Setting

X10029.doc Version 1.40 Page 1 FOSTERING SERVICE

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Lead Inspector Christine Lancashire Announced Inspection 23rd January 2006 10:00 Dudley Local Authority Fostering Agency DS0000059386.V266438.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 Dudley Local Authority Fostering Agency DS0000059386.V266438.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. Dudley Local Authority Fostering Agency DS0000059386.V266438.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 4

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Name of service

Address Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council Ednam House 1 St James Rd Dudley West Midlands DY1 3JJ Telephone number 01384 815858

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manager (if applicable)

Type of registration Local Auth Fostering Service

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of places

Dudley Local Authority Fostering Agency DS0000059386.V266438.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 5

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Conditions of registration:

Date of last inspection 21 st February 2005

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Brief Description of the Service:

This is the fostering service of Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council. It is based in the centre of Dudley in a building shared by other Social Services workers. The aim of this service is ‘to offer a family placement to all children looked after by Dudley Metropolitan Borough when this is the agreed option. The underlying principle is ‘to provide looked after children in foster care with an experience of family life which promotes their physical and emotional well being and happiness throughout their childhood’. Dudley Local Authority Fostering Agency DS0000059386.V266438.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 undertaken by three inspectors over an initial period of a week, followed by an observation of the fostering panel three weeks later. The views of carers, young people and placing officers were sought prior to the inspection and inspectors visited five foster homes and spoke with carers, fostering workers, members of the 16+ team, the Looked After Children’s nurse, managers and young people during the inspection week. The service provided many records, policies and procedures for inspection.

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What the service does well:

The service recruits suitable foster carers, who receive appropriate training and feel well supported. They provide a good service to the children and young people, who confirmed that they are well cared for. One young person wrote ‘ I think my foster mother is the best mother you could wish for. She is always smiling and ready to help.’ This reflected the comments made by other young people. Placing workers also reported satisfaction with the carers and the service, one described a placement as a ‘nurturing and caring environment’ and others made similar, positive comments about the foster carers’ homes. Carers report great satisfaction with the level of approachability of managers and staff. Responses from carers included the following; ‘I feel that I can always talk to someone about any problems I may have’ and ‘you can always speak to someone on the ‘phone, even out of normal hours.’ The service recruits suitably trained and experienced workers who report a

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What the service does well:

very good level of support from the managers of the service. The service ensures that the health and educational needs of young people are met and that young people are supported during the transition to independence. The service works in close cooperation with the 16+ team in order to enable young people to move towards independence.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

The service has recently developed its services to include a specialist provision for young people who have experienced difficulties in building relationships and who are displaying extreme behaviour. This new service is called ‘flipside’. It provides carers and young people with daily support and input from a range of professionals such as psychologists and therapists. There have been improvements to the information produced by the service. The Statement of Purpose was updated in December 2005 and there is an improved handbook for carers. There is now an end of placement report completed by carers. Dudley Local Authority Fostering Agency DS0000059386.V266438.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 7 There is now a foster carer centre, which provides a venue for meetings and training. There are plans to move the service to more suitable premises. Payments are reported to be running more smoothly. There have been improvements in the ‘out of hours’ service.

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What has improved since the last inspection?

There have been many recruitment initiatives throughout the year. Progress has been made in creating a single service by adding the responsibility for the support and supervision of family and friends carers and long-term placements to the team.

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What they could do better:

The service needs to review the staffing levels in the light of additional responsibilities and areas of work. The service needs to take further advice in relation to Data Protection issues in relation to the maintenance of children’s records within the foster carers’ files. Each placement should be subject to a placement agreement, which is based on information contained within the LAC paperwork. All records need to be appropriately maintained and, where there are electronic and manual records, these should be consistent with each other. It is recommended that the service reviews the payments system as this was an area of priority concern raised by carers at the inspection. Foster carers need to receive more specific and clear information in relation to consent for various activities.

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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. Dudley Local Authority Fostering Agency DS0000059386.V266438.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 8

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CONTENTS

Statutory Requirements Identified During the Inspection Dudley Local Authority Fostering Agency DS0000059386.V266438.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:

This fostering service promotes the health and development of children.

