Foundation Fostering Limited

Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Foundation Fostering Limited 1 Foundation Fostering Limited Foundation Fostering Limited Acorn Business Centre, Office 7, Roberts End, Hanley Swan, Worcester WR8 0DN Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this independent fostering agency

The responsible individual has operated the agency since 2013, when he was the sole provider. This agency is now owned by a small private company. It was re- registered in December 2017.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

There are currently 24 fostering households caring for 31 children. The agency offers short- and long-term, emergency and planned placements.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

The manager was registered in December 2017.

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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 widespread failures that mean children and young people’s welfare is not promoted.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Foundation Fostering Limited 2

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inadequate

Widespread failures in the effectiveness of leadership and management in this agency place children at risk of harm. Inadequate responses to resolve concerns about standards of foster care mean that the agency does not always support children’s welfare.

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inadequate

The agency does not ensure that supervising social workers meet children to understand their experience of foster care. In a few cases, supervising social workers have not seen children for up to six months. Supervising social workers attend looked after child reviews but fail to action agreed plans. For example, a key task for the agency that was identified in a child’s looked after review was to arrange psychological support with life story work. This has not been progressed three months later, and the registered manager was unaware that this support was needed. This lack of managerial oversight does not prioritise children’s experiences.

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inadequate

The agency does not make a record of decisions when children share bedrooms with their brothers or sisters. This means they cannot demonstrate that the wishes of children have been fully considered or that each child is adequately safeguarded.

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inadequate

The registered manager has not always investigated and responded to children’s complaints, including those involving extreme distress. Consequently, children do not feel that their concerns are taken seriously.

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inadequate

Despite these negative issues, children’s daily individual experience is generally good. Foster carers take good care of children’s health. They help children keep in touch with the important people in their lives. The agency’s skilled educational advocate keeps track of and helps children to achieve at school.

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inadequate

Some children settle into their placements and form strong relationships with their carers. Consequently, some children make emotional progress, which helps them in all areas of their lives. A few have stayed in placements into young adulthood under ‘staying put’ arrangements.

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inadequate

The organisation celebrates children and foster carer achievements. Support for difference and diversity means that children are appropriately matched both culturally and religiously with their foster homes. Children lead active busy lives with their foster families.

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inadequate

Foster carers are well supported. Regular support groups have begun again. Training has substantially improved, and at approval all foster carers have already completed core training in addition to their preparation training. Foster carers appreciate the regular, helpful visits by the agency’s supervising social workers. They feel part of and valued by the agency. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Foundation Fostering Limited 3

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

The organisation’s child protection procedure is ineffective. The registered manager has not put the procedure into practice, and his records are poor. He failed to implement plans to reduce the risk for children until two weeks after a significant incident had occurred in the home. This does not safeguard children or foster families.

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

Placement decisions do not always protect children. The registered manager has overseen placements of children with foster carers, despite significant unresolved concerns about the quality of care they provide, including financial mismanagement, and allegedly transporting children in an uninsured car. In addition, these placements were contrary to the express direction of the agency decision maker that no children should be placed with the carers. Children have gone on to experience further poor care and made a further allegation about abuse by these carers.

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

Managers confuse complaints and safeguarding issues. The registered manager does not conclude allegations and internal investigations effectively to learn lessons and improve children’s life in foster care. This lack of skill hinders monitoring, delays action and jeopardises children’s safety.

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

The agency has worked cooperatively to keep safe children who are at risk because they run away from their foster homes or who self-harm. It helps children to stay safe online and when developing independence in the community.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Ofsted judged the agency to require improvement at a full inspection in July 2018. This inspection found further decline and significant failures in how the service safeguards and takes care of some children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Management systems for monitoring, reviewing and improving the quality of care are ineffective. The formal review of the quality of care has not been successful in improving the agency. This is a repeated weakness from the last inspection. A further range of monitoring tools and reporting systems have missed safeguarding issues and complaints by children. The agency does not put safeguarding or children’s experience at the heart of its service review or development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The agency relies on a committee of external consultants for safeguarding scrutiny and advice and for quality assurance to fill gaps in the knowledge of managers. Significant safeguarding concerns have not been notified to Ofsted. This prevents the regulator from having oversight and taking any necessary action.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager has failed to identify, record and act on issues that matter in children’s lives, including complaints and safeguarding concerns raised by children and professionals. He has failed to show any professional curiosity or review incidents effectively to learn lessons to improve practice, including after serious safeguarding incidents. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Foundation Fostering Limited 4 Managerial oversight still does not ensure that finalised assessments of foster carers are of a consistently good standard. This is a repeated weakness from the last inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The agency fails to ensure the quality of foster homes. For example, key risks of violence in a prospective foster home were not adequately assessed, and essential household gas safety checks were missed at an annual review. The last three fostering panels have identified shortfalls in half of all reports about foster carers’ suitability.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The fostering panel has sometimes provided an effective gatekeeping function. However, panel members do not always withdraw from discussion and recommendations when they have personal knowledge of applicants. This presents a potential conflict of interest.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Panels have not been appropriately advised by the registered manager in his role as panel adviser.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff and panel members lack good-quality training related to their roles. For example, not all panel members have had panel-related training. No social work staff, including managers have had training in undertaking assessments of foster carers. The responsible individual and registered manager have not had safeguarding training at a level commensurate with their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Supervision of social work staff by the registered manager is also not of good quality. Examples of ‘cut and paste’ staff supervision lack a true child or staff focus. High rates of staff turnover have been unsettling for some foster carers. However, the agency has now recruited a full permanent staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The agency’s published statement of purpose describes roles and services which it cannot provide. Placing authorities may be misled by the publicised offer. Information for children does not tell them what the agency will do in response to any complaint. Children do not know what to expect.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

