Credo Care

Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Credo Care 1 Credo Care Credo Care Limited 12 High Street, Lydd, Romney Marsh, Kent TN29 9AJ Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this independent fostering agency

The agency founded in 2000 and is based in Lydd, Kent. It covers the South, Midlands and East regions of the UK. The agency specialises in providing care for children with physical disabilities and those who have complex medical needs, learning difficulties and/or autism spectrum disorder. The agency offers short-term, long-term, ‘staying put’ and specialised respite care placements.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

At the time of this inspection, 76 children were placed and there were 81 fostering households, some of which offer respite care only.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2019.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The independent fostering agency provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Credo Care 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are at the centre of this inclusive agency. Leaders, foster carers and agency staff are enthusiastic about their common goals and shared values to positively impact and improve the lives of children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most children live with permanent and long-term fostering families. This provides children with a sense of security and stability. Consequently, children form lasting bonds. For many children, these relationships become enduring and lifelong.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have good relationships with their foster carers, who know them well, listen to them, protect them and promote their welfare. Foster carers, supported by the agency, are strong advocates for children. This ensures that children receive the right level of specialised care and equipment that they need for them to flourish and have the best possible life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children take part in a broad range of activities, hobbies and opportunities. The in- house ‘dream maker’ programme helps to turn children’s dreams into reality. For example, for one child, who has a passion for signs, agency staff arranged a visit to a local sign factory. Other experiences include one child riding in a police car and another flying in an aeroplane while sitting in the cockpit behind the pilot. These experiences provide children with enjoyable and lasting memories.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some children have life-limiting conditions, require palliative care and join their foster families from a hospital or hospice setting. This is transformative for these children as it means they can attend school and engage in clubs and activities in their local communities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Foster carers and the agency staff benefit from specialist support and training in their care for children with autism or who experience complex social and emotional difficulties. This enables foster carers to develop a deeper understanding of children’s individual strengths and vulnerabilities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move to foster families, this often takes place over several weeks, sometimes months, and is often supported by paediatricians and other healthcare professionals. This ensures that foster carers are equipped to provide the specialist care that many of the children require. As a result of detailed planning, training and preparation, there are low numbers of unplanned endings, and children are cared for by foster carers who are well prepared to meet their needs.

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

Managers and the fostering agency staff take timely action to share child protection concerns with relevant safeguarding agencies. There are proactive and effective working relationships between the agency and external professionals. As a result, swift action is taken to reduce risks for children. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Credo Care 3 When safeguarding or practice issues occur, leaders and the agency staff are open and seek to learn, inform and improve future practice. Learning and development are supported through regular staff meetings, reflective practice and learning reviews from serious incidents. Consequently, staff and foster carers remain alert and curious about the risks that children may be exposed to.

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

Good-quality risk assessments and child-centred ‘All About Me’ plans ensure that foster carers have up-to-date and relevant information to provide safe care to the children. Supervising social workers carry out health and safety checks of foster carers’ homes as part of their annual review. This includes ensuring that the fostering households have fire evacuation plans that consider children’s specific needs.

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

Supervising social workers provide monthly visits to foster carers and regularly meet with children, who they enjoy good relationships with. These visits, along with unannounced visits, ensure that children have regular opportunities to speak to trusted adults about any worries they may have.

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

Foster carers benefit from supportive relationships with their supervising social workers. Help and advice are readily available for foster carers if required. This includes out-of-hours support.

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

The agency provides regular support groups, alongside smaller support groups for male carers and respite carers. These groups offer foster carers emotional support and a safe space to discuss issues that arise. Additionally, the groups provide training and information to enhance foster carers’ skills and knowledge.

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

Prospective foster carers are provided with timely and relevant information following their initial enquiry. They are kept informed about the progress of any subsequent application for approval.

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

The fostering panel fulfils its quality assurance function well by providing insightful and helpful feedback to the agency. The agency decision-maker and panel chair provide rigour and scrutiny to ensure that the approval of foster carers is considered in terms of their capacity to provide safe and loving homes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The agency is managed by a suitably qualified and experienced registered manager, alongside a strong senior leadership team. Leaders, managers and the agency staff are compassionate and influential in changing and making a positive difference to the lives of the children in the care of the agency.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers use learning from practice and feedback to improve children’s experiences and care. The registered manager and leaders identify strengths and areas for improvement. They implement clear development plans with a continued aim to improve the experiences of children and foster carers. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Credo Care 4 Foster carers have access to a broad and relevant training programme. However, some foster carers have not received mandatory training within the expected timescales. Some foster carers’ personal development plans do not show an evaluation of the effectiveness of the training they have received. This means that the registered manager cannot be confident that all foster carers have fully understood and benefited from the training they have received.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have failed to ensure effective oversight of child-specific refresher medical intervention training of the foster carers. This shortfall has been identified by leaders and, in part, has been exacerbated by differing guidelines and protocols between local authorities. This lack of clear guidance has the potential to negatively impact the quality of care that children receive. Improvement work is currently being undertaken by the senior leadership team and nurse practitioners to standardise this training throughout the agency.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers take timely action to address concerns or complaints. Placing and host local authorities are engaged as necessary. However, the record-keeping relating to some complaints has not adhered to the organisation’s complaints policy, specifically the agency’s response to the complainant. This was identified by the registered manager during the inspection, and measures have been put in place to improve this area of practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervising social workers hold manageable caseloads to ensure high-quality support is provided to children and foster carers. They are supported in their role by the agency’s growing number of support workers who are linked to fostering families and provide individualised care to children and breaks for foster carers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Most foster carers feel very well supported by the agency. However, a small number of foster carers are unhappy about changes to support hours and respite provided by the agency. The registered manager recognises that communication between senior leaders and the foster carers continues to be an area for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders promote an inclusive and accepting culture in the agency that addresses the specific challenges faced by children with disabilities. The registered manager and responsible individual spearhead policies and practices that foster inclusion and accessibility. This ensures that appropriate resources are available for children and foster carers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Effective action has been taken to address the requirements and recommendations from the previous inspection. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Credo Care 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 Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011 and the national minimum standards. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The fostering service provider must provide foster parents with such training, advice, information and support, including support outside office hours, as appears necessary in the interests of children placed with them. (Regulation 17 (1))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that foster carers are up to date with mandatory training and child-specific medical training. 29 January 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that clear records are kept of complaints, how they are dealt with, the outcome and any action taken. (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 21.11)  The registered person should ensure that foster carers’ personal development plans are reviewed, and the effectiveness of training and development received is evaluated. (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 20.06)

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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: Credo Care 6

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider address: Credo Care, 12 High Street, Lydd, Romney Marsh TN29 9AJ

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Independent fostering agency details

Email address: r.hipkiss@credocare.co.uk

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Inspectors

Anne-Marie Davies, Social Care Inspector Tash Williams, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Credo Care 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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