Olive Branch Fostering Ltd

Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Olive Branch Fostering Ltd 1 Olive Branch Fostering Limited Olive Branch Fostering Limited Hardmans Business Centre, New Hall Hey Road, Rossendale, Lancashire BB4 6HH Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this independent fostering agency

This independent fostering agency offers long-term, short-term and emergency foster care placements for children aged from birth to 17 years. Children who reach the age of 18 can continue living with their foster carers as young adults.

p.1

Information about this independent fostering agency

The current manager registered with Ofsted on 25 June 2021.

p.1

Information about this independent fostering agency

This inspection involved both on-site and off-site activity. Foster carers and children were spoken to during the inspection.

p.1

Information about this independent fostering 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.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Olive Branch Fostering Ltd 2

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of the inspection, the agency had 75 fostering households caring for 83 children. It has grown significantly since the last inspection in 2017.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children, foster carers and staff feel very connected to the agency. They are overwhelmingly positive about the support they receive, and they refer to themselves as being part of the ‘Olive Branch family’.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are positive about their experiences living with their foster carers. Children benefit from secure, trusting relationships with their foster carers and agency staff, and most children make significant progress. Children have access to a range of activities and are encouraged to pursue their hobbies and interests.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A key strength of the agency is that it is a diverse agency which celebrates individuality and promotes inclusion. Cultural and identity needs are well understood, and children have opportunities to develop their understanding of their own and other cultures. Children’s achievements are strongly promoted. In-house rewards further support children to develop a strong sense of belonging and pride.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are listened to by their foster carers and wider agency. Their views contribute to their day-to-day care. The agency’s engagement officers creatively seek children’s views as part of planning processes, and they support children to share their views with professionals involved in their care. Children and carers know how to complain.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Matching processes carefully consider children’s needs with foster carers’ skills, which means that most children are settled and enjoy long-term permanent care. Staying put processes are in place for children who choose to stay with their carers when they reach 18 years of age. The number of unplanned placement endings for children is low. The agency is quick to reflect and learn from these situations, and implements new matching processes to further strengthen practice in this area.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When possible, children are supported to move into foster homes in a planned way. The agency is proactive in keeping brothers and sisters together. This helps children to sustain a positive family identity. Children are also supported to keep in touch with those important to them in line with their plans.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Although in their infancy, the agency’s emotional well-being and education services provide carers with additional support and resources to maintain placement stability and improve positive outcomes for children.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

During times of national restriction, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the agency creatively engaged children and supported foster carers. They maintained regular weekly communication with carers and led online activities for children. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Olive Branch Fostering Ltd 3

p.2

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

Children say that they feel safe living with their foster carers. They are supported to develop positive relationships with trusted adults, and this underpins the progress they make. One child said, ‘I like living with my foster carers, they help me to feel safe and happy.’

p.3

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

Foster carers feel safe fostering for the agency. They feel that the agency understands them and ensures that they have access to training and support. One foster carer said, ‘I really can’t praise the agency enough. The staff are organised, efficient and we feel safe with them.’

p.3

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

Carers understand children’s vulnerabilities and risks. Although there is a low number of children who experience high-risk behaviours, carers are vigilant to risk and understand how to respond. Incidents of children going missing are appropriately responded to, and the agency takes steps to minimise future incidents and implement safety plans for children. Risk management and safer caring plans are regularly reviewed and updated.

p.3

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

Children are consistently supported to take age-appropriate risks safely. This is reflected in feedback from other professionals, who feel carers balance independence and risk well. The agency provides a range of resources to further support carers and to help children to develop their awareness and understanding of issues that are affecting them. This includes online training and workbooks relating to internet safety, radicalisation and exploitation.

p.3

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

Challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic have been managed effectively by the agency. The team has gone above and beyond to ensure that high levels of support remained in place for children and families. Policies and processes relating to COVID-19 were implemented to keep children, foster carers and staff as safe as possible. During times of national and local restrictions, the agency utilised technology to maintain contact with carers and children. Face-to-face visits resumed as soon as possible in line with government guidance or if there were any known concerns.

p.3

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

Complaints and allegations are responded to effectively in consultation with other professionals. Outcomes from complaints and allegations are used to inform future practice, and the effective relationships with other professionals further strengthen safeguarding practices within the agency.

p.3

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

There have not been any physical interventions reported by the agency, and de- escalation training is provided to all carers with access to more specialist training as required.