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EVIDENCE:

The foster carers’ handbook provides information for carers on managing the health needs of children in placement. Training is provided in first aid, HIV/Aids and child development. Each carer is expected to keep records of health needs, immunisations and interventions and social workers are expected to provide carers with full health details at the time of placement. This is not always possible, as social workers do not always have access to this information, especially where children are placed in an emergency. However, this information is provided as soon as possible. Use is made of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service where appropriate. There is a Looked After Children’s nurse, who ensures that initial health assessments are undertaken and that any necessary follow up appointments are facilitated. She is also a member of the fostering panel. There is also a designated doctor. Foster

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EVIDENCE:

carers described a variety of specific medical needs in relation to the children in their care and raised no areas of concern in this respect. Dudley Local Authority Fostering Agency DS0000059386.V266438.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):

Staff carrying on, managing and working in the service are suitable to work with children and young people. The service provides suitable carers and they are appropriately matched to children. Children and young people are protected from abuse and neglect. The fostering panel for this service is organised efficiently and effectively.

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EVIDENCE:

Telephone enquiries are made to follow up references in respect of persons managing the fostering service. Standard recruitment processes are carried out in respect of all staff and records are maintained of references received. Criminal Records Bureau checks are obtained in relation to all newly employed staff at all levels. There is a system for ensuring that checks are renewed in relation to existing staff on a three-yearly basis. Dudley Local Authority Fostering Agency DS0000059386.V266438.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 11 The foster carers’ handbook, which has recently been amended and improved, provides written guidance on Health and Safety issues. Foster carers receive training in this area. The policy and procedure documents and the handbook specify the need to review each home annually and to inspect the premises against the Health and Safety standards. Health and Safety issues are discussed at the fostering panel at the time of approval and annual review.

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EVIDENCE:

The inspectors visited four foster homes and these were found to be warm, homely and adequately furnished. They were decorated and maintained to good standards of cleanliness and hygiene. Those homes providing for young children were equipped with suitable guards and other equipment. Preparation for foster carers covers Health and Safety issues and carers are made aware of their responsibilities in this respect. Supervising social workers check that the transport used by carers is appropriate and suitable for the needs of the child. Foster carers are aware that they may be interviewed or visited as part of the inspection process. At previous inspections, the inspectors were concerned to hear of examples of young people being placed in emergencies over and above the approval level for the carers. There continue to be examples of foster carers who have taken placements over their agreed numbers. At the time of

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EVIDENCE:

the inspection there were 16 such placements, involving 23 children. The staff acknowledge that such placements are not best practice, but careful consideration is given when they are made and they are reported to panel for ratification. The assessments of carers specify their strengths and weaknesses and outline the reasons for specific approvals. These elements are also discussed at the panel at the time of approval and review. Placement decisions consider the child’s assessed racial, ethnic, cultural and linguistic needs and these are matched as closely as possible with the characteristics of the foster family. Workers confirmed that attempts are made to match specific young people to appropriate placements at all times, but there are constraints on matching which arise from the number of placements available and the number of referrals at times. Generally, carers expressed the view that most placements

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EVIDENCE:

were well matched to their circumstances and they understood that some young people may display behaviour in the foster home which had not been previously observed. The foster carers’ handbook identifies appropriate forms of control. It is clear that smacking, or any form of physical chastisement is not allowed. Carers are expected to sign to indicate that they will abide by these standards. There is a joint protocol for children who go missing within the West Midlands Area. This has been approved by the Area Child Protection Committee. Carers have been advised of the appropriate action to take. There is a system for monitoring these incidents and a report is sent to the Departmental Management Team on a monthly basis. Meetings are planned with the police to review practice in this area. Each carer is expected to attend courses on Child protection, Self Care and Allegations, Caring for Children who have been Sexually Abused, and

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EVIDENCE:

Sex and Sexuality. There are management systems to collate details of incidents of a Child Protection nature and these are reviewed annually. Dudley Local Authority Fostering Agency DS0000059386.V266438.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 12 There are internal procedures, which result in significant concerns or complaints being taken to the Fostering Panel. Foster carers indicated awareness of the need to ensure that children in their care do not experience bullying. They are provided with an anti-bullying guide. This provides information about the signs and symptoms of bullying, together with information about the action to take and useful contacts. Brief details with regards to bullying are also included in the carers’ handbook. Foster carers are aware of the arrangements within the education service to address bullying. There is a written procedure for the recruitment and selection of staff and all staff are required to undergo training in fair and effective recruitment before

