details ‘all about me’ for each child should be reviewed and updated where necessary. Although carers reported they were aware of the reasons children were placed, this should be more comprehensively documented. The inspectors are aware of the differences between Family Link Scheme and the other fostering schemes, and clearly many families, carers and staff view themselves differently. The service have agreed with CSCI to seek legal advice regarding the legal status of children looked after by the family link scheme and on this advice will Local Authority Fostering Service DS0000040133.V293935.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 23 ensure these children placed with the scheme, receive appropriate supervision and reviews.

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EVIDENCE:

Files examined contained some very old information; logs did not always run sequentially and in general files were not professionally maintained. It would appear that the overhaul of the mainstream fostering files in 2004 did not include the Family Link service and they would benefit from attention.

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EVIDENCE:

The service reported their recruitment strategy has increased the pool of available carers, although some parents reported waiting some time for the “right “ placement.

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EVIDENCE:

The statement of purpose had been updated within the last year.

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EVIDENCE:

The service now had a full complement of team managers and staff were reported to be supervised regularly

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EVIDENCE:

The mainstream service retains many experienced family placement workers, with adequate resources to provide for the current needs of the mainstream fostering service as outlined in their statement of purpose. The service has a clear recruitment policy and strategy, but currently is unable to provide the range of placements to enable young people and their social workers to make informed choices. In some cases despite little or no placement choice and to the credit of carers, young people and their social workers/family placement officers, they have strived to make the placement work. The initial training, assessment and approval of carers were assessed in the 2005 CSCI inspection as good.

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EVIDENCE:

There is a clear strategy for working with and supporting carers and carers generally speak well of the support they receive. Carers support groups exist in various locations around the county, with both day and evening availability, some groups are reported to use the opportunity to enhance their training, other are more focused on support to each other.

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EVIDENCE:

The service identified K4K as an area of excellence, this is the provision for carers children to participate in workshops and fun days, this is an innovative project appreciated by carers and children alike and provide them with opportunities to meet with other children and share experiences. This part of the service is commended. Local Authority Fostering Service DS0000040133.V293935.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 24

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SCORING OF OUTCOMES

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

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SCORING OF OUTCOMES

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

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SCORING OF OUTCOMES

BEING HEALTHY ACHIEVING ECONOMIC Standard No Score WELLBEING 12 2 Standard No Score 14 x STAYING SAFE 29 x Standard No Score 3 3 MANAGEMENT 6 3 Standard No Score 8 2 1 3 9 3 2 x 15 2 4 x 30 2 5 x 16 3 ENJOYING AND ACHIEVING 17 2 Standard No Score 18 x 7 3 19 x 13 3 20 x 31 3 21 3 22 x MAKING A POSITIVE 23 x CONTRIBUTION 24 2 Standard No Score 25 x 10 3 26 x 11 3 27 x 28 x 32 x Local Authority Fostering Service DS0000040133.V293935.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 25 Are there any outstanding requirements from the last inspection? Yes

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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 FS30 24 Foster Care panel must be established in line with Regulation 24 (3) (c) and (d) 31/01/07

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STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

2 FS15 20 The service must ensure that all workers have a full employment history, together with a satisfactory written explanation of any gaps in employment. The references required by Schedule 1 must be obtained where staff transfer into the fostering service from other positions within the Council and an internal written reference obtained. 01/11/06

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STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

3 FS8 33 To ensure that suitable foster placements are made the service must recruit sufficient carers to meet the needs of children and young people who are assessed as needing the service 29/09/07

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STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

4 FS17 19 The service must ensure there are adequate numbers of staff in the fostering teams (Family Link) to supervise and support all carers. 31/01/07

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STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

5 FS12 15 The fostering service must 01/12/06 Local Authority Fostering Service DS0000040133.V293935.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 26 ensure health information on young people is available at the point of placement.

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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 FS24 Files within the Family Link scheme should be reviewed and details on young people updated. 2 FS8 Placement matching should be recorded in a clear and consistent manner, bedroom sharing should be risk assessed and recorded. 3 FS1 The statement of purpose for the Family Link scheme should be updated to reflect the current staff team and should include the numbers of carers and young people on the scheme. 4 FS11 The Family link service should ensure young people are regularly consulted. 5 FS13 The Family link service should remain mindful of the need to strengthen and evidence links between schools and carers and parents 7 FS12 Where foster carers have received training relating to medical procedures and” permitted “ health care tasks, their competence to perform these tasks should be verified and recorded in writing. 8 FS6 At the time of the carers health and safety check, motor insurance and Mot details should be recorded on Family

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RECOMMENDATIONS

link files. Local Authority Fostering Service DS0000040133.V293935.R01.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 27

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Commission for Social Care Inspection

Gloucester Office Unit 1210 Lansdowne Court Gloucester Business Park Brockworth Gloucester, GL3 4AB

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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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