Silver Lining Fostering

Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Silver Lining Fostering 1 Silver Lining Fostering

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Silver Lining Fostering Ltd The Vista Centre, 50 Salisbury Road, Hounslow, London TW4 6JQ Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this independent fostering agency

Silver Lining Fostering is an independent fostering agency. It provides a wide range of fostering opportunities for children from birth to 18 years. This includes emergency, bridging, respite, short-, medium- and long-term placements. The agency also offers a ‘family friendly’ preventative service for families before a situation breaks down.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

At the time of the inspection, 11 children were placed with the agency and there were 14 approved foster carers. This agency was registered with Ofsted in October 2018. The manager was registered with Ofsted at the same time.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The independent fostering agency provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: N/A

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Silver Lining Fostering 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children quickly settle within their foster homes. This provides them with stability and contributes to their improved well-being. Children feel part of a family and some affectionally call their foster carer ‘mum’. Foster carers’ own children are good role models and they enjoy the ability to positively contribute to another child’s life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are happier, more confident and they have increased self-esteem and a sense of belonging. Foster carers invest emotionally, practically and financially in the children. Foster carers help children to develop their hobbies and interests and introduce them to new experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to lead healthy lifestyles, through diet and exercise. There is good attention to children’s health needs and their emotional well-being. Foster carers, alongside leaders and managers of the service, strongly advocate for children’s needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Foster carers value education and are proactive in providing some educational activity when children are not attending school. Although placing authorities may eventually provide home tuition, this is often insufficient. Leaders and managers are aware of this gap and have plans to address this issue.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who speak English as an additional language benefit from translated information which welcomes them to the agency. Children seeking asylum receive support regarding their immigration applications. There is good attention to religious needs, enabling children to attend their places of worship, pray, and follow their traditions and festivals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Assessments of prospective foster carers are completed promptly. Assessments are of good quality and highlight applicants’ strengths and their ability to reflect. Assessments also include research and theory linked to the carers’ ability to care for a child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The agency has exceeded its aim to recruit 10 foster carers in the first year. The word-of-mouth recruitment strategy has been very successful in recruiting foster carers, mainly from the Pakistani Muslim community. Leaders and managers aim to recruit a more culturally diverse range of carers to meet the needs of children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Cross-cultural placements work as the children and foster carers embrace and discuss cultural differences. Matching reports address any gaps and detail how children’s needs can be met. Foster carers are ambitious for the children and successfully mentor and guide them, insisting that the children receive timely help. . Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Silver Lining Fostering 3

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

Foster carers provide nurturing and non-judgemental care for children who have complex needs. Foster carers succeed in instilling boundaries and purposeful routines with children. Children receive ongoing help to develop socially acceptable behaviour.

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

Children benefit from good safeguarding arrangements. Leaders and managers monitor any causes for concern. This ensures that issues are promptly and efficiently addressed.

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

Risks to children are understood by the foster carers and the leaders and managers of the agency. Children are no longer self-harming and their moods have improved. Children are beginning to have aspirations for their future, which contributes to their increased self-esteem.

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

Leaders and managers use research-informed practice, such as the secure base model, to help to keep the children safe. Foster carers are responsive to the children’s challenging needs. The strong relationship-based working helps the children to reflect, trust others and feel safe and secure.

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

Fosters carers and staff benefit from a wide range of safeguarding training. This has raised their awareness of issues relating to female genital mutilation, preventing radicalisation, gangs, and the risks of child sexual and criminal exploitation.

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

Foster carers work effectively with other professionals to help to keep the children safe. Children feel able to disclose past and current abusive situations. This enables the involved professionals to actively address issues.

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

Children respond positively to foster carers tackling the issues behind why they are missing from home. Missing-from-care episodes highlight good liaison with the placing authority and the police. The only issue is in relation to leaders and managers not reporting a suspicion of child sexual exploitation to Ofsted.

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

Leaders and managers ensure that the recruitment process and working practices help to safeguard children. Standards of care issues are appropriately investigated. Staff and panel members also consider the learning that has been gathered from serious case reviews and research.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The members of the highly experienced management team lead with confidence. They are ambitious to provide a quality service for children. The feedback from placing authorities is positive. The agency has been registered for approximately one year and during this time, leaders and managers have created a service which focuses effectively on children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers aim to use relevant theories and research in the development of the service. The use of systemic practice highlights the importance of relationship- Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Silver Lining Fostering 4 based working. The secure base model helps to build security, confidence, competence and resilience for children in their foster homes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers provide highly valued support to children and foster carers. They are solution-driven and communicate effectively with professionals and strongly advocate for children’s needs. Systems track individual children’s progress and contribute to ongoing care planning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The culturally diverse fostering panel is committed to the children’s welfare. Central list members have a range of expertise, including social work, systemic therapy, health, education, fostering and personal experience of being in care. The fostering panel also contributes to constructive improvements within the agency.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Foster carers praise the 24-hour support and extensive training that they receive. Alongside face-to-face training, foster carers enjoy the flexibility of online training and one-to-one training at home. The national vocational training for new foster carers is also in progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers acknowledge the need for foster carers to improve the quality of their records. Children’s records do not highlight all the educational, interesting and fun things children do. There are plans to provide training to ensure that records meaningfully detail children’s lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers recognise their strengths and are aware of the areas requiring development. They aim to introduce a comprehensive level of support for children. Leaders and managers have experienced working in outstanding fostering services and this is their vision for the future. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Silver Lining Fostering 5

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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

If any of the events listed in column 1 of the table in Schedule 7 takes place in relation to a fostering agency, the registered person must without delay notify the persons or bodies indicated in respect of the event in column 2 of the table. (Regulation 36 (1))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, involvement or suspected involvement of a child involved in sexual exploitation. 31/12/2019

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Requirement Due date

Education, employment and leisure activities

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Requirement Due date

Provide foster parents with such information and assistance, including equipment as may be necessary to meet the educational needs of children placed with them. (Regulation 16 (2) (c)) 31/12/2019

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Recommendations

 Ensure that information recorded about a child is clear and in a way which is helpful if they were to access their files now or in the future. (NMS 26.6)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people 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: Silver Lining Fostering 6

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider: Silver Lining Fostering Ltd

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider address: 60 Blackburn Way, Hounslow, London TW4 5AH

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Independent fostering agency details

Responsible individual: Dipti Thakur Kazi

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Independent fostering agency details

Email address: info@silverliningfostering.co.uk

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Inspector

Sharon Payne, social care inspector Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Silver Lining Fostering 7 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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