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EVIDENCE:

they can participate in the selection process. The staff files demonstrated that the departmental policy is followed and that only staff with appropriate qualifications are appointed. References are followed up by telephone calls. New entrants are checked through the Criminal Records Bureau and repeat checks are scheduled every three years. There are procedures which cover the composition and conduct of the fostering panel. Criminal Records Bureau checks are carried out on panel members. The independent panel members include people with expertise in education and health. There are two foster carers from other Local Authority Fostering Services on the panel. The panel was observed to carry out its function appropriately and to be suitably composed. There are procedures which cover decision making when not all of the panel members are in agreement. The panel also fulfils a quality assurance role and reports back to the fostering

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EVIDENCE:

service and area offices on issues of procedure and practice. The panel has an independent chair. Dudley Local Authority Fostering Agency DS0000059386.V266438.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 13

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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 fostering service values diversity and promotes educational achievement. 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.

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EVIDENCE:

The handbook and the policies and procedures draw the attention of staff and carers to issues of equal opportunities. There is a short statement of guidance in assisting carers to care for a child placed from a different culture to their own. Carers are expected to attend a training course on caring for children with disabilities and one on understanding racism and heritage. In October 2005, Dudley hosted the annual Black Country Black Children’s Celebration in which the surrounding authorities participated. Carers and children attended this event which attracted considerable media coverage, raising the profile of black and minority ethnic carers and highlighting the work which they undertake. The fostering team is diverse in terms of ethnic background and staff confirmed that information and expertise is exchanged between members of the team. Although the service has some carers from various ethnic and

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EVIDENCE:

cultural backgrounds, the manager and team have identified the need for further recruitment of Black and Asian carers to provide greater choice and diversity. When children have been placed with carers who were from a different culture, efforts had been made to meet the children’s needs. There have been initiatives to help foster carers from all backgrounds to develop skills in preparing food from a variety of cultures, such as the Caribbean cookery demonstration held as part of the support group sessions. Dudley Local Authority Fostering Agency DS0000059386.V266438.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 14 Visits to foster carers and conversations with children revealed examples of children being given encouragement to pursue talents, interests and hobbies. The department holds award ceremonies to celebrate and recognise the achievement of children in care in a wide range of fields. These are valued by the children and the carers, who spoke with enthusiasm about these events.

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EVIDENCE:

The service places a very high priority on meeting the educational needs of children who are looked after. The carers’ handbook, the policies and procedures and the Joint Education policy identify the role of carers in this area and support, guidance and information is available to encourage their role. The education support team drives this process. Young people have Personal Education Plans. The manager of this team also participates in the fostering panel. Records of achievement and exclusion are maintained. The position of children without school placements is reviewed monthly at joint education and social services meetings. A range of resources such as worksheets and books is made available by the educational support team. Young people indicated that they valued the support in this respect; one wrote of his foster carers, ‘if I’m stuck they help me’. Another wrote, ‘They make sure I do my homework.’

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EVIDENCE:

Others mentioned foster carers providing computers to help with coursework. Foster carers demonstrated a high level of commitment to enabling children in their care to achieve but reported varying levels of cooperation from schools.

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EVIDENCE:

The services of an independent agency are used to provide short breaks. Dudley Local Authority Fostering Agency DS0000059386.V266438.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 15

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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 fostering service promotes contact arrangements for the child or young person. The service promotes consultation.

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EVIDENCE:

The foster carers’ handbook specifies the need to promote contact between children and families and to encourage carers to enable this contact within their own homes where appropriate. The Policies and Procedures manual details support and guidance in relation to this issue. The LAC procedures ensure that contact is addressed at each stage of the planning process. Foster carers provided examples of work which had been undertaken to ensure that children were enabled to maintain the agreed level of contact with significant people in their lives and they also demonstrated awareness of the need to provide additional support to the child prior to and after contact. They recognised the emotional effect on the child and, in some cases, described significant changes in behaviour. Carers demonstrated an impressive degree of sensitivity to the issues involved. Dudley Local Authority Fostering Agency DS0000059386.V266438.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 16

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EVIDENCE:

The foster carers’ handbook identifies the need for foster carers to listen to children. It provides information on advocacy, complaints and children’s rights. The service is a member of the Black Country Children’s Rights project which runs a ‘Just Say It’ group for children in the care of the local authority. Use is made of ‘Viewpoint’, the computer programme which aims to enable young people to contribute more effectively to their review process. However, some responses indicated that views had not been sought as regularly as in the past. Young people provided examples of times when their opinions have been sought and these included activities, meals, clothing, contact visits and at the time of review. The views of the children of foster carers are also sought in relation to placements and other issues. These young people also have the opportunity to attend the ‘Children Who Foster’ Support group.

