Setting

X10029.doc Version 1.40 Page 1 FOSTERING SERVICE

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Lead Inspector Jenny Elliott Announced Inspection 23rd January 2006 10:00 Essex Local Authority Fostering Services DS0000042083.V259737.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 2 The Commission for Social Care Inspection aims to:

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

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Reader Information Document Purpose Inspection Report Author CSCI Audience General Public Further copies from 0870 240 7535 (telephone order line) Copyright This report is copyright Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) and may only be used in its entirety. Extracts may not be used or reproduced without the express permission of CSCI Internet address www.csci.org.uk Essex Local Authority Fostering Services DS0000042083.V259737.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 3 This is a report of an inspection to assess whether services are meeting the needs of people who use them. The legal basis for conducting inspections is the Care Standards Act 2000 and the relevant National Minimum Standards for this establishment are those for Fostering Services. They can be found at www.dh.gov.uk or obtained from The Stationery Office (TSO) PO Box 29, St Crispins, Duke Street, Norwich, NR3 1GN. Tel: 0870 600 5522. Online ordering: www.tso.co.uk/bookshop

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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. Essex Local Authority Fostering Services DS0000042083.V259737.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 4

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Name of service

Essex Local Authority Fostering Services

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Name of service

Address Social Services Directorate PO Box 297 County Hall Chelmsford Essex CM1 1YS

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manager (if applicable)

Type of registration Local Auth Fostering Service

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of places

Essex Local Authority Fostering Services DS0000042083.V259737.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 5

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Conditions of registration:

Date of last inspection 10th February 2005

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Brief Description of the Service:

Essex Fostering Service provides planned, emergency and respite care for children with a range of needs in a broad range of circumstances.

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Brief Description of the Service:

The Service is structured by location and specialism. This comprises of four geographically designated locality teams, two Adolescent Fostering Teams, one countywide Central Placements Team, a Family Partnership Team and three Shared Care Teams. The service is centrally managed by the County Manager for Looked after children.

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Brief Description of the Service:

The Shared Care Scheme links children with disabilities with families who can provide short breaks on a regular basis. This can be anything from a few hours to several days per month. The purpose is to offer new experiences and friendships to disabled children in a family environment. It also affords parents the opportunity of respite from their caring responsibilities. The children placed may have a learning disability, physical disability, complex health needs or severe impairment.

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Brief Description of the Service:

Kinship carers and carers with exemptions are currently within the remit of the mainstream fostering service.

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Brief Description of the Service:

Essex is a large authority, accommodating 893 children and young people in local authority care at December 2005. The authority has continued its ‘Invest to Save Policy’ in recognition of the need to increase the number and type of directly provided foster placements available. The invest to save approach is wide ranging in addition to the development of fee paid carers, the authority works to ensure that children only become ‘looked after’ where other interventions are not appropriate or exhausted and it is therefore in the best interest of children and young people. Essex Local Authority Fostering Services DS0000042083.V259737.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 6

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SUMMARY

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

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SUMMARY

This inspection was carried out between 23 rd January and 23 rd February 2006 by four inspectors. The inspection included visits to a number of locality and shared care offices where files were scrutinised and staff and managers interviewed. Visits were also made to carers working with those teams where carers and children looked after were consulted regarding their views of the service. A number of meetings including two foster carer panels, specialist support services and specific initiatives (specifically corporate parenting and diversity) were attended. In addition questionnaires were sent to all children and young people looked after by the authority over the age of 8, all foster carers and placing social workers. Inspectors also had the opportunity to attend a number of events involving the service provider, carers and children. The inspection focused on ‘key’ standards, these are the standards that the

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SUMMARY

Commission consider most important in respect of the outcomes for children and young people.

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SUMMARY

Overall Essex Fostering Service was felt to be offering a satisfactory to good level of service to most children and young people. One area of the service provided (promoting well being) was felt to be very good. There was a high level of satisfaction expressed by the carers, children and young people who met with inspectors as part of the inspection and through questionnaires returned to inspectors.

