Bridging Gaps Fostering Agency

Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Bridging Gaps Fostering Agency 1 Bridging Gaps Fostering Agency Bridging Gaps Limited Norwich Union House, 9 Mackenzie Street, Slough SL1 1XQ Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this independent fostering agency

This agency offers foster placements to children on a planned or emergency basis for short- and long-term duration, for bridging and for respite care. The service also offers placements for sibling groups and for parents and their babies.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

At the time of the inspection, the agency comprised 37 registered families caring for 62 children.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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outstanding

The independent fostering agency provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the independent fostering agency contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Bridging Gaps Fostering Agency 2

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outstanding

Children benefit from purposeful relationships with their foster carers. The dedicated foster carers provide them with a secure base and build trusting relationships with them that develop naturally over time. The children say that they have loving relationships with their foster families, are well cared for, welcomed and feel part of the family. As a result, children flourish through receiving safe, predictable care and are nurtured by their foster carers as they grow and learn.

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outstanding

Children are prepared for independence. The agency has a stimulating ‘skills for life’ programme, which foster families support children to work through. As a result, children develop skills for life through positive experiences and experiential learning. Young adults who are ‘staying put’ describe feeling well prepared to take further steps towards independence at their own pace. One young adult described the support they received as ‘life changing’.

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outstanding

Thorough consideration is given to matching. Children’s needs are explored, and careful plans are made for introduction. The agency is also creative in thinking about how children’s needs can be met if not all the matching criteria are met. One young adult spoke of her experience growing up with foster carers from a different culture. She felt that the care she received outweighed the difference in culture and enabled her to grow and thrive in a way that had not previously been thought possible.

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outstanding

Children’s progress is exceptional. For some children, exposure to risk situations has reduced. In one example, a child who had been homeless was encouraged back into foster care through a chance meeting with the responsible individual. He attributes his life to the care that he received because of her actions. One family moved to a new location to enable siblings to be reunited. These highly valued carers have exceptional skills that enabled them to reunite the siblings through purposefully planned introductions. The siblings are now thriving with carers whose innovative and adaptable approach to reunification was supported by this forward-thinking agency.

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outstanding

Education is highly valued. Children who have missed some early years education are now making excellent progress. Other young adults have been highly motivated by their foster families to focus on their education. Any gaps that may have existed in their early years have been overcome by the support they received. As a result, some young adults are at university having made progress in education that exceeds what was initially predicted.

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outstanding

During the COVID-19 pandemic, creative efforts were made to continue participation. The children and the foster carers speak positively about online quizzes and talent shows. Staff continued to ‘visit’ families virtually, seeing both foster carers and children. Everyone has spoken positively about the return of face-to-face events and visits. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Bridging Gaps Fostering Agency 3

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

All children can and do seek support and guidance from their foster carers. They also describe the supervising social workers as approachable and frequent visitors to their homes. In addition, the agency provides mentors who can carry out specific targeted work with children who have additional emerging needs. One foster carer described a mentor achieving progress with one child when they felt they had exhausted all their options. This provided placement stability and allowed the child to work through some difficult feelings with a trusted adult outside of the family and professional network.

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

Any safeguarding concerns are promptly reported. Where appropriate, concerns are shared with safeguarding partners. The local authority designated officer reflected that the information the agency shares is appropriate, timely and relevant. The transparency of information shared helps to keep children safe.

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

Safer caring plans are bespoke. They are well thought out and provide foster families with clear strategies to manage risk and keep children safe. Frequent reviews as children grow and develop ensure that strategies are adapted to children’s changing needs.

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

The fostering panel continued virtually during the pandemic. It remained quorate, and the fostering panel members have received relevant training. Face-to-face panel meetings have now resumed. However, the minutes of the meetings do not reflect the depth of discussion or detail how matters regarding assessments and reviews have been unpicked. Furthermore, the minutes use institutionalised language to refer to children. The voice of panel members is unclear and there is limited detail of how decisions have been arrived at. The agency decision-maker addresses shortfalls; however, the lack of professional curiosity demonstrated in the panel minutes does not always capture this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and mangers are aspirational and forward-looking. They are highly visible and familiar with the foster carers and children. They made adaptions quickly in response to the pandemic, offering a safe space for staff to continue to work in the office while some functions moved online, such as the panel meetings. All feedback regarding leaders and managers is positive from staff and fostering families regarding the agency’s response to the pandemic.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The team largely comprises newly qualified social workers. They speak highly of their induction, training, supervision and guidance. A more experienced senior and leaders and managers support them to apply theory to practice and offer regular opportunities for reflection and learning from serious case reviews. However, critical thinking is not well embedded into the agency’s practice and there is a lack of depth captured when exploring the deeper dynamics of some issues that arise from assessments. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Bridging Gaps Fostering Agency 4 Managerial monitoring of the services is effective. Leaders and managers have a good grasp of the agency’s strengths and weaknesses. Development plans include a targeted recruitment drive in areas where placing authorities need more fostering families. The pandemic has had an impact on agency growth; however, a revised recruitment strategy is now in action.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have a person-centred approach. Children, including birth children, staff and foster carers feel well supported and valued. Their opinions are frequently sought through a range of avenues and used to inform the agency’s development plans. Placing social workers and commissioners give positive feedback regarding the availability of the agency and describe the staff as frequently going ‘the extra mile’ to support children and fostering families. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Bridging Gaps Fostering Agency 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the written report on the person’s suitability to be approved as a foster carer sets out clearly all the information that the fostering panel and decision-maker needs to make an objective approval decision. The reports should be accurate, up to date and include evidence-based information that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. The reports should be prepared, signed and dated by the social worker who assessed the prospective foster carer and be countersigned and dated by the fostering team manager or a team manager of another of the provider’s fostering team. Specifically, critical thinking, and thinking the unthinkable, should be evidenced in the work carried out by the agency. (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 13.7)  The registered person should ensure that the written minutes of panel meetings are accurate and clearly cover the key issues and views expressed by panel

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Recommendations

members and record the reasons for its recommendation. Specifically, panel members’ discussions should be evident, and the report should capture the voice of others, not only the panel chair. (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 14.7)  The registered person should ensure that information about the child is recorded clearly and in a way which will be helpful to the child when they access their files now or in the future. Specifically, institutionalised language, such as ‘contact’ when referring to family time, should not be used in records. (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 26.6)

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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: Bridging Gaps Fostering Agency 6

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider: Bridging Gaps Limited

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider address: Norwich Union House, 9 Mackenzie Street, Slough SL1 1XQ

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Inspector

Sarah Olliver, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Bridging Gaps Fostering Agency 7 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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