Doncaster Children's Trust - Fostering Service

Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Doncaster Children’s Trust – Fostering Service 1 Doncaster Children’s Trust – Fostering Service Doncaster Children’s Services Trust Limited Colonnades House, Duke Street, Doncaster, South Yorkshire DN1 1ER Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this independent fostering agency

This independent fostering agency registered in July 2014. It is managed by Doncaster Children’s Services Trust, which provides children’s social care services on behalf of Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

The agency provides long-term, short-term, emergency and respite placements. It currently provides placements for 133 children and young people, and has 105 approved carers. Thirty connected persons’ foster placements have been assessed and approved to enable extended family or friends to care for those children and young people who are unable to live with their birth parents. The agency also assesses private fostering arrangements and connected persons and provides supervision and support to these groups.

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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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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and/or widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Doncaster Children’s Trust – Fostering Service 2 Date of last inspection: 19 November 2018

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Doncaster Children’s Trust – Fostering Service 3

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inadequate

The fostering agency has failed to maintain consistently strong and effective management oversight and effective safeguarding practice. Due to the impact of the deficiencies, the overall experiences and progress of children are judged as inadequate.

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inadequate

Children benefit from being cared for by committed and experienced foster carers who treat them like their own children and integrate them into their families. This results in children developing positive bonds and their progress makes foster carers feel proud of them.

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inadequate

Children experience stability in their foster homes. Some older children have chosen to stay with their foster carers beyond 18 years old, which mimics the benefits of them having an enriched family life. Foster families who are linked to the ‘hub’ are supported by trained and experienced foster carers, enabling the family-based model of care to continue to thrive. This model of care provides invaluable support to a number of children and foster carers, and it helps to improve placement stability.

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inadequate

There is some evidence to suggest that children are attending their schools regularly, are achieving and have gone on to higher education. However, not all foster carers have copies of the children’s relevant education plans. In one example, the foster carer and fostering social worker had not been invited to the child’s education meeting. This matter was not challenged by the agency. It is unclear how children’s education, including any of their additional needs, can be supported if their foster carers are excluded from their education meetings.

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inadequate

The agency is not able to provide a comprehensive overview of the children’s health outcomes. Not all children have an up-to-date health needs assessment and there has been insufficient challenge and escalation by the agency to ensure that these assessments are completed. It is therefore not clear what the health needs of these children are and if any children have unmet health needs that require treatment.

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inadequate

The agency has systems in place that ensure that the voice of both children who are fostered and birth children are heard and understood. The children’s participation in the weekly youth club complements their other interests and offers them the opportunity to socialise with other children and adults in a welcoming environment.

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inadequate

Foster carers facilitate family time and involve parents in their children’s care to maintain familial connections.

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inadequate

The recruitment of new foster carers is gaining in momentum, and this will support sufficiency in the agency. New foster carers express their satisfaction with the assessment process and the support they receive from the agency. A new foster Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Doncaster Children’s Trust – Fostering Service 4 carer’s assessment was very through and included a good level of evaluation throughout. However, the suitability of foster carers assessments has not always been thoroughly considered by the fostering panel who have, on occasions made recommendations without the full information available. The agency has taken steps to address this matter.

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

There have been serious and/or widespread failures that have exposed some children to harm or failed to safeguard their welfare.

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

Fostering social workers have a variable understanding of the safeguarding procedures that govern their practice. One fostering social worker spoken to demonstrated a comprehensive understanding of safeguarding procedures, but others have failed to identify safeguarding concerns and to follow the correct safeguarding procedures.

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

Insufficient measures have been taken to mitigate the risk of Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks from lapsing. This does provide assurances that foster carers remain suitable to care for children. Leaders and managers have identified that 14 DBS checks in fostering households have expired. In addition, the fostering social workers failed to identify the importance of adults in fostering households having DBS checks and management monitoring has failed to identify and respond proactively to this concern.

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

One foster carer’s DBS check expired in February this year. The DBS risk assessment was completed two months later, and its return is pending. During this time, a child made an allegation against their foster carer, which was substantiated. The foster carer’s DBS risk assessment had not been updated following the allegation and outcome. This does not promote robust safeguarding practices.