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What the service does well:

The service continues to monitor its provision and identify ways of improving the experience of the children and young people it works with. The service uses information from, for example, reviews and the fostering panel, and other agencies to improve services and develop consistency.

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What the service does well:

Specific pieces of work, for example the health and well-being of children and young people, the development of long-term fostering and corporate parenting are managed in a way that they link with relevant parts of the service, the senior management team and become integral to the overall provision.

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What the service does well:

Essex Fostering Service works with a large number of children, young people and carers. This will inevitably cause problems at times, overall it was felt that the service worked hard to ensure individual needs could be met. Essex Local Authority Fostering Services DS0000042083.V259737.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 7

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The service has developed interagency work to promote the wellbeing of looked after children. This includes specialist and general health related tasks and programmes to develop access to promote emotional wellbeing.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The service has addressed issues of diversity to a wider audience and has begun to develop practice in this area so that it becomes an integral part of service delivery. Corporate parenting has become part of the wider children’s service since the last inspection and has begun to reflect the needs of children, young people and carers. Further work is planned to identify the educational (and associated wellbeing) needs of children looked after to inform the future development of this arm of the service. The shared care service has also been more fully integrated into the main fostering service, without losing its focus of working with children who have a disability.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

A small long-term fostering group has been developed to promote stable placements for children who are likely to require a foster placement until they reach adulthood. Although at an early stage of development, the group has designated supervising social workers who recruit dedicated carers, receive referrals, consider matching and provide on-going support to carers, children and young people.

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What they could do better:

Although the level of satisfaction with the service expressed by carers, was higher than last year, there were some specific concerns raised by carers and young people. Whilst it is recognised that in a service of this size effective consultation and communication will be difficult, the service must keep this under constant review, and, in particular how it deals with complaints and communicates with complainants. The service should also work with carers in the shared care service to develop an understanding of why some of these carers feel separate from and undervalued by the rest of the service.

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What they could do better:

The service should also explore tensions, where they arise, between carers and placing social workers and monitor the perceived shortfalls in support provided to children and young people.

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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. Essex Local Authority Fostering Services DS0000042083.V259737.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 8

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CONTENTS

Statutory Requirements Identified During the Inspection Essex Local Authority Fostering Services DS0000042083.V259737.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 9

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The intended outcome for this Standard is:

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

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The Commission considers Standard 12 the key standard to be

inspected at least once during a 12 month period.

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JUDGEMENT – we looked at the outcome for Standard:

The health and development needs of children and young people were promoted by the fostering service.

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EVIDENCE:

Discussions with the Specialist Health Care Tasks team provided evidence of how the needs of individual children were assessed and planned for, with specific training provided for carers. Records examined within the shared care teams offices, as well as discussions with shared care staff and carers, showed that training was provided that was specific to the needs of individual children. The Specialist Health Care Tasks team was a joint funded initiative between Essex Social Care and the Primary Care Teams within the county boundaries. Four nurses worked in the county to develop resources and support services for looked after children, and met quarterly with the County Manager to progress key issues. Examples of the development of good practice included links made by these nurses with designated teachers and the development in progress of leaflets ‘Health Services and your Looked After Child.’

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EVIDENCE:

Where carers were aware of, and had used, the direct referral process to health services they reported a positive experience.

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EVIDENCE:

The records of children using shared care services showed comprehensive assessments were undertaken prior to a place being offered and consideration of the individual needs contributed to the matching process. In addition to training in relation to a child's individual health-care needs, records showed that each carer was given basic training on health and hygiene issues and first aid as part of their initial induction training programme. Essex Local Authority Fostering Services DS0000042083.V259737.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 10

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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):

Those carrying on or managing the service were suitable to do so and the service provided suitable foster carers. Although the process for matching children to carers within shared care was considered good, evidence was not always available to support this across the wider service.

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

Carers covered child protection in the introduction to fostering course, but not all carers had updated this training. Clear advice was provided to carers about acceptable forms of discipline.

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

Fostering panels were efficient, effective and integral to the development of the service.

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EVIDENCE:

Personnel files relating to managers and staff were examined and found to meet the requirements of Schedule 1 of the Fostering Service Regulations 2002.

