ISP Whitstable

Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Isp Whitstable 1 ISP Whitstable Regent Street, Whitstable, Kent CT5 1JD Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this independent fostering agency

ISP is an independent fostering agency run by Partnerships in Childcare Services Ltd. ISP has centres in Kent, Buckinghamshire, Sussex and London. ISP Whitstable was registered with Ofsted in September 2017. The agency provides family-based childcare services for children referred by local authorities.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: N/A

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: N/A Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Isp Whitstable 2

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Key findings from this inspection

This independent fostering agency is inadequate because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Leaders and managers do not effectively monitor the quality of service being provided. They do not identify areas of weakness or take sufficient action to ensure continuous improvement.  There are serious shortfalls in the standard of safeguarding and child protection practice. The assessment and management of risk are poor.  The registered manager and some foster carers have failed to consistently implement the agency’s policy to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.  The process for matching children with foster carers is flawed. Children have been placed with foster carers who do not have the skills or knowledge to meet their needs.  Senior managers have failed to adequately support the registered manager and address issues related to poor performance.  Children’s and young people’s plans do not provide clear guidance or strategies for managing behaviour.  The registered manager has not escalated concerns regarding the practice of

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Key findings from this inspection

partner agencies.  Prompt action has not been taken to address the impact of staff shortages.

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Key findings from this inspection

The independent fostering agency’s strengths:

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Key findings from this inspection

 The agency fostering panel scrutinises foster carer assessments and annual reviews effectively and brings any concerns to the attention of leaders and managers.  A proactive approach is taken to raising the quality of foster carer assessments.  The agency provides prompt access to therapeutic support for children, young people and foster carers.  Foster carers have access to a good support network. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Isp Whitstable 3

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011 and the national minimum standards. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider and the registered manager must, having regard to— (a) the size of the fostering agency, its statement of purpose, and the numbers and needs of the children placed by the fostering agency, and (b) the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of the children placed by the fostering agency, carry on or manage the fostering agency (as the case may be) with sufficient care, competence and skill. (Regulation 8(1)(a)(b)) Specifically, ensure that contingency plans to cover staff shortages are made promptly, that the registered manager escalates concerns to placing authorities in a timely way and that the registered individual manages the performance of the registered manager effectively; make full use of the resources available to the agency; and maintain accurate foster carer training records. 01/09/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person in respect of an independent fostering agency must ensure that the welfare of children placed or to be placed with foster parents is safeguarded and promoted at all times. (Regulation 11(a))* Specifically, ensure that individual risk assessments and safety plans are kept up to date and contain all relevant information and strategies for keeping children safe, that effective action is taken when children are known to be at risk of harm and that foster carers have the skills and knowledge to protect children from harm. 01/09/2018

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Requirement Due date

The fostering service provider must prepare and implement a written policy which— is intended to safeguard children placed with foster parents from abuse or neglect, and sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of any 01/09/2018 Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Isp Whitstable 4 allegation of abuse or neglect. The procedure under paragraph (1)(b) must, subject to paragraph (4), provide in particular for— liaison and co-operation with any local authority which is, or may be, making child protection enquiries in relation to any child placed by the fostering service provider, (Regulation 12(1)(a)(b), (3)(a))* Specifically, ensure that the agency’s policy to safeguard and promote the welfare of children is fully implemented in practice. The fostering service provider must prepare and implement a written policy on acceptable measures of control, restraint and discipline of children placed with foster parents.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13(1)) Specifically, ensure that the agency’s behaviour management policy is fully implemented in practice and children’s plans contain effective guidance and strategies for de-escalating challenging behaviour and minimising the potential for children to engage in unsafe behaviour. 01/09/2018