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

The agency has not identified children who are at risk of child sexual exploitation (CSE). It is particularly concerning that a child with CSE risks was matched with a foster carer who was not given the appropriate training or risk management plan to ensure the child’s safety.

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

Foster carers are not provided with guidance or training on how they could safely restrain children in order to manage behavioural challenges and keep children safe. Managers state that physical restraint is not promoted, and foster carers do not use such interventions, yet some children have been subjected to physical restraint. In these instances, no records of the physical restraint have been completed. This does not promote safe caring strategies and it exposes foster carers to allegations and could place children at risk of harm.

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

There is a lack of consistency in the management of allegations of harm. The agency does not always follow the correct safeguarding procedures when allegations are made against foster carers. The local authority designated officer is not always notified promptly about allegations. A foster carer was informed that a child had Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Doncaster Children’s Trust – Fostering Service 5 made an allegation against them six months after the allegation was made. In addition, a further child was placed with the foster carer without any exploration of the concerns. This unsafe practice exposes children to harm and does not ensure that the foster carers are suitably supported.

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

The agency provides foster carers with support when allegations are made against them through independent and internal mechanisms. However, not all have been satisfied with the timeliness and quality of the support, and they remain affected by the experience.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There have been several changes in senior leadership and operational management of the agency since the last inspection in 2018. The registered manager resigned in February 2022 following sickness and a period of absence of 12 months that was not notified to Ofsted. Consequently, staff have been without effective management guidance and direction. These challenges, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the service, have all contributed to the inefficient and ineffective leadership and management of the agency.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The relatively new leaders and managers of the service show a genuine commitment to making service improvements, which have yet to become fully embedded. Leaders and managers understand and have addressed many shortcomings within the agency. They have improvement plans and continue to work with the fostering staff to resolve concerns and overcome team culture issues. However, leaders and managers have not been able to provide robust assurances that all children are safe. Furthermore, they have not escalated issues of concern as quickly as necessary to make sure that children’s needs are met in accordance with their plans.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The quality of care monitoring reports for the agency lack evaluation. They do not provide a comprehensive and critical account of service developments. Leaders and managers have not satisfied themselves that the service is effective and is delivering good outcomes for children. For example, leaders and managers do not have the mechanisms in place to monitor the children’s educational attendance, attainment and children who are not in education, employment or training.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The quality of supervision of foster carers by the fostering social workers is variable. This also includes the quality of supervision between fostering social workers and their supervisors. While some examples of good-quality supervision have been identified, other examples have been poor. The supervision records contain minimal information and do not include any evidence of challenge or exploration. There has been a heavy reliance on self-reporting and reflective supervision is not integrated into practice. Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that supervision consistently takes place in line with the agency’s supervision policy. These gaps do not support foster carers to care for children properly. Furthermore, this does not support and guide the agency staff to fulfil their roles and deliver a consistently high quality service to children. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Doncaster Children’s Trust – Fostering Service 6

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Recording shortfalls include the duplication of some records and inaccuracies, such as incorrect dates. This was discussed with the leaders and managers during the inspection, and they have responded promptly with a position statement. However, inaccuracies such as the ones seen during the inspection raise questions about the validity of the recording.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Difficulties with the fostering panel have been resolved. The panel is currently being chaired by the vice-chair, who has a clear child-centric focus. He has a good understanding of the previous shortfalls in relation to the panel process and is very clear about the steps needed to improve the effectiveness of panel. The agency decision-maker provides a robust quality assurance process, which ensures that panel operates in accordance with the regulations and is suitably challenged. The appointment of the new independent panel chair and panel adviser intends to strengthen the panel process. The recommendation regarding the quality of the panel minutes and the reasons for panel making the recommendations has been met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The requirement regarding the timeliness of annual reviews has not been met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The comments from children’s social workers about the quality of the care for children have been positive. Although the feedback that has been received from foster carers about the support from the agency is variable, foster carers and agency staff express satisfaction with the level of visibility and approachability of the management.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Ofsted has issued compliance notices to support the provider in steering its improvement work as it also prepares to cease trading as a trust and return to the local authority in September 2022. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Doncaster Children’s Trust – Fostering Service 7

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

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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)) 7 August 2022

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Requirement Due date

*The fostering service provider must prepare and implement a written policy which—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard children placed with foster parents from abuse or neglect, and

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Requirement Due date

sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of any allegation of abuse or neglect.

