Wellcare Fostering Services

Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Wellcare Fostering Services 1 Wellcare Fostering Services Wellcare Fostering Services Limited company number 04963908 Suite 504, Olympic House, 28-42 Clements Road, Ilford IG1 1BA Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this independent fostering agency

This is a privately owned independent fostering agency based in the London Borough of Redbridge. It aims to meet a range of placement needs for children, which includes parent and child placements. The agency is currently providing placements for 31 children. There are currently 26 approved fostering households. Three young adults are living in ‘staying put’ arrangements.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

The agency registered in October 2004. The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2020.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

Inspection dates: 14 to 18 February 2022

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: 4 September 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Wellcare Fostering Services 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children thrive in nurturing placements which are dedicated to meeting their aspirations and needs. Children’s comments include, ‘I am very happy here’, ‘I like foster care, we do everything together’ and ‘Wellcare is good’. Social workers highlight that they are ‘impressed’ with the agency.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are happier and more confident from when they moved in with their foster carers, this enhances their self-esteem. They receive encouragement to chair their own review meetings and achieve their goals. Parents in parent and child placements positively highlight how foster carers have helped them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive good physical and mental health support. Foster carers effectively care for children with varying disabilities. There are examples of foster carers learning British sign language and working in partnership with the mental health home treatment team.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Foster carers value education and strongly advocate for additional resources and the most appropriate schools for children. Children have successfully achieved their GCSE qualifications. Foster carers help older children with job and college applications. Three children have gone on to attend university.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s achievements and birthdays are celebrated. Children also have the opportunity to socialise together at Christmas parties and summer events. The introduction of the children’s champion role will enable children to have a greater influence within the agency.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from good cultural matches, which helps them to develop a positive identity. The agency’s placement officer also assists with translating and supporting placements. There is good attention to the religious needs of children enabling them to attend their places of worship, follow traditions and participate in religious festivals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some children have expressed attitudes which are racist and sexist. There was limited evidence to show how these views were challenged and how these children were being educated to understand British values. This is important to help them with settling into life in the United Kingdom.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Older children have the opportunity to remain with their carers into adulthood in ‘staying put’ arrangements. This provides them with ongoing stability into adulthood. Older children have varying degrees of independence. They do not have a structured independent living skills programme, which would prepare them for adult life. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Wellcare Fostering Services 3

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

Children benefit from good safeguarding arrangements. Children report that they feel safe. A local authority team manager highlighted that the registered manager ‘went above and beyond to safeguard children’.

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

Research-informed practice keeps children safe, an example being the ‘secure base’ model. The implementation of a ‘secure base’ model helps foster carers to sensitively respond to children and their behaviours. Foster carers are also supported by training in their own resilience and mindfulness.

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

Children quickly feel part of the foster family, which gives them a sense of belonging. Foster carers highlight that they ‘love’ their role. There are currently no issues with children going missing from care. There are also no concerns regarding radicalisation, extremism or with children being criminally or sexually exploited.

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

Children receive highly effective individualised support from the agency’s supervising social workers. A child stated the supervisory social worker, ‘is the best person I have ever worked with’. Stability meetings are requested to ensure that children receive the necessary support to enable them to continue living in their foster home when the placement is fragile.

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

Everyone within the fostering household receives safer caring training. This enables the foster carers and members of their household to have a shared understanding of what is required to keep children safe. Young adults in ‘staying put’ placements can also attend other training events, an example is first-aid training.

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

Placing authorities commend foster carers for their ability to successfully care for children who have complex needs and who have struggled to live in other foster homes. A social worker highlighted the foster carer ‘is working her magic’ and has given their child ‘the stability she never had’.

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

There is a strong relationship with the local safeguarding personnel, which enables staff and foster carers to access an extensive range of training. This complements the training available within the agency. Training has helped to increase foster carers’ awareness of issues relating to child protection, neglect, social media, female genital mutilation, child sexual and criminal exploitation. This strengthens safeguarding practice.