p.3

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

Routine health and safety checks of foster carers’ homes enable the agency to be confident that children are living in safe, secure and comfortable environments. However, shortfalls were identified around risk assessments for holidays and new Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Olive Branch Fostering Ltd 4 partners of foster carers. The agency has been quick to address this by implementing new processes to further enhance children’s welfare and safety.

p.3

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

The recruitment of foster carers is strong. However, some assessment reports for prospective carers do not reflect the in-depth exploration and professional curiosity around issues such as contact with previous partners. This potentially leaves gaps in the assessment and approval process.

p.4

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

Shortfalls in recruitment practice were identified as the agency does not consistently obtain references from current or most-recent employers.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is new to post and is working towards the relevant qualification. She is supported by the responsible individual, operations manager and team manager. Together, they have strong oversight of the agency.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team is visible, child centered, highly motivated and has a clear vision for the agency. The team is a strong advocate for children and foster carers and is passionate about improving outcomes for children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff work well as a team and have access to relevant training to further enhance their knowledge and skills. Staff supervision and appraisals are completed in line with the agency’s policy, which provides staff with opportunities to reflect on their practice.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Foster carers value the wide range of online and face-to-face training that is available to them. They have access to more-specialist training, when required, to meet children’s individual needs.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring systems are in place to provide managers with clear oversight of the service. However, monitoring systems would benefit from being further strengthened as incidents have not always been notified to Ofsted as required by legislation.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The agency’s website is informative and interactive. The statement of purpose is currently only available on request.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The central list for panel membership is diverse and includes people with a wide range of experiences relevant to fostering. However, appraisals for central list members have not taken place as required. Opportunities for further development have also been missed as arrangements for communication between the agency, panel chair and decision-maker have not been formalised. Minutes of panel meetings do not routinely reflect the decision-making and discussion that underpin recommendations. It is also not always clear when carers have been informed orally of the decision-maker’s decision. The agency has made recent changes to address this. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Olive Branch Fostering Ltd 5 The requirement and recommendations made at the last inspection have been met. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Olive Branch Fostering Ltd 6

p.4

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 must comply within the given timescales.

p.6

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 (if they have one), and make copies available, upon request, to—

p.6

Requirement Due date

any person working for the purposes of the fostering service,

p.6

Requirement Due date

any foster parent or prospective foster parent of the fostering service,

p.6

Requirement Due date

any child placed with a foster parent by the fostering service, and

p.6

Requirement Due date

the parent of any such child. (Regulation 3 (2)(a)(b)(c)(d))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This is specifically in relation to the fostering service provider placing a copy of its statement of purpose on its website. 15 October 2021

p.6

Requirement Due date

A person is not fit to work for the purposes of a fostering service unless—

p.6

Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to that person in respect of each of the matters specified in Schedule 1. (Regulation 20 (3)(c))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that current or last employer references are obtained before staff commence employment with the agency. 15 October 2021

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

the welfare of children placed or to be placed with foster parents is safeguarded and promoted at all times. (Regulation 11 (a)) 15 October 2021 Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Olive Branch Fostering Ltd 7 This specifically relates to ensuring that checks are in place to risk assess holidays and new partners.

p.6

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)) 15 October 2021

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that written minutes of panel meetings are accurate and clearly cover the key issues and views expressed by panel members and record the reasons for the panel’s recommendation. (‘Fostering Services: National Minimum Standards’, 14.7)  The registered person should ensure that the foster carer or prospective foster carer is informed orally of the decision-maker’s decision within two working days and written confirmation is sent to them within five working days. (‘Fostering Services: National Minimum Standards’, 14.10)  The registered person should ensure that each panel member’s performance, including that of the chair, is reviewed annually against agreed performance objectives. The service’s decision-maker should review the performance of the panel chair, and for this purpose may attend a proportion of panel meetings but only as an observer. Views about the chair’s performance should be sought from

p.7

Recommendations

other panel members and from those who attend panel meetings, such as prospective foster carers and social workers who present reports to the panel. For all other panel members, the panel chair should conduct the performance review. (‘Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations Volume 4’, Section 5.15)

p.7

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: Olive Branch Fostering Ltd 8

p.7

Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider: Olive Branch Fostering Limited

p.8

Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider address: Hardmans Business Centre, New Hall Hey Road, Rossendale, Lancashire BB4 6HH

p.8

Independent fostering agency details

Email address: ziafat@olivebranchfostering.co.uk

p.8

Inspectors

Caroline Bertram, Social Care Inspector Mandy Williams, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Olive Branch Fostering Ltd 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.

p.8

Inspectors

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspectors

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: www.eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9