Blackpool Borough Council

Blackpool Borough Council Adoption Service Inspection report for la adoption agency

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SC056531 Unique reference number 16 June 2008 Inspection date Sean White / Dennis Bradley Inspector Key Type of Inspection

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Blackpool Borough Council Address Progress House Clifton Road BLACKPOOL FY4 4US 01253 477666 Telephone number

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Email

Blackpool Borough Council Registered person Mandy Williams Registered manager Jennifer Jaynes Responsible individual 27 June 2005 Date of last inspection .

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Email

This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Email

You can obtain copies of The Children Act 2004, Every Child Matters and The National Minimum Standards for Children's Services from: The Stationery Office (TSO) PO Box 29, St Cripins, Duke Street, Norwich, NR3 1GN. Tel: 0870 600 5522. Online ordering: www.tso.co.uk/bookshop

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About this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcome for children set out in the Children Act 2004 and relevant National Minimum Standards for the establishment.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is strong Good: this aspect of the provision is sound Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is not good enough Inadequate: 3 of 9 Inspection Report: Blackpool Borough Council Adoption Service, 16 June 2008

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Brief description of the service

This is a local authority agency that undertakes or makes arrangements for all statutory adoption services. The agency recruits, prepares, assesses and approves prospective adopters and provides support services to anyone affected by adoption, including birth families and adopted adults. Some support services are contracted out, as are assessments for those wishing to adopt a child from overseas.

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Summary

This is a well managed adoption agency that has outstanding qualities in some areas, particularly the thoroughness of the assessments of prospective adopters and the support provision that ensure stable, permanent placements are achieved. These two areas have a very positive impact on the safety of children and their future wellbeing. It is an efficient agency that has well established, frequently reviewed policies and procedures. These inform and encourage well organised management, systems, processes and operations. Management vacancies and staffing resources, however, impact somewhat on the service's development and expansion. The overall quality rating is good. This is an overview of what the inspector found during the inspection.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The agency has developed more efficient systems in the adoption service overall which has resulted in a more focused operational approach. This has brought greater clarity to the recruitment of adopters strategy and to the overall direction of the service.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is outstanding. This agency places a high priority on ensuring that children are placed with the most suitable adoptive families and undertakes its responsibilities with enthusiasm and vigour. Families are recruited based on their suitability to provide homes for children in Blackpool and within the local consortium, which the agency works closely with to identify the most appropriate matches. The agency makes significant efforts to recruit the most suitable people, using a range of strategies and has developed a well regarded position within the region in respect of its approach to placing children in the most suitable families. Placement disruptions are very rare, which demonstrates a high success rate. This ensures that children have safe and positive futures. The approach to preparing and assessing prospective adopters is very thorough and based upon a firm commitment to approving only those who are able to offer children a positive future in

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

a family that can meet their needs. Assessment reports are detailed and rigorous in their analysis of applicants' parenting capacity and provide the adoption panel and decision maker with a high standard of information to aid their deliberations. They also enable a clear and unequivocal approach to matching to be undertaken when social workers are considering families for children. The thoroughness of approach continues throughout the adoption panel process, ensuring that children's futures are secured and their needs met. The panel is constituted appropriately and has a well balanced membership that brings a conscientious and committed enthusiasm to 4 of 9 Inspection Report: Blackpool Borough Council Adoption Service, 16 June 2008 its responsibilities. It is chaired by a skilled and knowledgeable professional and undertakes its business in a considered and well balanced way that ensures all the information brought before

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

it undergoes rigorous scrutiny and analysis. This enables the agency decision maker to be fully informed when considering her judgement. The success of the panel is aided considerably by an efficient administrative routine, including well presented minutes, that provides for business to be conducted in a proficient and timely way. The safety of children and their future wellbeing is promoted and protected by managers and staff who bring a highly professional and knowledgeable approach to adoption work. They are very skilled, understand the principles and practices of permanence through adoption, and demonstrate a sensitive yet thorough approach to their work with families. Managers, at all levels, have significant experience in adoption work and the staff team includes workers with considerable expertise and knowledge who are held in high esteem. Thorough staff recruitment and selection processes also promote

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

the principles of keeping children safe through clear and rigorous practices.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. The commitment to promoting and supporting placements is very high and is reflected in dynamic and purposeful strategies in practice. The agency has a very active approach to ensuring that families have access to a wide range of support resources which can be deployed to meet very different needs and circumstances. This is achieved by having clear and well established protocols and systems that provide a solid and well considered framework to promote and nurture placements. Policies and procedures provide a strong underpinning to practice issues ensuring workers have clear guidelines to inform their practice. All evidence points towards support and encouragement being provided to families in a highly professional, caring and purposeful way. Support to families beyond the making of adoption orders is also well established, well resourced and delivered in a considered and highly proficient way. Dedicated

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

workers manage a range of support initiatives that are initiated following thorough assessments of need that service users are fully involved in. This ensures that those people affected by adoption have a wide range of opportunities for their support needs being met. Strong legal and medical advice, both to the panel, social workers and service users enhances the strong support networks and provides further opportunities for ensuring that all necessary expertise is available whenever necessary.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. The agency has a strong and purposeful approach to working with birth families of children who are to be, or who have been adopted. Efforts are made, often in difficult circumstances, to obtain as much information as possible about children's backgrounds, whilst encouraging and enabling birth parents to be as involved as possible in the plans being made for their children. Their views are consistently recorded and wherever possible, incorporated into the plans for their children's futures. The adoption team works closely with children's social workers and other agencies to ensure that transitions are managed as smoothly as possible and to keep birth parents informed of progress. Arrangements for contact are carefully managed and all necessary arrangements put in place. The indirect 'letterbox' system of contact management is well organised, efficient and workers provide advice and assistance in managing contact

