Yorkshire Adoption Agency

Inspection report for voluntary adoption agency - Yorkshire Adoption Agency Ltd 1 Yorkshire Adoption Agency Limited

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Loversall Court, Clayfields, Tickhill Road, Balby, Doncaster DN4 8QG Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this voluntary adoption agency

This agency has charitable status and is registered with the Charities Commission for England and Wales. The agency is a private limited company, and trustees have overall responsibility.

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Information about this voluntary adoption agency

The agency recruits, prepares, assesses and approves adopters, and it provides post-adoption support. At the time of the inspection, the agency was providing a range of adoption and support services to 82 domestic and intercountry adoptive families. Additionally, prospective adopters continue to be assessed.

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Information about this voluntary adoption agency

The agency is involved with several other voluntary adoption agencies as part of an alliance. The alliance offers services to regional adoption agencies in the Yorkshire and Humber region.

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good

How well children, young people and adults are helped and protected outstanding

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The voluntary adoption agency provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of previous inspection: 19 June 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 voluntary adoption agency - Yorkshire Adoption Agency Ltd 2

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: good

The agency delivers a high-quality adoption service that provides loving forever families for children and their siblings who otherwise would be waiting for adoption. Children and their adoptive families are provided with a good child-centred service that has some excellent characteristics.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: good

Prospective and approved adopters are made to feel welcome by the agency from the point of first contact. Most report feeling highly valued and well supported by the staff team. Typical comments from adopters include:

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: good

‘It was all very new to us, and we had embarked on the journey of adoption with no prior knowledge or experience. But all the staff at Yorkshire Adoption Agency were very welcoming from the start and none of our questions and queries were ever trivial to them.’

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: good

‘From our initial phone call to the completion of our adoption, the Yorkshire Adoption Agency has been absolutely outstanding. Our little girl has been with us now for nearly four years and she is the best thing that ever happened to us.’

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: good

‘Our little girl was made for us. She fitted perfectly into our family, and I owe a great debt of gratitude to them for helping me through it.’

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: good

The preparation, assessment and support of all adopters is effective in helping them to become successful parents. Assessments are thorough and of a high standard. The reports are analytical. They tell the story about the adopters’ journey, their motivation to adopt, the major life events that have shaped them and their support networks. A thorough assessment of the strengths and vulnerabilities of prospective adopters ensures that children are suitably matched with adopters.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: good

Staff provide adopters with stellar quality research-based training and support. This helps adopters to increase their knowledge, confidence and ability to fulfil the needs of their children as they grow. One adopter said:

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: good

‘We found Yorkshire Adoption Agency to be very thorough, systematic and organised in their approach. They arranged for a wide range of training for us from the initial stages, all of which we found relevant and useful at the time as well as post-adoption. In addition to all the training sessions, they held individualised interviews and discussion sessions. On the whole, Yorkshire Adoption Agency helped us get comfortable and confident in the entire process.’

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: good

The meticulous matching of children to their prospective families contributes to children’s improved sense of safety and stability, and it enhances their life chances. Children’s cultural and diverse needs are well understood by staff, which promotes their identity and family life. Adopters are helped to consider all the information Inspection report for voluntary adoption agency - Yorkshire Adoption Agency Ltd 3 about children to inform their decision to progress with an appropriate match. The adopters reflect on the rigorous preparation process. This includes them attending events that allow them to interact with children who need adoptive parents in a safe, supported and enjoyable environment. This promotes high levels of placement stability, which is celebrated by all.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: good

The children flourish. They are making good progress with their adoptive families. The care, nurture and support children receive are making a significant difference to their lives. This includes children with complex health and additional needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: good

All children attend education provisions, and children spoken to during the inspection aspire to reach their goals. A therapeutic parenting approach is used effectively to promote the health and behavioural needs of children.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: good

Post-adoption support is delivered effectively by the agency. It is lifelong and a real strength that offers a permanent lifeline to families. Life-story work and direct work with children are facilitated by the agency.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: good

Enjoyable and creative activities have entertained the families during the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, a Christmas disco and an Easter egg hunt provided children with a virtual experience in the comfort of their own homes. During the second national lockdown, the agency came up with an excellent concept of sending families a virtual festive storybook, which was intended to boost morale. Many photos of the children’s involvement in a range of activities stimulate positive memories. Families receive regular newsletters with interesting information that keeps everyone connected.

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outstanding

Children are kept safe due to the agency’s exceptionally strong safeguarding culture, which is steeped in research-informed practice. Adopters are well prepared to handle the challenges that may arise when caring for children who have experienced a range of adverse childhood experiences.

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outstanding

Leaders, managers and social workers have transferred their safeguarding and child protection expertise to the adoption task effectively. This keeps harm and risk management at the centre of their daily practice. Designated safeguarding leads at the agency maintain a firm grip on any safeguarding matters and report that there have been no safeguarding incidents.