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Requirement Due date

The fostering service provider must provide foster parents with such training, advice, information and support, including support outside office hours, as appears necessary in the interests of children placed with them. The fostering service provider must take all reasonable steps to ensure that foster parents are familiar with, and act in accordance with the policies established in accordance with regulations 12(1) and 13(1) and (3). The fostering service provider must ensure that, in relation to any child placed or to be placed with a foster parent, the foster parent is given such information, which is kept up to date, and to enable him to provide appropriate care for the child, and in particular that each foster parent is provided with a copy of the most recent version of the child’s care plan provided to the fostering service provider under regulation 6(3)(d) of the Care Planning Regulations. (Regulation 17(1) (2) (3))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that there is a clear audit trail of the decision-making process when matching children with foster carers, provide foster carers with sufficient training so that they can meet the needs of children placed with them and ensure that all foster carers receive a copy of the child’s local authority care plan. 01/09/2018

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Requirement Due date

The fostering service provider must ensure that all persons employed by them— 01/09/2018 Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Isp Whitstable 5 receive appropriate training, supervision and appraisal. (Regulation 21(4)(a)) Specifically, ensure that the registered manager receives effective supervision that identifies support needs and areas for development. The registered person must maintain a system for— monitoring the matters set out in Schedule 6 at appropriate intervals, and improving the quality of foster care provided by the fostering agency. (Regulation 35(1)(a)(b)) Specifically, ensure that quality of care monitoring systems are fit for purpose, enabling prompt identification of weakness and remedial action to be taken. 01/09/2018

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 Children have access to a range of educational resources to support their learning and have opportunities beyond the school day to engage in activities which promote learning. (National minimum standards 8.2) Specifically, ensure that action is taken to identify children’s educational needs promptly so that there is a clear plan for securing access to the educational resources that they need at the earliest opportunity. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Isp Whitstable 6

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inadequate

Serious shortfalls were identified in the standard of leadership and management, and in how well children and young people are protected from harm at this agency. Although many children and young people find stability and security with their foster carers, the agency’s failure to ensure that the potential for all children to come to harm is minimised has led to this overall judgement of inadequate. Two compliance notices have also been issued as a result of this inspection.

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inadequate

The children and young people who were spoken to during this inspection said that they have developed good relationships with their foster families. However, the inspectors identified some cases in which this had not been achieved. This can partly be attributed to poor matching processes and placing these children with foster carers who have not yet acquired the knowledge and skills needed to care for highly vulnerable children and young people.

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inadequate

The agency is in the process of developing a strategy to promote greater participation by children and young people in the development of the services provided. At this stage, children’s and young people’s participation is mainly secured by holding activity days. The children spoken to all know how to make a complaint if they are unhappy. The inspectors were informed by staff that consideration is being given to introducing paper copies of the complaints form, as it is acknowledged that not all children would be able to access the internet or use a telephone to make a complaint.

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inadequate

The agency employs a part-time education coordinator who liaises with external education professionals to ensure that children and young people can access the most appropriate provision to meet their needs. This has ensured that many children and young people have improved their engagement with education. However, in some cases progress has been slower. At the time of this inspection, one child was receiving home tuition because the educational provision planned on admission was not suitably located. Another child received limited educational provision for her first three months; the foster carer said that this was a significant factor in the placement breaking down.

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inadequate

The agency aims to provide a holistic, integrated package of care for each child. Some staff are employed to fulfil specific functions to meet individual children’s and young people’s needs. However, the agency does not use these resources effectively. For example, the carers of a child who has been sexually exploited and groomed via the internet did not receive any additional support regarding managing the internet from that which was given to most carers. Although children’s and young people’s health needs are generally met, shortfalls were also identified in this area of practice. These include a foster carer not receiving training to meet the specific health needs of a child and medical advice not being sought when a child refused to take prescribed medication. The member of Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Isp Whitstable 7 staff with responsibility for overseeing the health provision of children and young

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inadequate

people was not aware of either of these situations.

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inadequate

Many children and young people benefit from having access to therapy arranged by the agency. One young person spoke positively about the progress that she has made since engaging in therapy. The agency’s coordinating therapist takes a proactive approach to ensuring that specialist assessments are undertaken so that children’s and young people’s mental health needs are better understood. Foster carers are also able to access therapeutic support in a timely way.