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EVIDENCE:

The Children’s Guide to the service provides space to record the telephone numbers of the relevant fostering worker and area social worker. Inspectors were concerned to learn that some young people continue to receive infrequent or very short visits and that many do not have an opportunity to see their social worker outside the foster home. It is acknowledged that area teams are not under the management of the fostering manager. These issues were raised in previous reports. Dudley Local Authority Fostering Agency DS0000059386.V266438.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 17

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The intended outcomes for these Standards are:

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

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The Commission considers Standards 29 the key standard to be

inspected at least once during a 12 month period.

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

The fostering service prepares young people for adulthood. The fostering service pays carers an allowance and agreed expenses as specified, however it is recommended that the system of allowances is reviewed to explore issues raised by carers.

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EVIDENCE:

The foster carer handbook now contains a section explaining the role of the 16+ team. Foster carers are now provided with more detailed information in relation to preparation for adulthood. It is clear from conversations with carers and young people that carers do enable young people to develop daily living skills within the family. Pathway plans were also made available to demonstrate that there is planning in this respect. All young people of a suitable age are referred to the 16+ team and are allocated a worker. Members of this team presented as dynamic and enthusiastic. They provide a link with resources for young people to move to further independence and their involvement is valued by carers with young people in this age group. In 2004, Dudley introduced a more efficient and effective system for paying carers. This resulted in more timely payments and fewer under and over payments. Carers’ comments reflected this improvement. However, carers

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EVIDENCE:

did raise issues relating to the need for parity between the payments made by the service and other local authorities and independent agencies and the lack of payment at some levels when there is no child in placement. The carers highlighted the increasingly professional and full time nature of their task. Managers of the service are aware of the concerns of carers in this respect and this issue is one which is being considered, in the light of budgetary constraints. Dudley Local Authority Fostering Agency DS0000059386.V266438.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 18

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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):

There is a clear Statement of Purpose for the service, including aims and objectives which the service works towards meeting. The service is managed by people with appropriate skills and experience and is run in an efficient and effective manner. Dudley Local Authority Fostering Agency DS0000059386.V266438.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 19 The fostering service has an adequate number of suitably qualified and experienced staff, but additional staff are required in order for all the fostering activity to be brought within this service. The service recruits a range of carers to meet the needs of the children for whom it provides a service. The fostering service is a fair and competent employer. The fostering service has a clear strategy for working with and supporting carers. Foster carers and workers are provided with a good level of supervision and support, but all placements should be subject to foster care agreements.

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

There are case records for children but these need to be more comprehensive and further advice needs to be taken with regard to Data Protection. The general standard of administrative records is improved, but care needs to be taken to ensure that all records are up to date. The service recognises the contribution made by family and friends carers.

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EVIDENCE:

The Statement of Purpose for the service reflects the conditions and the aims and objectives towards which the staff work. The Service Manager and Head of Service are qualified social workers with a management qualification and the acting Service Manager is undertaking a management qualification. The managers have clear job descriptions and the levels of responsibility and lines of accountability are clearly defined within the service. There are clear arrangements to identify the person in charge when the manager is absent. The service has systems in place to determine, prioritise and monitor workloads and to assign tasks to appropriate members of staff. All workers have job descriptions and access to relevant policies and procedures. There are systems to ensure that assessments, approvals and reviews of carers are managed and implemented effectively. Staff and carers undertake ongoing training and skills development. There is an appropriate level of clerical and

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EVIDENCE:

administrative support and procedures for dealing with enquiries from prospective carers. This has been increased. The service has access to its own advisors in relation to childcare, medical and educational matters. Fostering social workers displayed a good understanding of their role. The fostering team consists of a service manager, an acting service manager, a senior practitioner, 10 social workers, (five of whom work part-time), 1 support worker and 7 administrative staff, (five of whom work part- time). All staff have qualifications which are appropriate to their role. The team has been expanded to include a social worker with responsibility for caring relatives and friends and one with responsibility for permanent fostering. These areas of work were previously undertaken by other teams. Dudley Local Authority Fostering Agency DS0000059386.V266438.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 20 The service has a well-organised, annual programme of recruitment of carers