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EVIDENCE:

The Fostering Panel played a key role in the scrutinising of assessments for new foster carers and annual review of carers. Household reviews were undertaken at the carer’s home by reviewing officers. Records of household reviews and environmental checks matched conditions found at visits by Essex Local Authority Fostering Services DS0000042083.V259737.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 11 inspectors. Reviewing officers had identified a lack of consistency in the completion of health and safety checklists in relation to carers’ homes and a working party has been set up to address this. Risk assessments were in place where serious concerns had been raised. The examples seen provided a clear action plan appropriately allocating responsibilities between social services and carers. The service have worked with Essex County Fire and Rescue Service to develop an information pack ‘Fire Safety For Foster Families’ and to supply and

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EVIDENCE:

install smoke alarms for all fostering households.

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EVIDENCE:

Training for carers included safe caring. In the records inspected evidence was found to demonstrate that where children were identified as at risk there were clear and specific guidelines for the carers and their family to follow. The direct referral to health provision includes support for carers dealing with challenging behaviour and carers reported the benefit of this to inspectors. In questionnaires carers reported a higher level of satisfaction with the information they were provided with about children, prior to placement, than at the previous inspection. Discussions with carers during this inspection, suggested varying levels of satisfaction with the information provided prior to placement, in different areas. Essex Local Authority Fostering Services DS0000042083.V259737.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 12

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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 had made good progress in promoting diversity and educational achievement amongst staff and carers.

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EVIDENCE:

The service has demonstrated a commitment to recognising difference and supporting children, young people, carers and staff to positively embrace diversity. A pilot training module for staff and carers explaining the roots of discrimination and the impact this may have on children’s identity has been extended across the service. Other initiatives have included links with multi- faith forums, a multi-cultural resource day, specialist health care task training and communication training and service events open to all looked after children. For new carers the introduction to fostering training will include issues relating to diversity.

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EVIDENCE:

Each locality team has developed an action plan detailing what steps will be taken to meet minimum standards in respect of valuing diversity.

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EVIDENCE:

The service has also developed initial training for carers to include education issues. There was at least a basic understanding of the support available to children and young people from the corporate parenting element of the service. Staff and carers were not necessarily aware of the range of facilities and support available. One person said ‘the service is not publicised enough even with the fostering team.’ Where support had been accessed carers reported positively on the support provided and that they were likely to use Essex Local Authority Fostering Services DS0000042083.V259737.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 13 the service again. Support included helping young people at risk of exclusion, extra tuition in preparation for exams, book sacks for younger children, laptops for GCSE students and revision weekends. The service also monitors school attendance of children and young people via a specialist company on a daily

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EVIDENCE:

basis. Essex Local Authority Fostering Services DS0000042083.V259737.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 14

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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):

Contact arrangements were promoted for children and young people.

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

The service did make efforts to consult with children and carers using the service in a variety of ways.

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EVIDENCE:

Appropriate contact arrangements were in place for the children and young people visited as part of this inspection. This included letterbox, telephone, supervised and unsupervised contact with birth family members. There was also evidence that siblings placed with different carers were supported to maintain appropriate relationships. Good records were seen of contact meetings including carers’ reports of how this affected young people. Carers spoke highly of the support they received with difficult contact situations. Through questionnaires carers described a range of support provided to children and young people that demonstrated an awareness of the importance of contact.

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EVIDENCE:

There was evidence from questionnaires completed by children and young people that they were consulted about day-to-day decisions in the home. Household reviews included consultation with children, birth family and social workers and plans were in place to extend this to cover health and education. One young person said they were not given reports to read until at their children’s review meeting and could not therefore participate fully. Over 90% of children and young people completing questionnaires said that the service had consulted them about their foster carers. There was also evidence during Essex Local Authority Fostering Services DS0000042083.V259737.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 15 the inspection that one young person had fully participated in decision making about their long-term fostering placement.

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EVIDENCE:

The shared care service was in the process of appointing a dedicated Reviewing Officer, part of whose role would include seeking the views of every child using the service. Some children were observed completing diaries/scrapbooks of respite care using pictures and photographs and these were used to inform the service about the level of satisfaction experienced by the children. The service provides training for carers working with children with special communication needs.

