New Leaf Adoption

Inspection report for voluntary adoption agency - monitoring visit: Our Family Adoption 1 Our Family Adoption

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Community House, Portholme Road, Selby YO8 4QQ Monitoring visit

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this voluntary adoption agency

Our Family Adoption agency was registered on 20 January 2014. It is a small, non- faith-based, stand-alone voluntary adoption agency. It recruits, prepares, assesses, approves and supports adopters for domestic adoption only, and works with local authorities to place children who need an adoptive family.

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Information about this voluntary adoption agency

Date of previous inspection: 20 November 2017

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This monitoring visit

This voluntary adoption agency was judged to require improvement to be good at the last full inspection on 20 to 24 November 2017. The effectiveness of leaders and managers was judged to be inadequate as part of this inspection. Since the last inspection, further concerns have emerged relating to the leadership and management of the agency. A full inspection was announced, but Ofsted was informed that the agency had ceased and therefore a monitoring visit was carried out instead. The purpose of this monitoring visit was to assure Ofsted that the appropriate actions had been taken to transfer ongoing work to another agency, as well as archived case records to the relevant local authority. The actions taken to meet the requirements and recommendations raised at the last inspection were not assessed as part of this inspection and therefore are still identified in this report. There are historical concerns relating to a previous director’s honesty and integrity

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This monitoring visit

which continue to have an impact on the quality and robustness of prospective adopter’s assessments. Inspectors are aware of an ongoing police investigation relating to this matter. The current director of the agency was ‘struck off’ by the Health and Care Professions Council in August 2019, following concerns about his conduct and professionalism. This led to him stepping back from his role of responsible individual. Ofsted is concerned about the ability of this agency to operate a safe and consistent service and has, therefore, served a Notice of Proposal (NOP) on 4 October 2019 to cancel the agency. This has been followed up by a Notice of Decision (NOD) on 11 Inspection report for voluntary adoption agency - monitoring visit: Our Family Adoption 2 October 2019 to cancel the agency. At the time of this monitoring visit, the staff had vacated the premises and were no longer working for the agency. Ofsted met with the director who was in the process

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This monitoring visit

of vacating the office premises. Arrangements had already been made to transfer the current open cases to another voluntary adoption agency, although this was without the prior consent of Ofsted. Arrangements were also being made by the director to transfer all archived records to the local authority where the agency is based. Ofsted has now received confirmation that these actions have been achieved. Inspection report for voluntary adoption agency - monitoring visit: Our Family Adoption 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, the Voluntary Adoption Agencies and the Adoption Agencies (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2003, the Adoption Agencies Regulations 2005 or any other relevant legislation, and the national minimum standards. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

Review and termination of approval The adoption agency must review the approval of each prospective adopter in accordance with this regulation, unless— (b) in any other case, a child is placed for adoption with the prospective adopter or the agency is considering placing a child with the prospective adopter in accordance with regulations 31 to 33. (2) A review must take place whenever the adoption agency considers it necessary but otherwise not more than one year after approval and thereafter at intervals of not more than one year. (Adoption agencies (miscellaneous amendments) regulations 2013, Regulation 30D (1)(2)) 26/01/2018

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Requirement Due date

Meetings of adoption panel No business may be conducted by an adoption panel unless at least the following meet as the panel— (a) either the person appointed to chair the panel or one of the vice chairs, (b) one person falling within regulation 3(1)(a), (c) three, or in the case of an adoption panel established under regulation 4(3) four, other members and where the chair is not present and the vice chair is not an independent person, at least one other panel member must be an independent person. (The Adoption Agencies and Independent Review of Determinations (Amendment) Regulations 2011, Regulation 6(1)) 26/01/2018 Inspection report for voluntary adoption agency - monitoring visit: Our Family Adoption 4 Requirement to appoint an agency adviser and a medical adviser The agency adviser must be a social worker and have at least five years’ relevant post-qualification experience and, in the opinion of the adoption agency, relevant management

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Requirement Due date

experience. (The Adoption Agencies and Independent Review of Determinations (Amendment) Regulations 2011, Regulation 8(2)) 26/01/2018

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the wishes, feelings and views of children are taken into account by the adoption agency and adoption support agency in monitoring and developing its service. (NMS 1.6)  Adoption agencies and adoption support agencies work effectively with agencies concerned with child protection e.g. the responsible authority, schools, hospitals, general practitioners, etc. and do not work in isolation from them. (NMS 4.3)  Ensure that the prospective adopters are helped to fully understand the child’s background, health, emotional and developmental needs and the practical implications for parenting that child before they agree for the match to be passed to the adoption panel. (NMS 13.7)  The panel chair ensures written minutes of panel meetings are accurate and clearly cover the key issues and views expressed by panel members and record the reasons for its recommendation. (NMS 17.9)  There is a good quality learning and development programme which includes

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Recommendations

induction, post-qualifying and in-service training, that staff and volunteers are supported to undertake. The programme equips them with the skills required to meet the needs of the children and service users, keeps them up-to-date with professional, legal and practice developments and reflects the policies, legal obligations and business of the agency. (NMS 23.1)  There are clear and effective procedures for monitoring and controlling the activities of the agency. This includes the financial viability of the service, any serious incidents, or allegations, or complaints about the service and ensuring quality of the agency. (NMS 25.1)  Ensure that there is a system in place to monitor the quality and adequacy of record keeping and take action when needed. (NMS 27.2)  Entries in records, decisions and reasons are legible, clearly expressed, non- stigmatising, distinguish between fact, opinion and third party information

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Recommendations

and are signed and dated. (NMS 27.4) Inspection report for voluntary adoption agency - monitoring visit: Our Family Adoption 5

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the voluntary adoption agency since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000

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Voluntary adoption agency details

Registered provider: Our Family Adoption Ltd

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Voluntary adoption agency details

Registered provider address: Community House, Portholme Road, Selby YO8 4QQ

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Inspectors

Jacqui Malcolm, social care inspector Inspection report for voluntary adoption agency - monitoring visit: Our Family Adoption 6 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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