Ideal Fostering

Assurance visit report: Ideal Fostering 1 Ideal Fostering

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Anchor House, 4 Bridgeman Street, Walsall WS2 9NW

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Information about this independent fostering agency

The agency is registered as a private limited company. The agency undertakes recruitment, assessment, approval and support of foster carers. The range of placement types provided includes emergency, long-term, medium-term, short-term and parent and child placements. The agency has a suitably experienced manager who is registered with Ofsted.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

The agency has had two monitoring visits since the last full inspection. One took place on 18 December 2019 and a further monitoring inspection took place on 20 May 2020.

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Information about this visit

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), Ofsted suspended all routine inspections in March 2020. As part of a phased return to routine inspection, we are undertaking assurance visits to children’s social care services that are inspected under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF).

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Information about this visit

At these visits, inspectors evaluate the extent to which:

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Information about this visit

 children are well cared for  children are safe  leaders and managers are exercising strong leadership. This visit was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000, following the published guidance for assurance visits.

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Information about this visit

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills is leading Ofsted’s work into how England’s social care system has delivered child-centred practice and care within the context of the restrictions placed on society during the COVID-19 pandemic. Assurance visit report: Ideal Fostering 2

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Findings from the visit

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit.

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The care of children

Children and young people have positive relationships with their foster carers. They are well cared for and are making positive progress because of the support they receive. One young person told the inspector that her relationship with her foster carers had improved during lockdown due to them spending more time together.

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The care of children

Children and young people’s views are sought regularly. For example, children and young people have been involved in developing questions for the fostering panel and have been part of the interview process for new staff joining the agency.

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The care of children

The agency has a therapeutic support team. This helped the agency to access external support for children and young people who need additional input to manage their emotional health. Furthermore, the therapeutic support team deliver one-to-one sessions to the foster carers. This helps foster carers to work through any challenges they may face. This early intervention promotes placement stability and provides foster carers with coping strategies. These sessions have continued throughout the COVID-19 pandemic with the use of video calls.

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The care of children

The agency has maintained good links with foster carers, children and young people during the pandemic. The agency has introduced an online interactive platform for foster carers to access and interact with the staff and other foster carers. Supervising social workers have kept in regular contact with foster carers, including virtual supervision visits and training sessions. As a result, foster carers feel supported by the agency.

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The care of children

The agency encourages children and young people to engage in online interactive activities. This includes sending origami kits to children and young people and completing online sessions and virtual quizzes. Children and young people were also provided with activity packs and a magazine. This will continue after the pandemic.

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The care of children

Children and young people’s health needs have continued to be met during the pandemic. Health services are accessed when needed and virtual consultations take place when face-to-face visits have not been possible.

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The safety of children

Children and young people are safe. Risk assessments are in place to manage risks when children go missing or self-harm. These incidents are minimal and monitored well by the agency. Since the start of the pandemic, missing-from-care incidents have reduced further. Assurance visit report: Ideal Fostering 3 The agency works in partnership with other professionals to keep children safe. For example, they attend strategy meetings if there are concerns about a child or young person to contribute to the review of how risks can be managed.

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The safety of children

Foster carers have additional training to manage children and young people’s specific needs, including health needs or refresher training on behaviour management. Foster carers have still been able to access virtual support groups and training during the pandemic. The agency has seen the benefit of this in reaching foster carers who are not always able to attend face-to-face training.

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The safety of children

The agency has a general practitioner who has been able to provide advice about COVID-19 to foster carers and staff. This has provided foster carers and staff with reassurance and helped to promote children and young people’s safety and welfare during the pandemic.

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The safety of children

During the pandemic, the agency have continued to recruit foster carers. This has been done with a combination of video calls and face-to-face visits. Panel has continued via video calls. The panel continues to offer scrutiny and clear recommendations.

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The safety of children

The agency takes complaints seriously and investigates them in an open and transparent way. The management team is reflective of any feedback they receive and view it as a way of improving further practice. Any safeguarding concerns are managed appropriately, with safeguarding action plans implemented when needed.

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Leaders and managers

A registered manager is in post. He has good support from a management team who oversee different elements of the service. The agency continues to expand, with more foster carers joining the agency. As such, more staff have been appointed and the therapeutic support team has developed.

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Leaders and managers

Despite the expansion of the agency, foster carers and staff told the inspector that the agency still has a family feel because of the personal and individual support they receive.

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Leaders and managers

Staff have regular supervision. Where needed, clinical supervision is provided to professionals who need this to maintain their professional registration, such as the psychotherapist and social workers.

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Leaders and managers

The agency is focused on getting the correct placement matches for children and young people in order to promote stability and reduce placement breakdowns. As such, newly approved foster carers do not always get a child or young person placed with them immediately.

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Leaders and managers

The previous recommendation that was made at the last monitoring inspection has been met. Additional assessments are now undertaken for foster carers who wish to take on parent and child placements. Assurance visit report: Ideal Fostering 4 The management team have good review and monitoring systems in place. This ensures managers have a good overview of the service and can monitor any patterns and trends.

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Leaders and managers

During the COVID-19 pandemic, managers have used the amendments to regulations to enable the fostering agency to continue to operate and to prevent delay in the progression of applications to foster. For example, while they do not have access to potential foster carers’ medical reports. This is clearly documented and evident in the form f assessment.

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider: Ideal Fostering Limited

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider address: 1 Coton Lane, Erdington, Birmingham B23 6TP

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Inspector

Lisa O’Donovan, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: Ideal Fostering 5 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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