Resolution Fostering Service

Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Resolution Fostering Service 1 Resolution Fostering Service Resolution Fostering Services 355 Wilmslow Road, Manchester M14 6XU Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this independent fostering agency

The agency provides long-term and short-term foster care, including emergency and parent and child placements, for children from birth to 17 years.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

On 4 January 2019, the agency had 10 fostering households caring for 20 children, including a parent and child placement, and four sibling groups.

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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 failures that mean children and young people are not protected.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

A notice of decision to cancel the service was issued on 19 June 2018. The agency has opposed the decision and a tribunal hearing is scheduled in March 2019. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Resolution Fostering Service 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

 The assessment of risk to children is weak. As a result, children‟s welfare and safety are not adequately promoted.  Not all children are benefiting from well-considered matching decisions.  Foster carers‟ approval assessments are not thorough.  The quality of the agency panel minutes is poor.  Foster carers have not all undertaken relevant training.  Delays in assessments of foster carers and their subsequent approval hinder the growth in placement choice for children.  The recruitment of agency staff and fostering panel members is not robust.  Staff‟s supervision and appraisal lack rigour and challenge.  Leaders‟ monitoring of both the service and the care provided to children is weak.  The agency is not operating in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose.  A copy of the agency‟s statement of purpose is not accessible via their website, as required by regulation.  Children‟s case files do not contain all the statutory documentation needed to

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Key findings from this inspection

ensure that the agency is meeting the aims and objectives of the placing authority‟s care plan.

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Key findings from this inspection

The independent fostering agency‟s strengths:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Most children are benefiting from living in nurturing and enduring foster placements. Consequently, they make progress from their starting points. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Resolution Fostering Service 3

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Statutory requirements

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

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Requirement Due date

The fostering service provider must place a copy of its statement of purpose on its website; and, subject to paragraph (6), the fostering service provider must ensure that the fostering service is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. (Regulation 3 (2)(5)) 22/02/2019

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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). (Regulation 11 (a)(b)) 22/02/2019

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Requirement Due date

The fostering service provider must provide foster parents with such training as appears necessary in the interests of children placed with them. (Regulation 17 (1)) 22/02/2019

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Requirement Due date

The fostering service provider must not employ a person to work for the purposes of the fostering service unless full and satisfactory information is available in relation to that person in respect of each of the matters specified in Schedule 1. (Regulation 20 (3)(c) Schedule 1) 22/02/2019

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Requirement Due date

The fostering service provider must ensure that all persons employed by them receive appropriate training, supervision and appraisal. (Regulation 21 (4)(a)) 22/02/2019

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Requirement Due date

The fostering service provider may carry out an assessment of any person who applies to become a foster parent and whom they consider may be suitable to become a foster parent (“X”), and any such assessment must be carried out in accordance with this regulation. (Regulation 26 (1)) 22/02/2019 Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Resolution Fostering Service 4 The registered person must maintain a system for improving the quality of foster care provided by the fostering agency. (Regulation 35 (1)(b)) 22/02/2019

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Recommendations

 Ensure that all necessary information is provided to panel members at least five working days in advance of the panel meeting to enable full and proper consideration. (National Minimum Standards 14.3)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the fostering panel makes its recommendation on the suitability of a prospective foster carer within eight months of receipt of the prospective foster carer‟s application to be assessed. (National Minimum Standards 14.4)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the fostering panels have access to legal advice, as required. (National Minimum Standards 14.6)

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Recommendations

 The panel chair must ensure that written minutes of panel meetings are accurate and clearly cover the key issues and views expressed by panel members and record the reasons for the panel‟s recommendation. (National Minimum Standards 14.7)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that there is a clear and comprehensive record of any allegation made against a particular member of a fostering household, or staff member, including details of how the allegation was followed up and resolved. Also ensure that a record of any action taken, and the decisions reached, is kept on the person‟s confidential file. (National Minimum Standards 22.7)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that entries in carers‟ and children‟s records clearly document any decisions and the reasons for them. (National Minimum Standards 26.5) In particular, carers‟ and children‟s records should reflect any decisions made about children‟s care agreed during staff‟s professional supervision.

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Recommendations

 Ensure effective integration of information held in the agency‟s case files and those of the responsible authority. (National Minimum Standards 26.8) Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Resolution Fostering Service 5

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inadequate

Children‟s welfare and safety are not consistently promoted because of serious failures in the agency‟s safeguarding practice. Furthermore, leaders‟ monitoring and oversight of the agency, including the auditing of agency records, have failed to secure swift and sustainable improvements. As a result, the overall experience and progress of children are compromised.

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inadequate

The approval of foster carers is inadequate. Since the last inspection, the agency has recruited two new foster families. The quality of their assessments was extremely poor because significant information was omitted, and analysis was lacking Furthermore, checks on ex-partners were not routinely undertaken, which undermines the thoroughness of the assessment and potentially children‟s safety.

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inadequate

Additionally, the approval process is not timely. Both recent approvals exceeded 12 months from receipt of the application to the decision to approve. The agency‟s panel deferred both assessments due to lack of information and the poor quality of reports, thus creating a further delay in the approval process. The need to defer decisions is also indicative of the significant shortfalls in the quality assurance of the reports presented to the panel.

