Channel Fostercare Ltd

Inspection report for independent fostering agency: True Fostercare Ltd 1 True Fostercare Ltd True Fostercare Limited Suite 3a Drake House, Drake Lane, Dursley, Gloucestershire GL11 4HH Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this independent fostering agency

True Fostercare Limited is a small independent fostering agency based in Gloucestershire. The agency offers short-term, long-term and respite foster care placements to children aged from birth to 17 years of age, including children who have disabilities. The agency uses independent assessors, consultants and trainers and has two supervising social workers, a children’s support worker and an empathic listener. A small administrative team supports the service. There are currently seven children placed in seven fostering households in the south west and east midlands. An independently chaired panel meets to make recommendations about the approval of carers and the review of approved carers. The agency’s decision-maker is the responsible individual.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

Inspection dates: 13 to 15 November 2018

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

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: 15 November 2017

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for independent fostering agency: True Fostercare Ltd 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 have failed to adequately develop and improve the fostering agency since the last inspection. They do not have the necessary understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the service and do not have an action plan. Management reports about the review of the quality of foster care have not been submitted to Ofsted, as required by fostering regulations. There has not been sufficient monitoring and oversight regarding the running of the service at each management level.  Safeguarding arrangements are not robust enough to ensure that children’s welfare is protected. Leaders and managers have not followed procedures properly in relation to reporting and investigation of allegations and standard of care concerns.  Leaders and managers have not implemented satisfactory systems and procedures, in line with the fostering regulations and the national minimum standards, that are in place to protect children. For example, unannounced

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Key findings from this inspection

visits, risk assessments, monthly supervising social worker visits to foster carers and annual reviews are not done as often as they should be, and sometimes not at all.  The agency’s matching procedures have not been followed properly, which in part have led to children’s placements ending in an emergency.  Caring agreements and risk assessments are not always individualised and do not guide foster carers effectively on how to manage situations of risk. Specifically, they do not outline if or when physical interventions with children can be used or how use of physical intervention should be recorded and reported to the agency. For example, a foster carer had used physical intervention with a child and the agency did not know until informed by an inspector. The agency cannot therefore have a clear overview of when physical intervention has been used and opportunities to work with carers to explore alternative means of intervention are missed.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Safer caring agreements and risk assessments are not always individualised and do not guide foster carers effectively on how to manage situations of risk.  Managers have not made a final decision on whether to continue to use the agency’s current electronic recording system. Guidance to staff on how records should be kept has been unclear. This has led to inconsistency in the storing of information about children and foster carers, which is hampering management oversight of practice.  Managers have not escalated issues of concern to external agencies where appropriate.  Managers have recognised that the current children’s guide is inappropriate and it is under review. This means that when children first come to live with foster carers or when they transfer from another agency, they receive no written information on their rights or entitlements. The statement of purpose Inspection report for independent fostering agency: True Fostercare Ltd 3

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Key findings from this inspection

also requires review to accurately reflect the functions of the agency.  Children’s views are not sufficiently sought nor used effectively to improve the service.  When children receive respite care, it is not always well organised; children do not know well enough in advance who they will stay with and when.  When the company was taken over in November 2017, the new managers took over six months to set up a new fostering panel. No alternative solution was found during that time. Updates regarding foster carers’ change of circumstances or concerns have not always been taken to panel for consideration. Managers have identified that panel membership needs to be increased and include a health representative.  Foster carer assessments are not always of a good quality. Leaders and managers do not track all proposed actions recommended by the fostering panel, following approval.  One child has been waiting since the agency was taken over a year ago to

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Key findings from this inspection

receive a substantial sum of pocket money that had been put into savings.  Recruitment of staff requires improvement in some areas. For example, a gap in a staff member’s employment history was not identified and a social worker’s membership of the Health and Care Professions Council was not verified. Supervision is of a good quality but does not happen monthly in accordance with the agency’s procedures.

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Key findings from this inspection

The independent fostering agency’s strengths:

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Key findings from this inspection

 All seven children who are currently living with their foster carers are settled and making progress from their starting points.  Foster carers spoken to during the inspection talked about the children being part of their family, and children spoken to felt the same.  Most foster carers feel well supported by the manager and staff, during the day and out of office hours. Foster carers benefit from a variety of useful training and some enjoy attending foster carer groups.  A commissioner praised the agency for the care it gave to one child and stated that communication was excellent. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: True Fostercare Ltd 4

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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

Review of statement of purpose and children’s guide

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Requirement Due date

The fostering service provider must— keep under review and, where appropriate, revise the statement of purpose and children’s guide, notify the Chief Inspector of any such revision within 28 days, and if the children’s guide is revised, supply a copy to each foster parent approved by the fostering service provider, and to each child placed by them (subject to the child’s age and understanding). (Regulation 4(a)(b)(c)) 21/12/2018

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Requirement Due date

*Registered person – general requirements The registered provider and the registered manager must, having regard to— the size of the fostering agency, its statement of purpose, and the numbers and needs of the children placed by the fostering agency, and 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)) In particular:

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Requirement Due date

 ensure that managers and staff follow the agency’s matching procedures and that sufficient analysis of foster carers’ abilities to meet the needs of children is made. Ensure that as much information as possible is gained about children’s needs at the point of referral;  complete internal investigations as required if children raise concerns about their care;  clarify the leadership and management arrangements, 03/01/2019 Inspection report for independent fostering agency: True Fostercare Ltd 5 including day-to-day arrangements;  ensure that all necessary procedures are implemented and necessary documents are in place to safeguard and protect children. For example, risk assessments and safer care agreements are on files and unannounced visits are completed in line with the agency’s policy;  clarify when foster carers have used physical intervention and ensure that these incidents are recorded properly;

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Requirement Due date

 ensure that updates are taken to panel when there are changes in circumstances or concerns;  monitor the implementation of any panel recommendations and action points;  ensure that supervision and appraisal of staff happen in accordance with the agency’s policy; and  ensure that all children who are entitled to monies receive these monies. Independent fostering agencies—duty to secure welfare

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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, and before making any decision affecting a child placed or to be placed with a foster parent due consideration is given to the child’s— wishes and feelings (having regard to the child’s age and understanding), and religious persuasion, racial origin and cultural and linguistic background. (Regulation 11(a)(b)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

 Ensure that respite care arrangements are planned well.  Increase opportunities for children to participate in events and to give their views about the agency. 21/12/2018

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Requirement Due date

Constitution and membership of fostering panel

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Requirement Due date

The fostering service provider must ensure that the fostering panel has sufficient members, and that individual members have between them the experience and expertise necessary, to effectively discharge the functions of the panel. (Regulation 23(7)) 03/01/2019 Inspection report for independent fostering agency: True Fostercare Ltd 6 Review of quality of care

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain a system for—

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Requirement Due date

monitoring the matters set out in Schedule 6 at appropriate intervals, and improving the quality of foster care provided by the fostering agency.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must provide the Chief Inspector with a written report in respect of any review conducted for the purposes of paragraph (1) and, on request, to any local authority.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (1) must provide for consultation with foster parents, children placed with foster parents, and their placing authority (unless, in the case of a fostering agency which is a voluntary organisation, it is also the placing authority). (Regulation 35(1)(a)(b)(2)(3)) 03/01/2019

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 19: Suitability to work with children. The fostering service can demonstrate, including from written records, that it consistently follows good recruitment practice, and all applicable current statutory requirements and guidance, in foster carer selection and staff and panel member recruitment. This includes DBS checks. All personnel responsible for recruitment and selection of staff are trained in, understand and operate these good practices. (NMS 19.2)  25: Managing effectively and efficiently and monitoring the service. The manager regularly monitors all records kept by the service to ensure compliance with the service’s policies to identify any concerns about specific incidents and to identify patterns and trends. Immediate action is taken to address any issues raised by this monitoring. The independent foster service’s provider/trustees, board members or management committee members: a. receive written reports on the

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Recommendations

management, outcomes and financial state of the fostering service every 3 months; b. monitoring the management and outcomes of the services in order to satisfy themselves that the service is effective and is achieving good outcomes for children; c. satisfy themselves that the provider is complying with the conditions of registration. (NMS 25.2, 25.7) Inspection report for independent fostering agency: True Fostercare Ltd 7

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inadequate

Children’s welfare is at risk of not being safeguarded due to inadequate leadership and management. A high proportion of children’s placements have ended in an unplanned way. The agency’s matching procedures have not always been adhered to and, at times, the full information about children has not been sought in a timely manner.

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inadequate

Respite care is provided for some children by other foster carers in the agency. At times, the short breaks are not well organised and foster carers and children do not know well enough in advance who will be looking after them and when. A complaint was made regarding poor planning and arrangements, which the agency upheld. A social worker has expressed concern about the poor management of these arrangements for children.

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inadequate

No groups or events have been taken place specifically for children. Limited arrangements are in place to capture children’s views to improve the service. Children do have a children’s support worker whose role is designed to give children advocacy and support. However, due to distance and practicalities, this is not sufficient resource. In some instances, children have been asked to sign a form written for adults such as the foster carer’s safer caring agreement.

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inadequate

Some foster carer annual reviews are out of date, so managers cannot be assured that foster carers and their households continue to be suitable. Supervising social workers do not visit all the foster carers monthly in accordance with the statement of purpose. Electronic recordings support this finding and there is a lack of regular recordings of children’s experiences in their foster homes. Children’s social workers do not get weekly written reports but are informed if there are specific concerns about children.

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inadequate

The agency is based on the principle of therapeutic parenting. To support this approach, foster carers are allocated empathic listeners, in addition to supervising social workers. Some foster carers have recently joined the agency because of the therapeutic model the agency adheres to.

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inadequate

Staff and foster carers have received a range of training, including therapeutic care and how to manage sexualised behaviour. Some foster carers attend a group run by supervising social workers and foster carers find this useful and supportive. Some also attend ‘listening circle’ groups run by the National Association of Therapeutic Parents. However, not all foster carers can attend foster carer support groups as they are not geographically accessible, and some carers choose not to attend these groups. Arrangements are not in place to review and address these issues.