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EVIDENCE:

in addition to periodic enquiries. This includes a fostering ‘fun day’. Staff report that they are able to manage the volume of assessments of new carers, when fully staffed, and sessional workers are employed for this purpose when there are shortages in capacity. The team has been short of workers during the past year, due to sickness, maternity leave and vacancies. Carers reported a good level of support, even thought they were aware that the team is sometimes under pressure and most felt that the service would benefit from additional staff. The manager has an ‘open door’ policy and is available for unplanned supervision of staff at all times. The foster carers’ handbook and the Statement of Purpose detail the processes and avenues of support available for foster carers. The role of the carer and that of the supervising social worker are clearly defined in the literature and this is understood. The manager oversees this process and issues which cannot

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EVIDENCE:

be resolved through this process are raised at panel. Annual review reports are prepared and made available to the panel. Fostering staff attend meetings with carers in order to discuss issues and provide support. Carers report that they feel well supported by the managers and staff and that out of hours support has improved. This should be further improved by a planned change in the arrangements for making contact with this service. The policies and procedures and the foster carer handbook detail the information which should be held on each child by the service. LAC forms should be completed appropriately, by placing social workers, and foster carers should be provided with sufficient information to be able to provide an appropriate service to each child. Improvement in this respect was noted since last year’s inspection, but there were still some shortfalls. Carers were found to maintain more detailed information once the child is in placement. There

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EVIDENCE:

should be a foster carer agreement in respect of each child placed. This was discussed with the manager who informed the inspectors that a new form for this is being developed. The inspectors asked the manager to seek further advice regarding the information which is maintained in respect of children placed by the service, with respect to Data Protection and access. At the time of the last inspection, family and friends fostering was organised and overseen by the area teams and was not the responsibility of this service. As part of the move to bring all of the fostering under one service, there is now a worker who is dedicated to providing support, training, undertaking reviews and sharing information for this group of carers. There is now a newsletter in place and further training and support is planned for later in the year. Considerable progress has been made towards ensuring that reviews of all

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EVIDENCE:

family and friends carers have been undertaken. The assessment of these carers is still undertaken within the area teams and additional staff would be required in order for the fostering team to take on this work. It was noted that alternative premises have now been identified for the service and that the service will have been relocated before the receipt of this report. It was not possible to assess the suitability of this provision. Dudley Local Authority Fostering Agency DS0000059386.V266438.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 21

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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 4 STAYING SAFE 29 3 Standard No Score 3 3 MANAGEMENT 6 3 Standard No Score 8 3 1 3 9 3 2 3 15 3 4 X 30 3 5 3 16 3 ENJOYING AND ACHIEVING 17 2 Standard No Score 18 3 7 3 19 X 13 4 20 X 31 N/A 21 3 22 2 MAKING A POSITIVE 23 X CONTRIBUTION 24 2 Standard No Score 25 2 10 3 26 X 11 3 27 X 28 X 32 X Dudley Local Authority Fostering Agency DS0000059386.V266438.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 22 Are there any outstanding requirements from the last inspection?

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STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

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

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STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

No. Standard Regulation Requirement Timescale for action 1 FS17 19 The manager must review the staffing levels in the light of increased responsibilities for the service. 01/07/06

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STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

2 FS22 34 The manager must ensure that all placements are subject to a placement agreement, based on suitably completed LAC paperwork. 01/07/06

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STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

3 FS24 22 The manager must seek appropriate advice in relation to Data Protection regarding the maintenance of children’s records. 01/07/06

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STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

4 FS25 22 The manager must ensure that all records are completed appropriately. 01/07/06 Dudley Local Authority Fostering Agency DS0000059386.V266438.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 23

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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 FS22 It is recommended that the manager reviews the arrangements for informing carers about who may give consent to various activities. 2 FS29 It is recommended that the manager reviews the structure of payments to carers, with regard to issues raised during the inspection. Dudley Local Authority Fostering Agency DS0000059386.V266438.R01.S.doc Version 5.1 Page 24

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Commission for Social Care Inspection

Halesowen Record Management Unit Mucklow Office Park, West Point, Ground Floor Mucklow Hill Halesowen West Midlands B62 8DA

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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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