F5 Foster Care Limited

Inspection report for independent fostering agencies – monitoring: F5 Foster Care Limited 1 F5 Foster Care Limited

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F5 Foster Care Limited First Floor Amington House, 95 Amington Road, Birmingham B25 8EP

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Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this independent fostering agency

F5 Foster Care is a private limited company based in Birmingham. The fostering agency offers long-term, short-term and respite placements. At the time of this inspection, the fostering agency was providing placements for three children and has seven fostering households.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

A new manager joined the fostering agency on 4 May 2021. She has submitted her application to Ofsted for registration.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

Date of previous inspection: 10 May 2021

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted conducted a full inspection of this independent fostering agency between 10 and 13 May 2021. As a result of the inspection, the fostering agency was judged requires improvement to be good. The inspection found shortfalls in the leadership and management of the fostering agency and this element of the service was judged to be inadequate. Ofsted issued a compliance notice under regulation 8.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was carried out to review the action that the provider has taken to meet the compliance notice. In addition, the inspectors reviewed action taken by the provider to meet the requirements and recommendations raised at the full inspection.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors found that the provider has made improvements in the leadership and management arrangements for the service. These are sufficient for the compliance notice to have been met.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has improved systems to support her oversight of the fostering service. She has introduced a system to track the progression of applications by Inspection report for independent fostering agencies – monitoring: F5 Foster Care Limited 2 prospective foster carers. This promotes the timely completion of assessments. Where there has been delay, the manager has updated checks previously undertaken on prospective foster carers. Because of this, the fostering panel has current information available when making a recommendation about an applicant’s suitability to foster.

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This monitoring visit

The manager presents brief reports to the fostering panel where assessments of prospective foster carers have ceased in stage 2 of the process. Improvements to information available to applicants in this situation means that prospective foster carers are now aware of their rights and how to challenge decisions where they disagree.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has created an ‘escalation and resolution’ process. This provides guidance to supervising social workers in challenging placing authorities when practice is not as expected. This has been used successfully to positively address an issue of delay for a child.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual has received training relevant to his role. He has withdrawn from providing out-of-hours support and maintains a service oversight role. This promotes consistent decision-making and guidance to staff and foster carers from the manager.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors reviewed the progress made by the agency since the last inspection. In addition to the compliance notice, the remaining five requirements have been met and the three recommendations removed.

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This monitoring visit

A supervising social worker and foster carer have completed training to increase their skills to support children progressing towards adulthood. The agency has created a preparation for independence pathway with incentives for completed stages. These developments ensure that children are supported to gain the skills that they will need in adulthood.

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This monitoring visit

Children express their views through specific opportunities to talk with the supervising social workers when visiting foster carers. The manager has also conducted a children’s survey. This promotes the manager hearing and responding to the voice of the child.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has reviewed the behaviour management policy. It is now specific to the agency. There have been no incidents of restraint. Foster carers use their relationship with children to encourage positive behaviour and they reward progress made by children.

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This monitoring visit

There have been no complaints from children or foster carers since the last inspection. The manager has created a system to monitor complaints. This ensures that she has oversight of any complaints received and can track their progress to the outcome. Inspection report for independent fostering agencies – monitoring: F5 Foster Care Limited 3 The manager has made improvements to the safe recruitment arrangements within the fostering agency. This includes the confirmation of extensive employment histories and the completion of risk assessments where there are gaps in verification of employment. This helps to ensure that only people who are safe to work with children are employed by the fostering agency.

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This monitoring visit

Staff receive regular supervision. This provides management oversight of work and supervising social workers with regular opportunities to reflect on and develop their practice. One supervising social worker told inspectors that she welcomes the guidance she receives from the manager.

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This monitoring visit

Staff and fostering panel members now have annual appraisals of their performance. The manager uses these meetings to confirm an individual’s continued suitability for the role and to identify training to enhance their skills and knowledge.

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This monitoring visit

Foster carers receive monthly supervision. Improvements to records of these meetings mean that these are now a unique record of each supervision.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors identified one new recommendation during this visit. A supervising social worker has not updated a risk assessment of a foster carer’s home in response to a temporary change. This does not assure inspectors that supervising social workers ensure that risk assessments accurately reflect measures taken in the home to safeguard children. Inspection report for independent fostering agencies – monitoring: F5 Foster Care Limited 4

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that outdoor spaces, which are part of the foster home and where children play, are safe, secure and well maintained. (‘Fostering Services: National Minimum Standards’, page 22, paragraph 10.2)

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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. Inspection report for independent fostering agencies – monitoring: F5 Foster Care Limited 5

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider: F5 Foster Care Limited

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider address: First Floor Amington House, 95 Amington Road, Birmingham B25 8EP

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Inspectors

Tracey Coglan Greig, Social Care Inspector Jo Warburton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for independent fostering agencies – monitoring: F5 Foster Care Limited 6 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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