Britannia Fostering Agency Limited

Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Britannia Fostering Agency Limited 1 Britannia Fostering Agency Limited Britannia Fostering Agency Limited Sir Robert Peel House, Suite 003, 344-348 High Road, Ilford IG1 1QP Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this independent fostering agency

Britannia Fostering is an independent fostering agency. It registered with Ofsted in September 2021. This is its first inspection since registration.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2021.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

The agency provides short-term, long-term, emergency, and parent and child placements.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

At the time of this inspection, the agency had six approved fostering households providing foster care for 12 children. The majority of children placed with the agency are unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.

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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 good

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good

The independent fostering 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: not applicable Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Britannia Fostering Agency Limited 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The agency provides an effective fostering service. Children live with nurturing foster families and they receive individualised high-quality care, support and guidance. All the children spoken with said that they are well cared for. They quickly establish daily routines and this helps them feel part of the family. One child said, ‘I have no worries, my family is good.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Careful consideration is given when matching children with carers, taking into account their ethnicity, language and religion. Carers ensure that they promote children’s cultural needs. Children can attend their local church and local community groups.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When English is not a child’s first language, interpreters and translation apps are made readily available to help them to communicate and get involved in making decisions about their life. Children consistently receive the agency’s children’s guide. The guide is translated when needed, so that it is available in each child’s language. This helps children understand their care arrangements and contributes to placement stability. Since registration, there have been no unplanned placement endings at this agency.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Foster carers are committed to the children who live with them. They work closely with the agency and placing authorities to promote and encourage children’s education and ensure that their health needs are met. One child has recently received a school award for good attendance.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Foster carers make sure that children have enjoyable experiences and opportunities to develop their interests. Children socialise with peers from similar cultural backgrounds and attend after-school clubs. The agency’s annual summer fun day provides opportunities for children and foster carers to meet and enjoy activities together.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Foster carers develop positive relationships with the children. These relationships help children to develop a sense of belonging. One child calls their foster carer ‘Aunty’ and said, ‘They are always there for me.’

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

Children’s risks are identified well and fosters carers understand the risks associated with the children that they care for. Fosters carers know how to keep children safe. Children spoken with said that they feel safe.

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

Risk management practices are effective. Children’s risk assessments are comprehensive. Foster carers understand the particular risks for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. However, risk assessment records are of variable quality. This recording shortfall has not impacted on children’s safety and welfare. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Britannia Fostering Agency Limited 3 Children rarely go missing from their home. When they do, fosters carers follow the agency’s clear reporting procedures. The agency proactively addresses any concerns about children who go missing from home. Discussions with placing authorities and other professionals, alongside updating children’s safer care plans, help to increase children’s safety.

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

Children’s participation in their safer care plans helps them to understand the rules and boundaries in their home. The close relationships that children develop with their foster families adds another safeguarding factor for the children.

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

The assessment and preparation of prospective foster carers are rigorous and comprehensive. Safer caring arrangements and foster carer training are prioritised. This helps to ensure that carers are safe, suitable and knowledgeable. The agency’s social workers carry out regular supervision visits to foster carers. During these visits, children are able to talk to the supervising social worker in confidence, if they wish to.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

This newly registered agency is led by an experienced responsible individual and registered manager. These ambitious leaders are committed to balancing the growth of the agency with maintaining high standards of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers know the agency’s strengths and areas for development. The responsible individual and registered manager are closely involved with the assessment and supervision of their carers. As a result, they have a sound knowledge of their carers and foster children, and have developed trusting relationships with them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the agency’s registration, leaders and managers have focused on the recruitment and assessment of foster carers. However, their oversight of the agency’s records has not been equally prioritised. For example, the inspector found shortfalls in supervision records, reports of variable quality, typing errors and missing information.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers welcome children and foster carers from all backgrounds and cultures. The agency recruits a diverse mix of carers to provide care to children from a wide range of backgrounds. The support, supervision and training that foster carers receive help them to undertake their roles effectively. Foster carers talk positively about the leaders and managers. They describe them as approachable, supportive, understanding and always available.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The agency has established a foster panel. Panel member recruitment procedures are thorough. However, the registered manager has not recorded his verification of their references. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Britannia Fostering Agency Limited 4 All panel members have undertaken an induction and initial training. The panel members praise the quality of the agency’s foster carer assessments and the timeliness of the reports provided to them. This helps them make informed recommendations in a timely way.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The agency’s panel membership could be strengthened if it included a person with a background in education and a care experienced person. The fostering panel records do not identify the role of each panel member or consistently set out the detailed reasons for the panel recommendations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have a clear plan for the agency’s future development, for example, recruiting a permanent supervising social worker. The registered manager’s review of the agency’s quality of care is comprehensive and identifies areas for learning and development. However, it does not include any consultation with placing authorities and foster carers. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Britannia Fostering Agency Limited 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

A fostering panel must make a written record of its proceedings and the reasons for its recommendations. (Regulation 24 (2)) 31 December 2022

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Requirement Due date

If a fostering service provider decide to approve X as a foster parent they must—

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Requirement Due date

enter into a written agreement with X covering the matters specified in Schedule 5 (the “foster care agreement”). (Regulation 27 (5)(b)) 31 December 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 (unless, in the case of a fostering agency which is a voluntary organisation, it is also the placing authority). (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the quality of care review includes feedback from foster carers and stakeholders.

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Requirement Due date

Also, the registered person must ensure that the agency’s records are complete and accurate. This includes foster panel 31 December 2022 Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Britannia Fostering Agency Limited 6 minutes, safer care plans, risk assessments and foster carer agreements.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that part of the panel members’ suitability and selection process includes written evidence that each written reference has been verified. (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 19.1)  The registered person should ensure that the knowledge and experience of people who constitute the panels equips them to make competent informed recommendations. The registered person should consider engaging a care experienced person and a person with an education background. (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 14.8)

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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: Britannia Fostering Agency Limited 7

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider: Britannia Fostering Agency Limited

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider address: Sir Robert Peel House, Suite 003, 344-348 High Road, Ilford IG1 1QP

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Independent fostering agency details

Email address: ashraf@britanniafostering.co.uk

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Inspector

Victoria Jones, Social Care Inspector Seka Graovac, Social Care Inspector (shadow) Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Britannia Fostering Agency Limited 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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