TACT Fostering - Kent

Inspection report for independent fostering agencies – monitoring: TACT Fostering – Kent 1 TACT Fostering – Kent

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26–27 The Hill, Northfleet, Gravesend, Kent DA11 9EU Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this independent fostering agency

The agency has been registered as an independent fostering agency since 1 May 2019. The agency currently supports 30 fostering households that are providing care for 29 children and young people.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

The statement of purpose for this agency states that it places children with trained foster carers and promotes children’s health, development and educational attainment.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

Date of previous inspection: not applicable

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was undertaken in response to information shared with Ofsted regarding the quality of care being provided to one child. There were concerns that this was negatively impacting on the child’s welfare. The monitoring visit focused on the care and support provided to this child, and how the agency has ensured compliance with the regulatory framework.

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This monitoring visit

The support plans in place for the child and the care he is receiving do not demonstrate that the agency understands his needs and vulnerabilities. The strategies in place to support him are highly restrictive and not based on informed assessment. The agency cannot demonstrate that the interventions are either necessary or proportionate.

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This monitoring visit

This is of concern, given that the strategies implemented, at times, restrict the child’s freedom of movement and also deprive him of sensory stimulation. The child has not been helped to make progress in relation to the behaviours that the agency feels require such highly restrictive interventions.

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This monitoring visit

The systems in place for monitoring the administering of the child’s prescribed Inspection report for independent fostering agencies – monitoring: TACT Fostering – Kent 2 medication are ineffective. This is of serious concern due to the child’s level of complex health needs which require a range of medications to promote his health and to protect him from harm. The agency simply has no way of checking if he is receiving medication as prescribed.

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This monitoring visit

The child’s health needs are reviewed through regular appointments with specialist health professionals. The child’s foster carers ensure that the child attends these appointments. However, there has been no recent training provided by the agency to ensure that the child’s foster carers can safely meet these needs, and there is no effective monitoring by the agency of how his health is promoted in relation to his day-to-day care.

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This monitoring visit

The agency practice in relation to risk assessment and risk management is poor. In one example, despite known information that a child being hot can significantly increase risks of seizures, they did not have any plan in place to manage this. This is particularly worrying, given that the child’s bedroom has limited ventilation and, on at least one occasion, was felt by a visiting professional to be excessively warm.

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This monitoring visit

Supervision provided to the foster carers by the agency’s supervising social worker is not reflective or appropriately challenging. There has been little professional curiosity or child-centred thinking applied to practice discussions between the foster carers and the supervising social worker. The agency has not supported foster carers to think about different strategies to help the child to make progress. Matters relating to safeguarding are not routinely discussed during supervision sessions.

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This monitoring visit

Monitoring of the quality of care by the registered manager has lacked sufficient rigour. Supervision provided to the supervising social worker is not reflective or appropriately challenging. Again, there was no specific time set aside to specifically focus on safeguarding practice issues.

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This monitoring visit

There have been significant delays in the supervising social worker sharing safeguarding concerns with the registered manager. This resulted in a significant delay in the agency investigating serious concerns relating to the welfare of this child and the quality of care provided to him.

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This monitoring visit

The records of visits to the child’s placement by the agency’s supervising social worker do not include an appropriate level of detail. The child’s views are not present in any recording made by the agency. This is of significant concern, given the child’s known vulnerabilities. The agency has not provided access to an independent advocate for this child. This means that it is not clear how the agency understands this experience of care or how they know that he is safe.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted is concerned that the shortfalls identified by inspectors during this visit demonstrate a lack of oversight by the registered manager, poor support provided to foster carers and significant failures in safeguarding practice. This places this child at significant risk and raises serious questions about wider practice in respect of the welfare of other children placed with this agency. Inspection report for independent fostering agencies – monitoring: TACT Fostering – Kent 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 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)) * 13/12/2019 *

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider and the registered manager must, having regard to— 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)(b)) 13/12/2019

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Requirement Due date

*This requirement is subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for independent fostering agencies – monitoring: TACT Fostering – Kent 4

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken by the independent fostering agency since being registered with Ofsted.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for independent fostering agencies – monitoring: TACT Fostering – Kent 5

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider: The Adolescent and Children’s Trust

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider address: 303 Hither Green Lane, London SE13 6TJ

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Inspectors

Maria Lonergan, social care regulatory inspector Lee Kirwin, social care regulatory inspection manager Inspection report for independent fostering agencies – monitoring: TACT Fostering – Kent 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

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