Family Fostering Partners

Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Family Fostering Partners 1 Family Fostering Partners Family Fostering Partners Limited Office 6, Brunel Road, Rural Enterprise Centre, Leominster, Herefordshire HR6 0LT Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this independent fostering agency

This private fostering agency is registered and established in Wales. In June 2022, the provider opened its first registered service in England.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

The fostering agency offers a wide range of placements for children, including emergency, respite, short and long term, parent and child, and young adults ‘staying put’.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

At the time of this inspection, one child was living in one fostering household.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

The registered manager is appropriately qualified and experienced.

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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

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Family Fostering Partners 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is making good progress. For example, they have improved their core strength, aided walking and fine motor skills. The child’s allergies and food intolerances are no longer a concern. The child presents as a happy child whose needs are being met by carers who show warmth and nurture.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Foster carers support family time. The child is supported to see their birth parents three times per week. The carers have developed a positive relationship with the child’s parents, which has helped them to establish face-to-face handovers at the start and end of family time. Furthermore, the carers ensure that parents are kept up to date and share regular photos of the child and their adventures and development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child moved to their foster family in a planned and sensitive way. As the child is too young to have a children’s guide, a memory box has been provided by the agency to capture important memories and events. The agency has a children’s guide that can be translated into different languages. There are also recorded videos of the carers that can be used alongside the carer profiles as an introduction for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The agency has systems in place to communicate with children of different ages and at different stages of their development to gather their wishes and feelings. For preverbal children, a monthly visit by the supervising social worker to the fostering household focuses on the welfare of the child or children.

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

There are detailed safe care and risk assessments in place. The child’s safety has been thoroughly considered as part of the matching process to ensure that their specific developmental needs can be met.

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

The recruitment of foster carers, staff and panel members is thorough, and there is clear management oversight of all recruitment. This helps to ensure that only safe adults provide care and support to children.

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

There is continued monitoring of the suitability of carers. The agency carries out two home visits per month; one to carry out the carer’s supervision session and one with a focus on the child. In addition, at least two unannounced visits take place per year. This is a good opportunity to ensure that carers’ homes are safe and secure and that children are happy.

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

There have been no notifiable incidents or concerns. There are clear policies in place to respond to safety concerns, including children going missing from care and self- harm. Carers are trained in therapeutic de-escalation techniques and non-restrictive guiding. The agency does not train carers in physical restraint. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Family Fostering Partners 3

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The agency is led by an experienced and qualified manager. The registered manager works closely with the responsible individual. Together, they model a clear ethos and vision for the agency. There is an expectation that staff share the same commitment, which has been seen in the careful recruitment of a fostering manager and deputy fostering manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has good monitoring systems in place. These have been tried and tested in Wales and are being used effectively in this service. As a result of a very hands-on approach, the registered manager has good oversight of every aspect of the agency’s operation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and staff receive regular and effective supervision. For new staff, there are clear expectations in respect of their professional development. This is detailed in the staff induction plans, and progress is reviewed regularly before the sign off.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have access to a range of training to support them in their role. The focus on understanding the impact of trauma and attachment on children is threaded throughout the training delivered by the agency and ensures a clear ethos for the delivery of good-quality, thoughtful care to children. Staff are encouraged to undertake additional training for their continued professional development. Research in practice is used effectively and promoted by the agency. For example, extensive work has been carried out to understand any differences between fostering practice in England and Wales.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The fostering panel provides independent scrutiny of the agency’s decision-making. The panel carries out thorough quality assurance of assessments. An experienced panel chair provides clear reasons for the recommendations made. The panel chair commented that the assessment for the current carers is ‘exemplary’ and has suggested this is used as a ‘blueprint’ for the assessment of carers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The agency decision-maker is the responsible individual. However, she ensures that she has the required level of independence and makes detailed and reasoned decisions promptly.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Carers speak positively about their journey into fostering and the support from the agency, especially from the management team. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Family Fostering Partners 4

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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: Family Fostering Partners 5

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider: Family Fostering Partners Limited

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider address: Office 1, Block B, Llys Y Barcud, Cross Hands, Carmarthenshire SA14 6RX

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Independent fostering agency details

Responsible individual: Judith Rees-Howells

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Independent fostering agency details

Email address: admin@familyfosteringpartners.co.uk

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Inspector

Stacie Sharpe, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Family Fostering Partners 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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