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inadequate

The agency facilitates regular group meetings for foster carers, who benefit from the opportunity to discuss practice issues and receive peer support. Foster carers also have opportunities to make representations to senior managers from the agency.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not maintain effective oversight of safeguarding and child protection practice, and they have failed to establish at the agency a culture and ethos in which these matters are given sufficient priority. Consequently, children and young people are not consistently protected from harm.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

The assessment and management of risk are poor. Children’s and young people’s individual risk assessments do not always take into account information that has been provided to the agency. Consequently, issues such as internet safety are not always adequately addressed in risk assessments. Risk assessment templates are not always fully completed. For example, one child’s risk assessment did not address the potential for her to go missing from her foster home. Staff do not always update risk assessments following a serious event. In one case, a child moved to a new foster placement after intimidating and making threats of violence to her carers. Staff failed to provide the new foster carers with an updated risk assessment when the move took place. Other key safeguarding documents, such as child sexual exploitation assessments, are not reviewed and updated in a timely way.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

The strategies within risk assessments fail to give foster carers clear guidance on how to minimise risk and protect children and young people from harm. The sexual health risk assessment for a child who is at high risk of continued abuse provided no strategies to follow, and only stated that there was an ongoing police investigation. No reference was made to the child accessing specialist support agencies in order to reduce the potential for her coming to harm.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Managers and staff are over-reliant on broad-based strategies for keeping children, young people and foster carers safe. Strategies such as not allowing children and young people to leave the foster home unaccompanied if they are at risk of exploitation are implemented without full consideration being given to the possible implications. For example, no consideration is given to whether this approach constitutes a deprivation of liberty. Managers and staff fail to consider complementary strategies, such as educating young people on how to keep themselves safe. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Isp Whitstable 8 The quality of children’s and young people’s safer care plans is poor. One safe care plan reviewed by the inspectors was generic, and not specific to the needs of the child. Consequently, the plan did not contain strategies for minimising or responding to the child’s unsafe behaviours, which could have put other members of the

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Weaknesses were identified in behaviour management processes. For one child with a history of violent and threatening behaviour, the only strategy given for managing this was to call the emergency services. There was no written guidance for the foster carers to follow to help to prepare them to de-escalate confrontational situations and support the child to manage their behaviour more effectively.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Foster carers do not always receive the training that would prepare them to care for children and young people with complex needs in order that they can be kept safe. The agency placed one child with foster carers who had not received training on child sexual exploitation, substance and alcohol misuse or internet safety, despite these being known areas of risk for the child. During the inspection, the registered individual demonstrated a lack of insight into the risks associated with placing children and young people with complex needs with foster carers who had not completed the organisation’s safeguarding training course.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that all foster carers follow the agency’s policy to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. The inspectors identified two cases where foster carers had not reported safeguarding concerns in a timely way, and one case where a foster carer had questioned a child while she was disclosing that she had been sexually assaulted. These shortfalls can be partly attributed to leaders and managers failing to consistently provide appropriate training to their foster carers.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