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outstanding

Managers and staff have a thorough understanding of the risks within families. They use a research model and carry out mapping exercises to ensure that children and adoptive parents are a safe match. They identify the strengths and vulnerabilities within families and implement mitigation strategies. This results in excellent risk management practices and management oversight. Inspection report for voluntary adoption agency - Yorkshire Adoption Agency Ltd 4 Prospective and approved adopters, as well as staff, panel members and trustees, receive comprehensive safeguarding training. The training covers a variety of current topics; some of which was developed in collaboration with experts in the field of child exploitation. The training provides an insight into safeguarding matters and any learning from serious case reviews. It also provides an opportunity for the agency to consider any lessons that can be applied in practice and affirm what it is

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outstanding

Risk assessments for dogs are conducted by animal experts, which is an excellent practice that is proactive and protects children.

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outstanding

Complaints are taken seriously and are dealt with appropriately. The agency shares any learning from complaints with staff, who apply this in practice to prevent further incidents from happening.

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outstanding

The recruitment of prospective adopters, staff and panel members is conducted in a thorough and systematic manner. This helps to prevent unsuitable people having access to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The agency is managed effectively and efficiently. The manager’s strong leadership style is deeply rooted in the agency’s culture of high aspirations for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have demonstrated exceptional strength and decisiveness in managing unplanned situations. For example, leaders and managers accepted several prospective and approved adopters from a failing adoption agency. Similarly, the prompt response to the COVID-19 pandemic has enabled the agency to meet and exceed expectations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers drive an inclusive learning environment. They understand the strengths and areas for improvement and have plans to continually improve. Leaders and managers promote innovative and creative ideas to sustain the highest quality of care for children. This enables the staff to showcase their transferable skills and abilities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers actively and regularly monitor the quality of the assessment, matching and support provided to families. Any learning from practice is used to improve the experiences of children and adopters. The manager has been quick to act on a practice gap that was raised with them during the inspection. They have met the three recommendations that were made at the previous inspection. This demonstrates their continued capacity to improve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have created a culture of high aspiration in the workforce, which has been reflected in the number of staff who have progressed in the agency. However, changes in the staff team have led to adopters having changes of social workers involved in their assessments, despite the best efforts of leaders and Inspection report for voluntary adoption agency - Yorkshire Adoption Agency Ltd 5 managers. Higher caseloads have been attributed to staff shortages, which are being addressed through staff recruitment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff are experienced, qualified, skilled, professional and highly motivated. They benefit from a range of case, reflective and group supervision sessions and team meetings that help them to reflect on their practice and challenge each other safely. Staff members are unanimously positive about the high level of support which they receive from their managers. They confirm that they feel listened to, and their opinions inform the development of the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are well trained, which enables them to practice with skill and flair. Managers and staff take pride in delivering training and sharing practice with other adoption organisations. One organisation said, ‘They did a great job sharing their practice and facilitating thought-provoking discussions with their adoption colleagues.’ This is a strong indicator of agency staff who enjoy sharing and disseminating their knowledge and good practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The independent adoption panel and agency decision-making processes are robust. Combined, they promote safe, secure and stable placements for children. Panel members are experienced. They benefit from training and appraisal, which supports them to be effective in their role. Clear panel minutes and robust decisions by the agency decision-maker promote the children’s safety and welfare.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals and commissioners rate the agency highly. One professional said:

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

‘The working relationships have been really balanced in terms of roles and responsibilities. There has been difference of opinions on occasions; however, this has led to a more reflective and robust planning of support with the families we work with.’ Inspection report for voluntary adoption agency - Yorkshire Adoption Agency Ltd 6

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Recommendation

The registered person should ensure that action is taken to address any issues of concern that the agency identifies or which are raised with the agency. Specifically, ensure that any changes of allocated social workers to prospective adopters are avoided as far as practicable. Checks should be carried out to ensure that all support visits carried out by the agency to families are recorded and uploaded on the system promptly. (‘Adoption: national minimum standards’, page 73, paragraph 25.7)

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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 Voluntary Adoption Agencies and the Adoption Agencies (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2003, the Adoption Agencies Regulations 2005, any other relevant legislation, and the national minimum standards. Inspection report for voluntary adoption agency - Yorkshire Adoption Agency Ltd 7

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Voluntary adoption agency details

Registered provider: Yorkshire Adoption Agency Limited

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Voluntary adoption agency details

Registered provider address: Loversall Court, Clayfields, Tickhill Road, Balby, Doncaster DN4 8QG

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Voluntary adoption agency details

Email address: annie@yorkshireadoptionagency.org.uk

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Inspectors

Jacqueline Malcolm, Social Care Inspector Evelyn Chafota, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for voluntary adoption agency - Yorkshire Adoption Agency Ltd 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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