New electronic recording systems are not yet fully used. Records do not show children’s respite placement history with foster carers. Information about the range of people who currently work for the agency was not available during the inspection. This places children and carers at risk.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Weaknesses overshadow the positive aspects in the agency. Recruitment checks now ensure that all staff are safe to work with children. Placing authorities reported good communication and that they are pleased with outcomes for their children. One local authority told the inspector, ‘We have always found them to be helpful.’ New arrangements to consult with children about their views, wishes and feelings and facilitate involvement in agency matters at ‘Young ambassador’ groups are encouraging.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Ofsted will carry out an inspection visit within eight weeks of this inspection to monitor the agency’s progress. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Foundation Fostering Limited 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

The fostering service provider must provide a copy of the statement of purpose to the chief inspector, place a copy on their website, produce a written guide to the fostering service (‘the children’s guide’) and ensure that the fostering service is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. (Regulation 3(1)(2) (3)(5))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that information about services, facilities and types of placement is accurate, and that the children’s guide tells children what the agency will do in response to any informal or formal complaint. 01/04/20

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Requirement Due date

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.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that where the registered provider is an organisation, the responsible individual undertakes from time to time such training as is appropriate to ensure they have the experience and skills necessary for carrying on the fostering agency. (Regulation 8 (1)(a)(b)(2)(b)) * 02/02/20

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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. (Regulation 11(a))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to delivery of actions in each child’s care or placement plan and management of risk in foster homes. 01/04/20

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Requirement Due date

The fostering service provider must prepare and implement a written policy which is intended to safeguard children placed 02/02/20 Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Foundation Fostering Limited 6 with foster parents from abuse or neglect and sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of any allegation of abuse or neglect.

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Requirement Due date

The procedure under paragraph (1)(b) must, subject to paragraph (4), provide in particular for written records to be kept of any allegation of abuse or neglect, and of the action taken in response. (Regulation 12(1)(a)(b)(3)(d)) * Ensure that a written record is made of any complaint or representation, the action taken in response to it, and the outcome of the investigation. (Regulation 18(4)) 01/04/20

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

This relates to good-quality staff supervision, training in safeguarding and assessment for the manager and social work staff and appropriate training for the panel in panel functions. 01/04/20

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Requirement Due date

The fostering service provider must maintain and keep up to date the records specified in Schedule 2. (Regulation 22(1))

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Requirement Due date

In this case, this refers to a record of each child’s placements with foster parents and a record of each person working for the fostering service provider. 01/04/20

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that panel oversees the conduct of assessments carried out by the fostering service provider. (Regulation 25(4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This is with regard to panel ensuring the good quality of foster parent assessments and reviews. 01/04/20

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Requirement Due date

Ensure there is a system for monitoring the matters set out in Schedule 6 at appropriate intervals, and for improving the quality of foster care provided by the fostering agency. (Regulation 35(1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This is with regard to monitoring all the required matters in sufficient detail to meet the needs of the agency and Ofsted. 01/04/20

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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)(2))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, notify Ofsted of any serious complaint about foster parent and child protection enquiries. 02/02/20

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Foundation Fostering Limited 7

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Recommendations

 Ensure that appointees to the role of registered manager who do not have the management qualification enrol on a management training course within six months, and obtain a relevant management qualification within three years, of their appointment. (NMS 17.3)  Ensure that the decision-making process and outcome of a bedroom sharing assessment are recorded in writing. (NMS 10.6)

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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: Foundation Fostering Limited 8

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider: Foundation Fostering Limited

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider address: Acorn Business Centre, Office 7, Roberts End, Hanley Swan, Worcester WR8 0DN

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Independent fostering agency details

Email address: nick@foundationfostering.org

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Inspector

Christy Wannop, social care inspector Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Foundation Fostering Limited 9 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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