There has been a poor response from managers and staff to some child protection matters. The registered manager has not always clarified that all necessary steps have been taken to ensure a child’s safety. On one occasion, when comments made by a child may have constituted an allegation against a foster carer, the registered manager did not liaise with the child’s social worker to establish the outcome of the placing authority’s enquiries.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Despite these widespread failings, some evidence of good safeguarding practice was identified. Procedures for the recruitment of staff and foster carers are thorough and focused on preventing unsuitable adults from gaining access to vulnerable children. The children and young people spoken to during the inspection confirmed that they feel safe in their foster homes and have the confidence to speak to their foster carers about any concerns or worries that they may have.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager is a qualified social worker, and has obtained a diploma in management studies. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Isp Whitstable 9 Serious shortfalls in the practice of the registered individual and the registered manager were identified at this inspection. Weak leadership and management have resulted in poor safeguarding practice which has left children and young people at risk of harm. The registered individual and the registered manager were not able to demonstrate a comprehensive oversight of the current safeguarding concerns. The registered manager has gaps in his knowledge. For example, he is not familiar with the statutory guidance on children who go missing from home or care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The systems for monitoring the quality of care are underdeveloped and do not ensure that weaknesses in the service provision are quickly identified and rectified. The scope of the registered manager’s monitoring activity is limited and there is no evidence to confirm that a detailed analysis of the data being collected takes place. Leaders and managers do not work collaboratively or share a collective vision for the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers cannot demonstrate that the process for matching children with foster carers is consistently strong and effective. There is no clear audit trail of the decision-making process and rationale for placing a child with particular carers, in every case. No record is kept of the matching process for placing children and young people with respite carers. The inspectors identified cases in which children had been placed with foster carers who had not received sufficient training, and another case in which a child with highly complex needs was placed with inexperienced foster carers. This had had a negative impact on the foster carer’s emotional well-being. Another case was identified in which the implications of placing a younger child with an older child had not been closely analysed. Ultimately, this led to the breakdown of the placement for the older child, who had lived with the foster carers for several years.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The systems used to ensure that foster carers complete the training needed to meet the needs of the children and young people whom they are looking after have been ineffective. The inspectors were shown foster carer training records that were not an accurate reflection of the training that they had completed. The inspectors examined a sample of foster carers’ personal development plans and found that, in some cases, the specific training needs of foster carers were not recorded. Leaders and managers have a system for evaluating the effectiveness of foster carer training, but this fails to analyse the likely impact that this will have on foster carers’ practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Foster carers’ views on how well they are supported by the agency are mixed. Although several foster carers expressed high levels of satisfaction, the response to an Ofsted survey suggests that there are some foster carers who question the effectiveness of the leaders and managers. Some foster carers who have been with the agency for several years commented that standards have declined since the agency became part of a larger organisation approximately four years ago.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

When concerns about a child’s or young person’s progress arise, these are promptly shared with the relevant placing authority. However, insufficient priority has been given to ensuring that concerns about other agencies’ practice are effectively addressed. The registered manager has failed to escalate concerns regarding Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Isp Whitstable 10 inaccuracies in a child’s multi-agency ‘missing person’s response plan’, despite these inaccuracies being bought to his attention more than two months ago. There has also been a failure to escalate concerns when placing authorities do not provide documentation on children looked after. Consequently, many foster carers do not have a copy of the local authority’s care plan for the child or children whom they are caring for.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The shortfalls in the registered manager’s performance have not been effectively addressed by the registered individual. The quality of supervision provided by the registered individual has been poor. The supervision notes do not make reference to how the registered manager would be supported to take on the role of registered manager in September 2017. No actions are recorded for supporting the registered manager to deal with complex staffing issues. During the inspection, the registered manager made reference to aspects of the role that he found challenging. No evidence could be found that the registered individual had a plan for addressing these issues.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The staff who were spoken to during this inspection said that they feel well supported by the registered manager. Some commented on the high levels of work that they are undertaking. This is partly due to the agency being understaffed for approximately seven weeks. At the time of this inspection, leaders and managers were developing a plan for how the staff shortage would be addressed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Members of the agency fostering panel come from a diverse range of backgrounds. The panel monitors the quality of foster care assessments and annual foster carer reviews effectively. Concerns regarding foster carers failing to keep up to date with their training have been raised by the panel, but this has not resulted in improvement in their take up of training. The agency’s fostering service manager has taken a proactive approach to ensuring that foster carer assessments provide a suitable analysis of the information obtained during the assessment process. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Isp Whitstable 11

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the independent fostering agency knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011 and the national minimum standards. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Isp Whitstable 12

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider address: Partnerships in Childcare Services Ltd, Wavendon Tower, Ortensia Drive, Wavendon, Milton Keynes MK17 8LX

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Independent fostering agency details

Email address: Keith.beasley@ispchildcare.org.uk

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Inspectors

Stephen Collett, social care inspector Sophie Wood, regulatory inspection manager Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Isp Whitstable 13 to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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