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EVIDENCE:

The service works positively with its Foster Carers Council and produces a good quality quarterly publication providing clear information for carers, children and young people. Essex Local Authority Fostering Services DS0000042083.V259737.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 16

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The intended outcomes for these Standards are:

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

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The Commission considers Standards 29 the key standard to be

inspected at least once during a 12 month period.

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

Carers received allowances and expenses in line with published information.

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EVIDENCE:

There were a very small number of concerns about delays in payments or reimbursement of expenses. However this was not raised as a significant issue in questionnaires or discussions.

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EVIDENCE:

Some shared and kinship carers felt that the differential rates of allowances undervalued their roles. Essex Local Authority Fostering Services DS0000042083.V259737.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 17

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The intended outcomes for these Standards are:

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

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The intended outcomes for these Standards are:

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

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

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

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

The service was managed effectively and efficiently.

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

Staffing and carer levels were generally adequate.

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

There was a marked improvement in the standard of case recording within shared care with a number of management reports now available through the use of the computerised Swift recording system. Essex Local Authority Fostering Services DS0000042083.V259737.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 18 National Minimum Standard 22 was not inspected in full. However it is noted that a relatively high number of carers who had made complaints on behalf of young people felt that the outcome of the complaint had not been fully, or at all, communicated.

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EVIDENCE:

There was a clear management structure in the service and clear roles and responsibilities amongst the senior management team. There were clear monitoring and reporting structures in place to ensure key issues were identified and made known to senior managers and that new initiatives and service developments were clearly communicated and implementation monitored.

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EVIDENCE:

One of the teams visited had experienced staff shortages in the six months leading up to the inspection. A successful recruitment drive had resulted in a full complement of staff by the end of the inspection. Some carers working in the locality reported, through questionnaires, a reduced level of contact with the office. There was no other evidence of staff shortages impacting negatively on the service. The vast majority of carers felt that fostering service staff ‘did a good job’ under ‘difficult and stressful’ circumstances.

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EVIDENCE:

The recruitment of carers is an on-going activity for the service. One locality reported a particularly successful campaign in the year leading up to this inspection.

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EVIDENCE:

Except for a small number of specific circumstances, carers reported a good level of contact and support from fostering teams. At a strategic level plans and workstreams were in place to develop services such as support for general and mental health and education, more responsive training for carers and staff, encouragement and support for carers groups and extending the remit and influence of annual reviews.

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EVIDENCE:

The role of supervising social workers was clear to carers. Some carers expectations of placing social workers were not met. It was apparent from comments that there was tension in the relationship between a small number of carers and placing officers.

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EVIDENCE:

There was a noticable improvement in records maintained by the service. The service had engaged an independent auditor to improve the level of recording across the service. Essex Local Authority Fostering Services DS0000042083.V259737.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 19

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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 4 Standard No Score 14 X STAYING SAFE 29 3 Standard No Score 3 3 MANAGEMENT 6 3 Standard No Score 8 2 1 X 9 2 2 3 15 3 4 X 30 3 5 3 16 X ENJOYING AND ACHIEVING 17 3 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 3 Standard No Score 25 X 10 3 26 X 11 3 27 X 28 X 32 X Essex Local Authority Fostering Services DS0000042083.V259737.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 20 Are there any outstanding requirements from the last inspection? No

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STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

This section sets out the actions, which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Fostering Services Regulations 2002 and the National Minimum Standards. The Registered Provider(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

No. Standard Regulation Requirement Timescale for action 1 FS8 33 The service must ensure that evidence of its consideration that it is the most suitable placement. 30/06/06

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STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

2 FS9 17 The service must ensure that it sets clear expectations in respect of training for carers and that these are met. 31/08/06

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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 Essex Local Authority Fostering Services DS0000042083.V259737.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 21

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Commission for Social Care Inspection

Colchester Local Office 1st Floor, Fairfax House Causton Road Colchester Essex CO1 1RJ

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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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