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Helping children make a positive contribution

wherever necessary. Life story work and arrangements for preparing children for adoption are well established and undertaken with skill and sensitivity. Whilst there are some examples of 5 of 9 Inspection Report: Blackpool Borough Council Adoption Service, 16 June 2008 strong commitment to providing quality examples of life-story books, these are not always achieved in the most timely way. This sometimes leads to them not being completed in line with the agency's own expectations. Independent support is provided to birth parents through an arrangement with an independent Adoption Support Agency (ASA). Arrangements for birth parents accessing this support are encouraged through an innovative approach that utilises birth parents' own advocates as the source of information and leaflets. Although this arrangement is subject to monitoring, it was not clear how much analysis is undertaken to monitor outcomes and take-up of support opportunities. Nevertheless, the information available

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Helping children make a positive contribution

to birth parents is considerable and provides them with sufficient resource opportunities for them to access support services that can meet their needs.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The Statement of Purpose, which is underpinned and informed by well produced policies and procedures, provides a clear outline of the service's aims and objectives and how the agency functions. This is supported by a children's guide and other relevant information, including a very well presented information pack and all are readily accessible and available. The service is managed to a very good standard both operationally and strategically by people who clearly have experience, skills and knowledge. This, combined with commitment and enthusiasm, provides for a well organised adoption service that undertakes its responsibilities well. The staff are well managed and supported. They are enabled and encouraged to carry out their duties to the best of their abilities. This is achieved through regular, good quality supervision with effective allocation and caseload management and having respect for an individual worker's

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Organisation

abilities, interests and circumstances. The opportunities for training and staff development are very good and workers are enabled and encouraged to improve their knowledge and skills continuously. The agency's well organised approach to systems and processes promotes efficiency and enables support workers to establish administrative systems that support and complement the agency's overall responsibilities. Although fully staffed, the agency does not have sufficient workers to expand its work, or develop existing initiatives. However, it is able to undertake the work at current levels. A vacancy at group manager level also impacts on the agency's support and management structures. Overall, administration and record keeping is of a good standard. Case records are well maintained, include all required information and are routinely audited. Personnel and panel members' records contain all required information and

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Organisation

reflect the thoroughness of the recruitment and selection procedures. The agency operates from suitable premises that are accessible, secure and appropriate for the purposes of running an adoption agency.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions, which must be taken so that the registered person meets the Care Standards Act 2000, The Adoption Agencies Regulations 2005 and the National Minimum Standards. The Registered Provider must comply with the given timescales.

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Due date Action Standard

6 of 9 Inspection Report: Blackpool Borough Council Adoption Service, 16 June 2008

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): 7 of 9 Inspection Report: Blackpool Borough Council Adoption Service, 16 June 2008

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The intended outcomes for these standards are:

• Ofsted considers the key standard to be inspected.

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The intended outcomes for these standards are:

• the agency matches children with adopters (NMS 2) • the agency assesses and prepares adopters (NMS 4) • adopters are given information about matching (NMS 5) • the functions of the adoption panel are as specified (NMS 10) • the constitution and membership of adoption panels are as specified (NMS 11) • adoption panels are timely (NMS 12) • adoption agency decision is made without delay and appropriately (NMS 13) • the manager is suitable to carry on or manage an adoption agency (NMS 15) • staff are suitable to work with children (NMS 19) • the agency has a robust complaints procedure (NMS 24 voluntary adoption agency only) • the agency safeguards and promotes the welfare of its service users (NMS 32)

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The intended outcomes for these standards are:

• the adoption agency provides support for adoptive parents (NMS 6) • the agency has access to specialist advisers as appropriate (NMS 18) • services are tailored to meet the needs of people affected by adoption (NMS 33) Ofsted considers 6 and 33 the key standards to be inspected.

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The intended outcomes for these standards are:

• birth parents and birth families are involved in adoption plans (NMS 7) • birth parents and birth families are involved in maintaining the child’s heritage (NMS 8) • the adoption agency supports birth parents and families (NMS 9) • Service users receive good quality services based on their needs (NMS 34) Ofsted considers 7, 8, 9 and 34 the key standards to be inspected.

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The intended outcomes for these standards are:

Ofsted considers none of the above to be key standards to be inspected.

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The intended outcomes for these standards are:

• there is a clear written statement of the aims and objectives of the adoption agency and the adoption agency ensures that it meets those aims and objectives (NMS 1) 8 of 9 Inspection Report: Blackpool Borough Council Adoption Service, 16 June 2008

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Annex A

• the agency provides clear written information for prospective adopters (NMS 3) • the manager has skills to carry on or manage the adoption agency (NMS 14) • the adoption agency is managed effectively and efficiently (NMS 16) • the agency is monitored and controlled as specified (NMS 17) • the staff are organised and managed effectively (NMS 20) • the agency has sufficient staff with the right skills/experience (NMS 21) • the agency is a fair and competent employer (NMS 22) • the agency provides training for staff (NMS 23) • case records for children and prospective / approved adopters are comprehensive and accurate (NMS 25) • the agency provides access to records as appropriate (NMS 26) • the agency’s administrative records processes are appropriate (NMS 27) • the agency maintains personnel files for members of staff and members of adoption panels (NMS 28) • the premises used by the adoption agency are suitable for purpose (NMS 29)

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Annex A

• the adoption agency is financially viable (NMS 30 voluntary adoption agency only) • the adoption agency has robust financial processes (NMS 31) Ofsted considers 1, 3, 16, 21, 25 and 27 the key standards to be inspected. 9 of 9 Inspection Report: Blackpool Borough Council Adoption Service, 16 June 2008

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