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inadequate

Foster carers report that the children they care for are making progress. Children’s social workers spoken to say that children are settled and happy, and that foster Inspection report for independent fostering agency: True Fostercare Ltd 8 carers look after them well.

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

Safeguarding arrangements are not robust enough to ensure that children’s welfare is protected. A child raised concerns about their foster carers and this was not internally investigated in accordance with the designated officer’s request. When allegations are made, or concerns raised, these are not always presented to the fostering panel for advice and review.

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

Children have been placed with foster parents without the proper matching procedures being followed. This includes not consulting with supervising social workers beforehand, and not adhering to recommendations made by fostering panel in relation to ages and gender of children placed. Poor matching was a significant factor in two placements breaking down within 24 hours.

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

The agency’s statement of purpose states that unannounced visits to children take place at least twice a year. Managers did not know how often unannounced visits have been completed and, in some situations, there has not been adherence to the national minimum standards of yearly unannounced visits.

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

Although foster parents report children who were missing to the police and authorities, the agency has not fully adhered to its own policies in relation to children who go missing. Risk assessments and safer care agreements are out of date, have significant gaps or are not done for some children. These involve situations of high levels of risk, such as children going missing or incidents of violence and aggression. This shortfall does not ensure a robust response to safeguarding children.

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

The agency does not condone the use of physical intervention for children and this is supported by training in relation to de-escalation and managing violent behaviour, which all foster parents attend. However, foster carers report that there are times when they have used physical intervention, but supervising social workers were not aware, and therefore did not review the use of this to ensure children’s safety.

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

Recruitment of staff could be improved in some areas. For example, an employment gap was not explored. One set of foster parents’ Disclosure and Barring Service checks have recently become out of date. The agency did not take this into account in putting them forward as prospective carers, should a suitable referral be made.

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

In the main, foster carers feel well supported by the manager and supervising social workers. They are provided with training and advice on how to manage complex situations. They can access the manager and staff for advice during out-of-office hours. Prior to a child moving in, a supervising social worker described an example of good practice when she carried out direct work to safeguard all children in the home. A commissioner praised the agency and said that staff and foster carers provided excellent support to a child who has complex needs, had good communication and said that they would use the agency again. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: True Fostercare Ltd 9

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have failed to adequately develop and improve the fostering agency since the last inspection. They do not have sufficient understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the agency. Consequently, there is no written plan that identifies which areas are a priority for improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Management oversight and monitoring of the running of the service to ensure that children’s needs are met are weak. The registered manager feels overwhelmed by the pressures and tasks involved and has focused mainly on supporting foster carers in looking after children. The registered individual and registered manager have made some attempts to audit the agency, the results of which show that there are gaps in records. For example, safer caring agreements, risk assessments or health and safety checks are out of date or not available. Leaders and managers have not analysed patterns and trends from the data that is available. They have not completed management reports including the required annual written report for Ofsted, which should demonstrate how the quality of foster care is reviewed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Management systems are not effective. The manager and staff do not have clear direction and understanding as to who makes decisions and why, particularly in relation to recording systems and financial issues. For example, a foster carer is concerned that a child who is owed a large amount of monies from savings has not had these monies transferred since the agency was taken over a year ago by the new owners.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

If a child has not received a necessary response from a professional, the manager has not always escalated this issue to resolve it, including when a strategy meeting has not been held or a return home interview after a child has gone missing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Supervision of staff is of a suitable quality when it happens, but it is not frequent enough to enable the manager to have an overview of how the service meets the needs of children. Social work staff did not receive an induction when they started and have not had formal probationary assessments.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The agency’s fostering panel has been operational since June 2018. Before this date, the agency was without a panel for over six months. Senior managers did not find an alternative solution to this problem, which meant that the provider did not refer any issues to a panel. In one case, the outcome of a child protection investigation was not taken to panel for over six months.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers have identified that the panel membership needs to be extended to provide greater independence and choice. Assessment reports submitted to panel are not always of a good quality and sometimes not timely. When action is recommended by the panel, it is not clear how managers satisfy themselves that actions have been completed. The registered individual has secured an external quality assurer for future panels.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The statement of purpose and children’s guide are not up to date and managers Inspection report for independent fostering agency: True Fostercare Ltd 10 plan to review it. The children’s guide is not being used currently as it is inappropriate.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers hold team meetings which are well attended, documented and cover the necessary issues. While there are significant failures in management oversight and monitoring, leaders, managers and staff genuinely care about children and are committed to their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Going forward, the agency is entering some instability due to the registered manager having resigned and reducing his hours for the duration of his notice period. The registered individual generally visits the office two days per month.

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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 differences 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: True Fostercare Ltd 11

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider: True Fostercare Limited

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider address: Suite 3a Drake House, Drake Lane, Dursley, Gloucestershire GL11 4HH

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Independent fostering agency details

Email address: angie@fosteringtogether.com

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Inspectors

Sarah Canto, social care inspector Linda Bond, social care inspector Inspection report for independent fostering agency: True Fostercare Ltd 12 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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