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Requirement Due date

The procedure under paragraph (1)(b) must, subject to paragraph (4), provide in particular for—

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Requirement Due date

liaison and co-operation with any local authority which is, or may be, making child protection enquiries in relation to any child placed by the fostering service provider,

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Requirement Due date

the prompt referral to the area authority of any allegation of abuse or neglect affecting any child placed by the fostering service provider,

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Requirement Due date

notification of the instigation and outcome of any child protection enquiries involving a child placed by the fostering service provider, to the Chief Inspector,

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Requirement Due date

written records to be kept of any allegation of abuse or neglect, and of the action taken in response,

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Requirement Due date

consideration to be given to the measures which may be necessary to protect children placed with foster parents 7 August 2022 Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Doncaster Children’s Trust – Fostering Service 8 following an allegation of abuse or neglect. (Regulation 12 (1)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

*The fostering service provider must prepare and implement a written policy on acceptable measures of control, restraint and discipline of children placed with foster parents.

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Requirement Due date

The fostering service provider must take all reasonable steps to ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

no child placed with a foster parent is subject to any measure of control, restraint or discipline which is excessive or unreasonable, and

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Requirement Due date

restraint is used on a child only where it is necessary to prevent injury to the child or other persons, or serious damage to property. (Regulation 13 (1) (2)(b)(c)) 7 August 2022

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Requirement Due date

The fostering service provider must promote the health and development of children placed with foster parents. (Regulation 15 (1)) 7 August 2022

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Requirement Due date

The fostering service provider must promote the educational achievement of children placed with foster parents.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the fostering service provider must—

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Requirement Due date

implement a procedure for monitoring the educational achievement, progress and school attendance of children placed with foster parents. (Regulation 16 (1) (2)(a)) 7 August 2022

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Requirement Due date

The fostering service provider must provide foster parents with such training, advice, information and support, including support outside office hours, as appears necessary in the interests of children placed with them.

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Requirement Due date

The fostering service provider must take all reasonable steps to ensure that foster parents are familiar with, and act in accordance with the policies established in accordance with regulations 12(1) and 13(1) and (3). (Regulation 17 (1) (2)) 7 August 2022

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Requirement Due date

The fostering service provider must ensure that all persons employed by them—

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Requirement Due date

receive appropriate training, supervision and appraisal. (Regulation 21 (4)(a)) 7 August 2022 Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Doncaster Children’s Trust – Fostering Service 9 A review must take place not more than a year after approval, and thereafter whenever the fostering service provider considers it necessary, but at intervals of not more than a year.

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Requirement Due date

When undertaking a review, the fostering service provider must—

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Requirement Due date

seek and take into account the views of—

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Requirement Due date

any child placed with the foster parent (subject to that child’s age and understanding); and

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Requirement Due date

any placing authority which has, within the preceding year, placed a child with the foster parent. (Regulation 28 (2) (3)(b)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is reinstated. 7 August 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. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2)) 7 August 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 table. (Regulation 36 (1)) 7 August 2022

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Doncaster Children’s Trust – Fostering Service 10

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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: Doncaster Children’s Trust – Fostering Service 11

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider: Doncaster Children’s Services Trust Limited

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider address: Colonnades House, Duke Street, Doncaster, South Yorkshire DN1 1ER

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Independent fostering agency details

Responsible individual: Suzanne Whiteley

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Independent fostering agency details

Email address: suzanne.whiteley@dcstrust.co.uk

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Inspectors

Jacqueline Malcolm, Social Care Inspector Paula Shepherd, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Doncaster Children’s Trust – Fostering Service 12 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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