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inadequate

Similarly, the quality of recent panel minutes and the timeliness of the distribution of minutes is weak. Panel minutes do not adequately reflect the detail of discussion and deliberation on significant matters, such as the panel‟s recommendation of approval. Consequently, important information is lost, which can potentially compromise the rigour of the agency‟s decision-making. Shortfalls in the approval process hinder the growth of fostering households, and thus placement options for children.

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inadequate

Although the registered manager undertakes regular audits of children‟s records to monitor missing paperwork, some important documents remain missing from children‟s files, such as care plans, review meeting minutes and personal education plans. This missing information undermines the extent to which the agency monitors children‟s progress against the placing authorities‟ aims and objectives for each child.

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inadequate

Individual foster carers are a strength of the agency. Most carers are experienced foster carers and provide the children with nurturing, family-based care. Consequently, most children make progress from their starting points.

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inadequate

Most children are benefiting from living in a stable foster family. Eight out of 20 children are placed on permanent care plans and 60% of the children have lived with their foster families for over 12 months.

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inadequate

All children of school age have suitable provision in place, and their foster carers Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Resolution Fostering Service 6 support them to make good progress in their education. Foster carers work collaboratively with schools, arrange additional tuition when needed and support children with their homework.

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inadequate

Foster carers promote and support children to see their families when it is safe to do so. The agency is involved in supervising some children‟s contact and makes it possible for children to meet up with their parents in a safe environment.

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

Foster carers do not have access to robust risk assessments that inform them about protective procedures to keep children safe. The agency‟s risk assessments do not provide clear and consistent guidance on how to keep children safe, neither are they updated when necessary. For example, information about a child‟s allergies is inconsistently recorded in his risk assessment, and there are no clear strategies for the foster carer to follow. In another case, the risk assessment for a young mother and her baby failed to adequately identify and assess the serious and foreseeable risk to both the mother and her baby because of the mother‟s prior history of the misuse of drugs, and her vulnerability to child sexual exploitation while being missing from care.

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

Matching assessments do not consider the potential risks that children may pose to existing household members. The agency agreed an emergency placement alongside an existing foster child without obtaining all relevant information at the point of referral. On this occasion, the agency failed to thoroughly assess the possible impact of the new placement on the existing child, including the potential risk of child sexual exploitation. Lack of rigour in matching decisions is compromising children‟s welfare and safety.

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

The recording of allegations against foster carers is inconsistent. Some records are scant and do not provide sufficient detail of the allegation or actions taken thereafter. The limited recording hinders effective monitoring of safeguarding practice.

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

Shortfalls in the recruitment of staff and panel members undermine safeguarding practice. For example, some staff and panel members‟ personnel files lack appropriate references and verification of discrepancies in employment dates. In one case, the agency held no recruitment information about a panel member.

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

The monitoring of foster carers‟ training is weak. The agency does not have a reliable system in place that provides an accurate overview of foster carers‟ training. Consequently, most foster carers‟ safeguarding training is out of date. Furthermore, carers have not been provided with behaviour management training to equip them with the knowledge and skills to manage challenging behaviour and situations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Resolution Fostering Service 7 The registered manager took up the post in June 2018 and she registered with Ofsted in October 2018. She is a qualified and registered social worker with several years‟ experience in fostering, including management. The responsible individual, who is also the agency decision-maker, took up post in July 2018. She is suitably qualified and experienced to carry out both roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

This leadership team has made some improvements in the service since taking up post, including the recruitment of two independent assessors and a supervising social worker. Despite leaders knowing some of the weaknesses identified during this inspection, they have not taken sufficiently decisive or swift action to secure the necessary improvements. Progress in several areas has been too slow and, in some areas, has declined. Examples include safeguarding practice, approval assessments, safe recruitment, panel processes, and the recording of serious incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Weak management oversight of the service is undermining the improvement journey. Despite leaders‟ efforts to improve systems for monitoring the quality of care and the auditing of agency records, shortfalls in these areas continue.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Although there have been some improvements in the frequency of staff‟s professional supervision, team meetings and annual appraisals, the quality of these is poor. The leaders‟ lack of challenge, direction and monitoring of staff‟s performance impede the team‟s effectiveness and staff development. As a result, staff performance issues are not addressed, and staff are not benefiting from clear guidance or appropriate support to help them to develop and improve their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Additionally, case discussions and decisions agreed in staff‟s supervisions are not consistently recorded on all foster carers‟ and children‟s files. The actions agreed between the manager and staff are also not evidenced in the agency‟s records. For example, when the agency decided not to proceed with a foster care enquiry, there was no written record to that demonstrate how the agency reached this decision. These omissions in recordings further show limitations in the management oversight and monitoring of the agency records and staff‟s practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The agency is not being conducted in line with the aims and objectives set out in its statement of purpose. For example, unannounced visits to foster carers are not carried out three times per year, as stated. Therefore, agency leaders are unable to demonstrate how they assure themselves that carers‟ practice promotes children‟s safety and well-being.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Panel membership has improved since the last inspection. The panel‟s chair and vice-chair have brought greater rigour to the approval process. However, there is no legal adviser on the agency‟s central list to provide the panel with legal guidance when required.

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Information about this inspection

Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Resolution Fostering Service 8 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: Resolution Fostering Service 9

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider: Resolution Fostering Services

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider address: 355 Wilmslow Road, Manchester M14 6XU

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Inspectors

Marina Tully, social care inspector Mandy Williams, social care inspector Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Resolution Fostering Service 10 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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