Family Affect Ltd

Inspection report for adoption support agency: Family Affect Ltd 1 Family Affect Limited Family Affect Limited Tarrihere, High Street, Thorpe-le-Soken, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex CO16 0EA Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this adoption support agency

This family-run adoption support agency offers intensive therapeutic family work to children and families. The agency’s aim is to enhance family life for both the child and parents or care providers.

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Information about this adoption support agency

The manager registered when the service registered in September 2019.

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Information about this adoption support agency

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

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good

How well children, young people and adults are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The adoption support agency provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for adoption support agency: Family Affect Ltd 2

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: good

This is the first inspection of this agency. The agency is providing some exceptionally good outcomes for children, young people and families. However, the agency needs to address some organisational issues.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: good

The agency provides very good support that makes a real difference to the lives of children, young people and families. The support is highly individualised. The service recognises the different needs of each person. Brothers and sisters are treated individually. This all helps the agency to meet the individual needs of those who use the service very well. Children, young people and adults are at the centre of the agency’s work. The agency’s premises are well equipped and child-friendly.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: good

The practitioners build strong and effective relationships with the children, young people and adults who use the service. This helps them to provide effective support. People who use the service spoke about how well the practitioners help them to understand some very difficult information about their past in a way that they feel is safe and helpful to them. The good consultation with people using the service helps the practitioners to take things at a pace which is appropriate and manageable.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: good

The practitioners are suitably trained for the work that they carry out and they make a positive difference to people’s lives. Local authorities describe the practitioners as very knowledgeable, professional and consistent, with particular skill in therapeutic support. One social worker said that, in their career in social work, one of the cases that the agency has been working on stands out for them. They described their heart swelling when they heard about the progress that the family is making.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: good

Local authorities and service users feel able to raise any concerns that they have about the service. There has only been one such concern, from a local authority. The authority is very satisfied with the agency’s response to the concern. In this case, the agency looked into the concern and took action to address it.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: good

The agency’s complaints policy does not make clear that the subject of a complaint should not be involved in investigating it. Nor is it specific about complaints made about the registered manager and responsible individual. While this has not made a difference yet, not having a clear policy could mean that a complaint may not be managed appropriately in the future.

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good

People who use the service feel safe to manage some difficult information or issues. The good relationships that they have with the practitioners and the pace of work helps to achieve this. One service user said that some information is hard for them Inspection report for adoption support agency: Family Affect Ltd 3 to know, but they do know that they will feel better afterwards. This is easier for them to manage because they feel listened to.

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good

The work that the practitioners do with children, young people and families helps children and young people to become safer. In some cases, this has led to a reduction in self-harming or aggressive behaviour. In one case, practitioners helped a family to work to a safer care plan.

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good

The practitioners help parents to manage their children’s behaviour, which may otherwise put those children at risk. In one case, the practitioner helped a parent to understand and manage sexualised behaviour in a way that did not blame or stigmatise the child.

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good

Managers have responded appropriately to historical and current safeguarding concerns. They have worked well with other agencies to help make sure that issues are addressed in a way that helps keep children safe.

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good

People working for the agency have safeguarding training appropriate to their roles. They also keep up to date with safeguarding issues such as radicalisation and female genital mutilation. This puts them in a better position to identify any concerns for people with whom they work.

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good

The agency has a recruitment policy, but this does not set out all the checks that are required. This has not had a negative effect on the service as the agency has not recruited any new staff since it was registered in September 2019. However, not having a clear and comprehensive policy has the potential to affect future recruitment practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

This is a small agency with two full-time staff. One of the staff is the registered manager and the other is the responsible individual. Since the service was registered in September 2019, the registered manager has achieved an appropriate management qualification. He is using the learning from this to develop the agency. For example, he has put together an induction programme, although as there have not been any new staff start it has not been used yet.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and responsible individual have a sound understanding of the strengths and areas for development of the agency. They have commissioned a new information system to help with some of the administration and oversight tasks. This system is due to come online in the next few weeks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and responsible individual have high expectations and want good outcomes for families, children and young people who use their service. This leads them to provide very good adoption support, so that those who use their service make significant progress from their starting points. Inspection report for adoption support agency: Family Affect Ltd 4 The agency is achieving its stated aims and objectives. It is improving family life for children, young people and their families. In doing this, the agency is aware of individuals’ needs and does not let these needs hamper the work or the outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The statement of purpose and children’s guide do not provide all the information required. This limits the information that is available to people who use the service and those who commission it.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is good joint working with other agencies, such as the local authorities that commission the work. This helps to make sure that people are working together to achieve good outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The COVID-19 pandemic has had some effect on the way that the agency has worked. Some sessions have been undertaken online and there have been some changes to the therapy spaces. Despite this, the agency has continued to provide good support to the families, children and young people who need it. Inspection report for adoption support agency: Family Affect Ltd 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, the Adoption Support Agencies (England) and Adoption Agencies (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2005 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 shall compile in relation to the agency a written statement which shall consist of a statement as to the matters listed in Schedule 1 (“statement of purpose”). (Regulation 5 (1)) 28 May 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person in relation to an agency which provides adoption support services to children shall produce a written guide to the agency (“children’s guide”) which shall include a summary of the complaints procedure and the address and telephone number of the registration authority. (Regulation 5 (4)(b)(c)) 28 May 2021

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the agency can demonstrate through its policies that it will consistently follow good recruitment practice, and all applicable current statutory requirements and guidance in the recruitment of staff, volunteers and persons on the central list. This includes Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks. All personnel responsible for recruitment and selection of staff are trained in, understand and operate these good practices. (‘Fostering services: National minimum standards’, 21.2)  The registered person should ensure that the agency has a written policy and procedural guidelines on considering and responding to representations and complaints in accordance with legal requirements and relevant statutory guidance. (‘Fostering services: National minimum standards’, 25.10)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, young people and adults, using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the adoption support agency, how it meets the core functions as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Adoption Support Inspection report for adoption support agency: Family Affect Ltd 6 Agencies (England) and Adoption Agencies (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2005 and the national minimum standards. Inspection report for adoption support agency: Family Affect Ltd 7

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Adoption support agency details

Registered provider: Family Affect Limited

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Adoption support agency details

Registered provider address: Tarrihere, High Street, Thorpe-le-Soken, Clacton- on-Sea, Essex CO16 0EA

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Adoption support agency details

Responsible individual: Mr Stephen Layzell

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Adoption support agency details

Email address: steve.layzell@familyaffect.co.uk

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Inspectors

Clive Lucas, Social Care Inspector Joanna Heller, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for adoption support agency: Family Affect Ltd 8 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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