The Cherrycroft Practice

Inspection report for adoption support agency: The Cherrycroft Practice 1 The Cherrycroft Practice Registered provider: The Cherrycroft Practice The Cherrycroft Practice Limited, Portland House, off Park Street, Bagshot, Surrey GU19 5AQ Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this adoption support agency

This agency provides a service to adopters and their children. The agency and manager were registered with Ofsted in October 2019. The aim of the service is to provide therapeutic consultation, support, assessment and treatment.

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outstanding

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

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The adoption support agency provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the adoption support agency contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for service users.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for adoption support agency: The Cherrycroft Practice 2

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

The agency provides excellent individualised support to children and their adopters. The therapeutic work delivered by the agency is exceptional. It makes a significant difference to the lives of children and their adopters.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

There is a wide range of therapeutic services. This means that the agency can meet the diverse needs of children and their adopters. For instance, the agency benefits from the support of an occupational therapist, a play therapist and more recently a speech and language therapist. Staff describe the impact of these specialists as ‘instrumental in keeping families together’. One adopter described the service as a lifeline.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

Assessments and reports show effective interventions. The intended objectives of individual pieces of adoption support work are clear. Staff check the outcomes of work, which they record and understand.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

There are excellent professional relationships. The strong ethos of partnership working benefits children and their adoptive families. One adoptive parent said that the relationship she had with the staff helped them to challenge her without her feeling defensive.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

Staff treat children and adults with dignity and respect. Therapists engage and work extremely well with adoptive families and professionals. This ongoing help promotes stability and consistency for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

The agency knows the views of children and their adoptive parents extremely well. They consider their views when delivering services and making improvements. They do this in diverse ways to ensure that they hear everyone’s voice. For example, the agency has a ‘request wall’ that is extremely popular with the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

Feedback from staff, adopters and external professionals is exceptionally positive. One commissioner said that the service was ‘phenomenal’.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

The support provided by the agency means that remarkable progress is achieved. For example, one child is more able to manage their emotions and self-regulate. They have improved relationships at home. Another child who was quite withdrawn and had low self-esteem, indicated that they are happier. They recognise that they have people around them who are there to care for them and protect them.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

Research-informed practice is a strength of the agency. The service takes part in various research projects. There are strong links with universities working on research, for example, around the impact of COVID-19 on adoptive children and families. The service also provides work placements to students from these universities. Inspection report for adoption support agency: The Cherrycroft Practice 3

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outstanding

Risk assessments are strong and dynamic. They contribute to the wider risk management plans of children and young people. The narrative and guidance around risk assessments contribute to children becoming increasingly safe.

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outstanding

When issues arise, the agency is responsive in providing the relevant support. Children and their adoptive parents are supported to build trusted and secure relationships with staff. One adoptive parent said that their adoption would have broken down were it not for the intervention of the agency.

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outstanding

Adoptive families receive support to help them to understand their children’s behaviours. Consequently, they understand why their children respond in certain ways.

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outstanding

The agency uses research- and trauma-informed practice. They use this to collaborate with adopters and children. This helps them to understand early life experiences and the impact of trauma on children’s current behaviours.

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outstanding

Professional practice is strong and effective. There is excellent collaboration to ensure that children are kept safe.

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outstanding

All staff keep the needs of children firmly at the forefront of everything they do. This diligence means that safeguarding arrangements are effective and children stay protected from harm and abuse.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers are aspirational for the children and their adopters. They have high expectations of what children and their adoptive families can achieve, through the support, treatment and consultation that they provide.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers have excellent oversight to ensure that safe care and ambitious standards are continuously sustained. The multidisciplinary team provides holistic and wide- ranging support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager provides good oversight of case work. There is regular case discussion and review of the practice. The service has a positive impact on children’s progress and life chances.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers develop and maintain professional relationships. They liaise effectively with education and health services.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers prioritise the needs of children. Staff help children to work through their difficulties, their past experiences and feelings. Because of this, the outcomes for children are exceptional. One child is now in further education and Inspection report for adoption support agency: The Cherrycroft Practice 4 aspires to being a tree surgeon. Another child aspires to being an estate agent and is on an apprenticeship.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers take effective action to address any areas of concern. They follow procedures when managing complaints and ensure that the complainant receives a clear response.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers promote a learning environment. Staff receive support with their continuous professional development; for example, staff have recently received bespoke training around evaluating risk.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers know their strengths and areas for development. They are open to learning from external groups and professionals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers make the environment welcoming and inclusive, and they go to great lengths to ensure that all children can receive a service they deserve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Some improvement is required to ensure that Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) update checks are carried out consistently, references are suitably recorded and clear records of interviews are included in the recruitment files. Inspection report for adoption support agency: The Cherrycroft Practice 5

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the agency can demonstrate, including from written records, that it consistently follows good recruitment practice, and all applicable current statutory requirements and guidance in the recruitment of staff, volunteers and persons on the central list. This includes DBS checks. All personnel responsible for recruitment and selection of staff are trained in, understand and operate these good practices. This particularly relates to ensuring DBS update checks are consistent, references are suitably recorded and clear records of interviews are on recruitment files. (Adoption: national minimum standards 2014, 21.2)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, young people and adults, using the social care common inspection framework.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the adoption support agency, how it meets the core functions as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Adoption Support Agencies (England) and Adoption Agencies (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2005 and the national minimum standards. Inspection report for adoption support agency: The Cherrycroft Practice 6

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Adoption support agency details

Registered provider: The Cherrycroft Practice

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Adoption support agency details

Registered provider address: Knoll House, Knoll Road, Camberley, Surrey GU15 3SY

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Inspectors

Vevene Muhammad, Social Care Inspector Anne-Marie Davies, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for adoption support agency: The Cherrycroft Practice 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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