ASART

Inspection report for adoption support agency: ASART 1 ASART

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60 Marsom Grove, Luton LU3 4BQ Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this adoption support agency

This is a small agency operated by a sole therapist. The agency currently provides adoption support services and therapeutic life-story work for 14 families. The agency does not work with birth family members, nor with adopted adults who are seeking birth records, counselling or intermediary services.

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Information about this adoption support agency

The provider has contractual arrangements with local authorities to provide adoption support. The adoption support agency is based in Luton, with consulting rooms in London. The agency was registered in October 2022. This is the first inspection of the agency.

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good

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

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: N/A

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for adoption support agency: ASART 2

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: good

This is a good adoption support agency with aspects of exceptional practice. The families describe the service as a ‘lifeline’. The sole provider therapist gives families a better insight into trauma, and how it has an ongoing effect on families, as well as strategies to help manage this.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: good

The therapeutic support helps families to secure their attachments, and to stay and grow together. One parent said that without the support they receive from the agency, they feel they would be at much greater risk of adoption breakdown.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: good

The children are helped to explore their personal history safe in the knowledge that the therapist will support them through difficult conversations and emotional turmoil. The children enjoy their sessions and look forward to them. They describe the therapist as ‘playful’ and ‘lovely’. They enjoy the games, family time, and nurture time at the end of the session. One child said, ‘I enjoy it. It is just like it is all jolly and warm inside.’

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: good

The therapist provides the children and families with non-judgmental, inclusive and effective adoption support. She builds trusting relationships with the children and adults who use the service. They say they feel safe and emotionally held. Parents use terms such as ‘brilliant’ and ‘fantastic’ when talking about the support they receive. One parent said, ‘It is the help that we had been waiting for, for such a long time.’

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: good

The therapist is an effective advocate for the children. She works flexibly and outside of the core contract in order to assist the child’s support network to better understand the child and the impact of trauma. For example, she has often gone into school to deliver training and support to teachers. She is qualified to assess additional learning support needs. When appropriate, she has provided reports which outline these learning needs and the support required. This has helped families and professionals to challenge partner agencies and identify strategies to better support the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: good

Children and families value the wraparound support they receive. They describe the therapist as someone who really cares about them as a family. The therapeutic work completed means the families feel stronger and more resilient.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: good

The therapist meets with the families before they begin to use the adoption support service. This helps build positive relationships from the start. However, the agency statement of purpose and children’s guide are not given to them at this time. As a result, the children and families do not have the opportunity to reflect on written information about the service at their leisure. Inspection report for adoption support agency: ASART 3

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good

The children are safer because of the support they receive from the therapist. The parents, and sometimes extended family members, are helped to understand trauma and therapeutic parenting through a variety of models. One parent described how they are helped to manage their own emotions. The support families receive helps them to think about how they can better understand their future needs and manage tricky situations.

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good

The children say they feel safe and are glad that they can talk to their therapist about their worries. This helps them feel better. One parent said their child had told them, ‘It feels a safe place for the funny things and the difficult things.’ This approach opens the door for improved communication in the family.

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good

The therapist quickly builds trusting relationships with the children and families. Families know that the therapist is always there to support them. One child said, ‘I like going to see her; I can talk to her when I am nervous and it is really fun.’

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good

The trusting relationships provide a safe space where children have felt able to disclose things which have happened to them that indicate they are not safe. When this has happened, the therapist has responded quickly and appropriately. As a result, parents and professionals have been able to take immediate action to keep children safe.

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good

The therapist does not employ staff, but instead she has volunteer interns who support her work. Agency records do not demonstrate that safer recruitment practices are followed for each person. Records do not always demonstrate that gaps in employment history are identified and explored, evidence of qualifications and identity is obtained, or that two written references are obtained. These interns do not work unsupervised. However, there is insufficient information to make a well- informed judgement of suitability prior to them undertaking their role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The provider therapist is experienced at offering therapeutic services, including adoption support. She provides support and therapeutic parenting interventions to adoptive families in order to promote resilience and well-being. She holds a range of relevant, recognised qualifications and uses these to help her offer a variety of therapeutic models.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The therapist is creative and playful in her approach. For example, she uses play therapy and music and movement, as well as helping families understand trauma through the use of the ‘wall of care’. The children talked about using the calm, worry and hope boxes. These are boxes where they post their written thoughts and feelings. For example, a child may post a worry in the worry box and in later therapy discussions, feel ready to tear it up, as they have worked through this worry. This helps them symbolise the emotional release they feel. Inspection report for adoption support agency: ASART 4 The therapist works in close partnership with a number of local authorities who commission the adoption support service. These partner professionals hold the therapist in high esteem and describe her service as ‘brilliant’, ‘responsive’ and ‘flexible’. They particularly value the additional work she does to help them, and

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

other professionals, explore both adoption issues, generally, and in relation to specific families.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The therapist is committed to improving the lives of the children and families with whom she works. Families say that their expectations of the service have been ‘exceeded’. She ensures that children’s needs are at the centre of her practice and is skilled in balancing the needs of children with those of their adoptive families. A parent said their child wrote in the hope box ‘I wish I could come to therapy every day because it helps me so much’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The therapist successfully works in an inclusive way with families from a wide variety of backgrounds. One local authority social worker described how the therapist had completed some highly successful cross-cultural working. Because of the trusting relationship she built with the family, she was able to unpick a lot of things which had been of concern, and was able to help dispel some myths and perceptions. As a result, the local authority has a much better understanding of the complex needs of the family and has been able to put in additional support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Records relating to children and their families are appropriately maintained and held safely.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The therapist receives regular clinical supervision. This is used as an opportunity for reflection on her practice and the needs of the families she supports. Inspection report for adoption support agency: ASART 5

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person/s must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, The Adoption Support Agencies (England) and Adoption Agencies (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2005 and the national minimum standards. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

allow a person who is employed by a person other than the registered provider to work for the purposes of the agency unless that person is fit to work for the purposes of the agency.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (1), a person is not fit to work for the purposes of an agency unless—

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to him in respect of each of the matters specified in Schedule 2. (Regulation 19 (1)(b)(2)(d)) 29 August 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the adoption support agency has a clear statement of purpose which is available to and understood by volunteers, children, and adopters, and is reflected in any policies, procedures and guidance. (NMS 18.1)  The registered person should ensure that the Children’s Guide to adoption support services is provided to the child by the Adoption support agency. (NMS 18.6)

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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: ASART 6

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Adoption support agency details

Registered provider address: 60 Marsom Grove, Luton LU3 4BQ

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Adoption support agency details

Responsible individual: Dr Esther Ina-Egbe

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Inspector

Joanna Heller, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for adoption support agency: ASART 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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