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

Where there has been an issue of standards of care, a local authority team manager highlighted ‘the response has been timely, appropriate and effective’. Child protection concerns are promptly reported to placing authorities. Leaders and managers notify Ofsted of the instigation of a child protection enquiry. However, the outcome of the enquiry is not always reported as required. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Wellcare Fostering Services 4

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good

The fostering agency has grown significantly in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. This has presented leaders and managers with specific challenges in regard to monitoring and ensuring that foster carers attend the required training. However, these shortfalls have not impacted on the good quality of care. Leaders and managers have a plan of action which focuses on the areas requiring further development.

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good

The agency offers foster carers a wide range of training, however, there is an issue with attendance. The expected vocational training has not been completed within the required timescale. This does not reflect the information in the agency’s statement of purpose regarding appropriately trained foster carers.

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good

Leaders and managers have not fully addressed a requirement from the last inspection. There is a continued need for more diligent monitoring of the quality of care. Regulation 35 reports do not include all the required information. This is not helped by the agency not having an effective system which tracks the progress of children.

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good

The assessments completed for prospective foster carers are generally of a good standard. Assessments are analytical and highlight prospective foster carers’ strengths. However, there is limited exploration in relation to the ability of foster carers to provide parent and child placements.

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good

The agency succeeds in its vision to ‘transform lives’. Feedback from local authorities, foster carers and children is generally very positive. A social worker, however, did highlight that they did not receive children’s weekly logs. Furthermore, some foster carers do not keep a consistent and meaningful record of children’s day-to-day experiences.

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good

Leaders and managers pride themselves on their wish for ‘quality rather than quantity’ and to have an agency which provides ‘a personal touch’. A good example of this is taking chocolates and flowers to a foster carer after an incident. Leaders and managers know all the children and they positively refer to them as ‘our children’.

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good

Children and foster carers receive support from a culturally diverse, multilingual staff team. A local authority commissioner praised the partnership working in helping to move children from residential care into fostering. They stated, ‘We experienced very good outcomes and have really valued the opportunity to work differently in how we plan, assess and match’.

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good

Children receive care from foster carers and staff who are well supported. Social workers describe foster carers as ‘amazing’ and ‘unique’. The insightful fostering panel focuses on promoting the best outcomes for children and constructively contributes to improvements within the agency. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Wellcare Fostering Services 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, 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 fostering service provider must ensure that the fostering service is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. (Regulation (3) (5))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure foster carers attend the appropriate training. 1 May 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain a system for—

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Requirement Due date

monitoring the matters set out in Schedule 6 at appropriate intervals, and

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Requirement Due date

improving the quality of foster care provided by the fostering agency.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must provide the Chief Inspector with a written report in respect of any review conducted for the purposes of paragraph (1) and, on request, to any local authority.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (1) must provide for consultation with foster parents, children placed with foster parents, and their placing authority. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)) 1 May 2022

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Requirement Due date

Obtain the information specified in part 2 of Schedule 3 relating to a person applying to become a foster parent and their household. (Regulation 26 (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the foster carer’s capacity to provide parent and child placements. 1 May 2022

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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 1 May 2022 Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Wellcare Fostering Services 6 table. (Regulation 36 (1))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, notify Ofsted of the outcome of a child protection enquiry.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure children are encouraged to take responsibility for their behaviour in a way that is appropriate to their age and abilities. In particular, challenge and educate children on racist and sexist attitudes. (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 3.4)  The registered person should ensure there are comprehensive arrangements for preparing and supporting young people to make the transition to independence. (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 12.3)  The registered person should ensure there are clear and effective procedures for monitoring and controlling the activities of the service. This relates to measuring the starting points and progress of children. (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 25.1)  The registered person should ensure that staff and fostering households understand the nature of records maintained and follow the service’s policy for

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Recommendations

the keeping and retention of files. There should be a system in place to monitor the quality and adequacy of record-keeping and action should be taken when needed. In particular, children’s logs and accurately recording children’s heritage. (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 26.2)

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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: Wellcare Fostering Services 7

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider: Wellcare Fostering Services Limited company number

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider address: Suite 504, Olympic House, 28-42 Clements Road, Ilford, Essex IG1 1BA

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Independent fostering agency details

Email address: info@wellcarefostering.co.uk

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Inspector

Sharon Payne, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Wellcare Fostering Services 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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