Parents and Children Together – Reading Office

Inspection report for voluntary adoption agency - Parents and Children Together - Reading Office 1 Parents and Children Together - Reading Office Oxford Diocese for Social Work Incorporated (PACT) PACT, 7 Southern Court, South Street, Reading RG1 4QS Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this voluntary adoption agency

The agency’s statement of purpose states that Parents and Children Together (PACT), also known as Oxford Diocesan Council for Social Work Inc, is a voluntary adoption agency and restricted to providing domestic adoption, therapeutic support and post-adoption services.

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Information about this voluntary adoption agency

The manager was registered with Ofsted in March 2021.

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

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for voluntary adoption agency - Parents and Children Together - Reading Office 2

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

The skilled, highly qualified and stable staff team, along with experienced and loving adoptive parents, ensure that placement stability is maintained in all but a few of the adoption placements. As a result of the continuing support they receive, children placed with adopters assessed and approved by PACT make impressive and sustained progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

Adopters talked of their experiences of being assessed and matched with children. They were extremely complimentary and remarked on the significant impact PACT has made on their lives. All adopters spoke positively of the support and training they have received from PACT. They remarked on the sensitivity and kind approach of the adoption social workers throughout their adoption journey. In particular, they spoke about the online platform CATCH (Children and Trauma Community Hub) that provides an invaluable amount of research-based information, resources, education and training. This resource is accessed widely by all who express an interest in adoption and by adoptive parents.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

The agency is a strong advocate for the needs of children and adopters. There are particularly strong links between schools and the qualified education professionals in the agency. The work with the education professional has supported some children who are struggling to remain at their school, when this might otherwise have proved impossible. Bespoke packages of support informed by the agency’s therapeutic model and current research results in adopters being better informed, and children making significant progress in all aspects of their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

The quality of the individualised support provided by the agency is excellent. The agency provides high-quality and effective therapy. It offers creative and innovative therapeutic interventions to adopted children and their families. As a result, children make significant progress, family relationships are strengthened, and adoption breakdowns have been prevented in all but three cases.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

The agency is fully inclusive. They consult with adopters at every point and, where appropriate, children. They act on their comments and tailor the support they provide to meet changing needs. Application to the adoption support fund is made in a timely manner and is responsive to the needs of the adopters and children.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

Adopters are supported and prepared by a team of qualified practitioners, people who have lived experience of fostering and adoption and some who bring further complementary skills and expertise to the role.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

Relationship-building at the point of a person expressing an interest in adoption is a key strength of the agency. In doing so, the team can better support enquiries, help people to make the right decision and understand the adoption landscape. Inspection report for voluntary adoption agency - Parents and Children Together - Reading Office 3 Inspectors found records capturing visits and the discussions that take place between adoption social workers and adopters are of an exemplary standard.

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outstanding

The registered manager and responsible individual have an excellent understanding of how children’s previous experiences of trauma can affect their behaviours. Their expertise in the field has ensured that safeguarding remains central to the agency’s ethos.

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outstanding

Assessments of adopters and the matching of children are of a high quality. An impressive amount of safeguarding training and information is readily available to all who show an interest in adoption and those who are approved to adopt. Adopters told inspectors that they found this invaluable, not just for now, but as their child becomes more independent.

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outstanding

Disruptions to placements are rare, and records capture the support that the agency provides to guard against these. External professionals told inspectors that in one case where there was a disruption, the agency was extremely proactive and responsive to the needs of the child. Senior leaders and managers take seriously the impact of disruptions and learning from this has been identified and actioned.

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outstanding

The systems in place to report and share concerns are robust. The inspectors found a vast amount of evidence demonstrating management oversight when there is a concern. Root and branch analysis takes place following all serious incidents and learning is identified and actioned swiftly. There is sound evidence of the positive impact of challenge and escalation. Professionals were overwhelmingly positive about the practice of the agency when promoting the safety of children living with adopters.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The quality and effectiveness of this agency have remained consistently high since the previous inspection. Applicants, adopters, and staff make excellent use of published research. As a result, children are matched well, and they make sustained progress in their overall development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders, managers, and key staff share their learning beyond the agency. The registered manager and responsible individual take part in a number of high-profile adoption and safeguarding forums. Because of this, their practice remains current and informed by research, and is further disseminated to those who work in the field of adoption. This means that they are playing a vital role in informing the outcomes of children placed for adoption. Inspection report for voluntary adoption agency - Parents and Children Together - Reading Office 4 Along with other statutory and voluntary partners, the agency has proactively worked alongside two voluntary adoption agencies to support them in their process of closure. In doing so, adopters and children have been protected from any impact.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The agency is highly committed to helping children and adopters. Through exceptionally enduring professional relationships, the agency supports children, adopters and members of birth families under extreme stress to stay together. Feedback from professionals is extremely positive. They hold the agency in very high regard and comment on the positive outcomes that are achieved for children and families. They specifically value the accessibility of the registered manager and, in particular, the swiftness of her response to supporting the children who are living with adopters a distance from their placing authority.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The chair of the adoption panel spoke highly of the quality of reports and the quality assurance process. As a result of the agency’s approach to embracing difference, placement matches are strong. All agency staff have an excellent understanding of the needs of each of the children and adopters. The diversity of the staff team and panel members makes them extremely good at identifying the needs of the children and matching with adopters.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers make exceptionally good use of clinical supervision from highly qualified professionals. This enhances their practice skills to better support their staff, children and adopters. Staff are overwhelmingly positive about the support that they receive from their managers and say their visibility and presence is supportive. They are provided with direction and guidance that is informed and rooted in research and practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager strives to continually improve the agency. As a direct result of her skills, knowledge and experience in the field of adoption, and with the support of an extremely skilled responsible individual, the agency continues to develop while maintaining an extremely high-quality service.

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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 - Parents and Children Together - Reading Office 5

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Voluntary adoption agency details

Registered provider: Oxford Diocese for Social Work Incorporated (PACT)

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Voluntary adoption agency details

Registered provider address: PACT, 7 Southern Court, South Street, Reading RG1 4QS

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Inspectors

Linda Bond, Social Care Inspector Anne-Marie Davies, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for voluntary adoption agency - Parents and Children Together - Reading Office 6 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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