Elite Fostering Limited

Inspection report for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Elite Fostering Limited 1 Elite Fostering Limited

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International House, 963 Wolverhampton Road, Oldbury, West Midlands B69 4RJ

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Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this independent fostering agency

Ofsted registered Elite Fostering Limited in December 2018. The registered manager is also a director of this agency. The agency undertakes recruitment, assessment, approval, and support of foster carers. The agency currently has 18 fostering families and 29 children placed.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted completed a monitoring visit remotely after receiving a complaint about how the agency recruits foster carers. During the monitoring visit, inspectors considered whether the agency has recruited foster carers and staff safely. The inspectors also reviewed the experiences for children who have transferred to the agency with their foster carers and how the agency supports new children moving into foster homes.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors found that the agency made appropriate efforts to follow protocols for foster carers transferring between agencies. Assessing social workers overcame obstacles to ensure that information was available for consideration when foster carers had previous involvement with the local authority designated officer. Due diligence helps to protect children’s welfare.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors sampled a staff recruitment file which demonstrated that the agency has followed safer recruitment processes. Inspectors are satisfied that the agency has assessed foster carers and staff as suitable and safe to fulfil their roles caring for children.

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This monitoring visit

Not all supervising social workers have received specific support and training to prepare them for assessing prospective foster carers. Employed staff have also not yet had the opportunity to train alongside fostering panel members. As a result, this Inspection report for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Elite Fostering Limited 2 agency has not facilitated further developmental opportunities for staff appropriate to the role they perform.

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This monitoring visit

The agency decision maker undertakes pre-panel quality assurance of assessments for prospective foster carers. This has the potential to undermine the independent and impartial oversight of decisions made. Following discussion with inspectors, senior managers in the agency have agreed to review this arrangement.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors found that when children live with foster carers who have transferred from another agency, the social workers had considered their needs during the assessment process. Foster carers provided continued care and therefore children did not have negative experiences because of the transfer process.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s social workers told inspectors that the agency had not informed them of additional new children moving into the fostering household. This means that children’s social workers have been unable to consider the appropriateness of the placement match and advocate for their children. In addition, the agency has not demonstrated how they have considered the needs of all children to ensure that they are safe and continue to make progress.

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This monitoring visit

One child has had a poor experience because of children moving into his home. The agency has not matched all children to their foster carers or considered the impact for children already living in the household. Therefore, the agency has not fully assessed the foster carers’ ability to meet the needs of all children living with them. Furthermore, the agency has not identified how to support carers when there are gaps in their skills.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors reviewed risk assessments which were not always individualised or updated following significant events. As a result, supervising social workers do not evidence how they have provided carers with guidance to safeguard children and promote their welfare. When children have been missing and there are additional concerns regarding this, the agency has not reported this to Ofsted. This means that inspectors are unable to monitor how the agency responds to all serious incidents that occur.

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This monitoring visit

The agency has also failed to inform the local authority designated officer of an incident in which a foster carer’s actions placed a child at risk. Although the agency acted appropriately to prevent any further risks to any children living with this carer, there has been a significant delay in investigating the incident, as well as a subsequent complaint made by the child. The agency has not implemented their policy to record allegations and ensure appropriate liaison with safeguarding professionals. On this occasion, a foster carer’s behaviour compromised a child’s safety.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors spoke to foster carers who stated that they felt supported by the director and the agency. Inspectors found evidence of staff advocating for children and Inspection report for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Elite Fostering Limited 3 challenging relevant professionals to achieve good outcomes, particularly in relation to educational placements.

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This monitoring visit

The panel chair supports robust oversight of assessments and consideration of recommendations to the agency. Her annual appraisal demonstrated training planned to develop the skills of panel members further. This will enhance their ability to fulfil their role. Inspection report for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Elite Fostering Limited 4

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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 provider and the registered manager must, have regard to—

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Requirement Due date

the size of the fostering agency, its statement of purpose, and the numbers and needs of the children placed by the fostering agency; and

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Requirement Due date

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

This is in relation to ensuring that the matching of children with foster carers is individual and clearly documents the child’s needs and the carers’ ability to meet these needs.

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Requirement Due date

When gaps are identified, the agency needs to set out how they will support the carers to address these. 30/09/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person in respect of an independent fostering agency must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

the welfare of children placed or to be placed with foster parents is safeguarded and promoted at all times.

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Requirement Due date

This is in relation to children having individualised risk assessments which are reviewed to reflect significant incidents, and which provide carers with guidance to safeguard children and promote their welfare. 30/09/2020

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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 with foster parents from abuse or neglect and sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of any allegation of 30/09/2020 Inspection report for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Elite Fostering Limited 5 abuse or neglect. The procedure under paragraph (1)(b) must, subject to paragraph (4), provide in particular for liaison and co-operation with any local authority which is, or may be, making child protection enquiries in relation to any child placed by the fostering service provider, written records to be kept of any allegation of abuse or neglect, and of the action taken in response and consideration to be given to the measures which may be necessary to protect children placed with foster parents following an allegation of abuse or neglect.

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Requirement Due date

In this regulation "child protection enquiries" means any enquiries carried out by a local authority in the exercise of any of its functions conferred by or under the 1989 Act relating to the protection of children.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1)(a)(b)(3)(a)(d)(e)(5))

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Requirement Due date

This is in relation to the agency referring concerns about a carer to the designated officer. The fostering service provider must ensure that all persons employed by them receive appropriate training, supervision and appraisal, and are enabled from to time to time to obtain further qualifications appropriate to the work they perform.

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Requirement Due date

This is in respect to staff completing assessments of potential carers with appropriate training and support. 30/09/2020

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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.

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Recommendations

 Investigations into allegations or suspicions of harm are handled fairly, quickly, and consistently in a way that provides effective protection for the child, and at the same time supports the person who is the subject of the allegation. Fostering services follow the framework for managing cases of allegations of abuse against people who work with children as set out in Working Together to Safeguard Children. (‘Fostering Services: National Minimum Standards’, page 45, paragraph 22.9). Inspection report for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Elite Fostering Limited 6

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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 independent fostering 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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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider: Elite Fostering Limited

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider address: 1 Gorsey Way, Aldridge, Walsall, West Midlands WS9 0EQ

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Inspectors

Joanna Warburton, social care inspector Lisa O’Donovan, social care inspector Inspection report for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Elite Fostering Limited 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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