Adoptionplus Limited

Inspection report for voluntary adoption agency - Adoptionplus Limited 1 Adoptionplus Limited Adoptionplus Limited Unit 3, Moulsoe Business Centre, Cranfield Road, Moulsoe, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire MK16 0FJ Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this voluntary adoption agency

Adoptionplus is a voluntary adoption agency that provides domestic adoption and adoption support services, birth relatives counselling and a range of training services.

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Information about this voluntary adoption agency

The agency provides a range of models of intervention, including Theraplay, Dyadic Developmental Practice-based (DDP) family work and DDP-informed therapeutic life- story work.

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Information about this voluntary adoption agency

The pre- and post-adoption support are commissioned both by local authorities and individual families. A specific service is provided to adopted teenagers and their families. This is accessed by families on a spot-purchase basis.

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Information about this voluntary adoption agency

In the past year, and up to the time of inspection, the agency was providing adoption support to 61 families, pre-adoption support to four families and adult adoptee support to seven families.

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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. Inspection report for voluntary adoption agency - Adoptionplus Limited 2 Date of last inspection: 5 March 2019

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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 - Adoptionplus Limited 3

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

Adopters and children receive an exceptional service from this agency. Strong pre- and post-adoption support means that prospective adopters are well prepared for the parenting role. Individualised care and support meet the specific needs of adopters and children. Because of this, families make considerable progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

Strong and effective relationships exist between professionals, adopters and children. Adopters value these relationships and feel very well supported. They have used words such as ‘exceptional’ and ‘phenomenal,’ when describing the service that they receive. Professionals are highly complimentary of the service that adopters and children receive. They speak positively of their working relationships with the agency. Children have excellent relationships with their therapists. They recognise the quality of the support that they receive. One child said, ‘Adoptionplus is the best place to go when you are having a hard time.’

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

Prospective adopters are well prepared and supported. This helps them to promote children’s progress and well-being. The agency actively supports families to make representations when they believe that the child’s school is not meeting the child’s assessed needs. Consequently, families are well supported to help their children achieve.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

Adopters commit to the therapy that the agency provides. They recognise the importance and value of therapy for the child as well as for themselves. Adopters recognise the need to look after themselves to be able to better meet their children’s needs. One parent said, ‘We feel very fortunate to have experienced such targeted support. This has made a huge difference to our children’s lives and our stability as a family.’

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

This agency values the views of children and takes action to improve the service. The agency is creative in the ways that they engage children to get their views. Children are able to provide feedback about agency events through messaging, texts and voice notes.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

Children are involved in the development of the agency. One child provided questions for panel members to use when interviewing prospective adopters.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

There is a strong research-informed ethos regarding the importance of birth families. Adopters recognise the importance of continued connection to birth family and promote family time with birth brothers and sisters. They understand the impact that this has on a child’s identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

A particular strength of this agency is the quality of their assessment of prospective adopters. Assessments are extensive and therapeutic in their nature. Adopters’ experience of the assessment and preparation process is such that they recommend Inspection report for voluntary adoption agency - Adoptionplus Limited 4 the service to others. Matching with adoptive parents is well considered. The agency places children with adopters who are well prepared for parenting. They prepare adopters to understand the impact of early childhood experiences and trauma.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

A wide range of adoption support is available to meet the needs of adoptive families. The agency provides a wide range of support services to birth relatives. These services, based on extensive research, are exceptional. A significant suite of training resources and publications is widely available, making this agency a leader in adoption services.

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outstanding

Safeguarding and the welfare of all children is central to the practice of this agency. Adopters receive extensive preparation in therapeutic parenting, trauma and attachment. As a result, adopters grow in confidence and understand the impact of early childhood experiences on their children. Adopters receive strong and consistent support to better understand their children.

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outstanding

The training that adopters receive is of a high standard. It helps them to self-reflect from the outset. Prospective adopters receive training and therapy which helps them to acknowledge their own responses to their children’s behaviours.

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outstanding

Adopters receive extensive training on how to keep their child and family safe. They know how to raise safeguarding concerns with the agency and understand the involvement of other relevant agencies. As a result, the agency manages safeguarding concerns quickly and effectively. Adopters say that the agency goes above and beyond in providing support to them and their families. They know that even outside usual working hours they are able to contact someone if they need support. The agency signposts families to other supportive provisions when this will help. This has made a significant difference to families experiencing crisis.

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outstanding

Strong safeguarding arrangements are in place to protect children. The leadership team meets to review safeguarding concerns about any child and ensures that clear action plans are in place. Leaders and managers escalate their concerns to relevant safeguarding partners. This is to ensure that there is an effective response which considers the risks that any child might be subject to. Children are therefore very well safeguarded.

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outstanding

A strong and well-considered staff recruitment process is in place. This ensures that those working for the agency are suitable people who commit to the safeguarding ethos and practice of the agency.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers have responded to the recommendation made at the last full inspection. The panel provides a detailed report of their activities every six months. Inspection report for voluntary adoption agency - Adoptionplus Limited 5 This covers areas such as panel activity, training and appraisals. As a result, the board is well informed of the progress and effectiveness of the panel.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers have a strong vision and high expectations for what adopters and their children can achieve. A strong and effective leadership team means that the service adopters and children receive is exemplary. Robust monitoring processes are in place that ensure the highest quality support. Therapeutic input is based on world-renowned research and practice. Highly skilled staff commit to delivering the best possible support to service users.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The needs of children are clearly central to the work that the agency does. There is a strong working-together ethos. Partnership working is highly influential in the progress and outcomes for children and their families.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff are extremely positive about working for this agency. They are highly committed to the work that they do. They feel well supported by leaders and managers and are confident in giving their views. Staff feel empowered and know how to whistle-blow if the need were to arise. Supervision is of a consistently high standard.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

A wide range of training is available to staff and panel members. This enables them to maintain their skills and knowledge. Training is relevant and tailored to the specific needs of the children and adopters, for example, DDP-informed therapeutic life-story work.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The panel is highly effective. The panel chair has considerable experience and is knowledgeable. Prospective adopters are well prepared for panel and know what to expect. The panel chair contacts prospective adopters the day before panel and introduces themselves. This is excellent practice and helps to prepare and reassure prospective adopters.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers work together effectively and know what they do well. They track the agency’s strengths and areas for development. Leaders and managers take action to prevent any shortfalls.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers actively promote equality, diversity and inclusion. Support is in place to families with children who are transgender. Because of this strong commitment to equality and diversity, a feeling of sincerity, warmth and respect is embedded in the organisation. A significant amount of research carried out with various partners makes them respected innovators in adoption. Inspection report for voluntary adoption agency - Adoptionplus Limited 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 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 - Adoptionplus Limited 7

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Voluntary adoption agency details

Registered provider: Adoptionplus Limited

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Voluntary adoption agency details

Registered provider address: Unit 3, Moulsoe Business Centre, Cranfield Road, Moulsoe, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire MK16 0FJ

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Voluntary adoption agency details

Email address: joanne@adoptionplus.co.uk

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Inspector

Vevene Muhammad, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for voluntary adoption agency - Adoptionplus 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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