Wholistic Fostering Ltd

Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Wholistic Fostering Ltd 1 Wholistic Fostering Ltd Wholistic Fostering Limited 34 Brook House, Brook Street Business Centre, Brook Street, Tipton DY4 9DD Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this independent fostering agency

A small private company operates this fostering agency. The agency currently has seven children placed with foster carers. Seven households with nine carers have been approved.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Wholistic Fostering Ltd 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make progress in all aspects of their health, education, emotional, social and psychological well-being. This is because their foster carers are committed to providing stable and nurturing homes for children to thrive. Children enjoy a positive range of experiences and opportunities that support them to develop and achieve.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are met. Foster carers engage well with health professionals and act on their advice. For example, foster carers work well with health professionals to ensure that children who are diagnosed with conditions such as autism, ADHD and foetal alcohol syndrome have the support they need. One foster carer has supported the children that they care for with their very specific attachment behaviours. As a result, the children have developed strong and healthy relationships with their foster carer.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s education is prioritised. As a result, all of the children are in education. One child’s request to move from a special school to a mainstream school was supported by their foster carer and the agency that advocated on behalf of them. As a result, the child is now enjoying, and doing well in, their new school. Furthermore, two children receive extra tuition for English and Mathematics and, as a result, one child is in top sets at school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to have their own interests and hobbies. For example, children enjoy going to the theatre and attending clubs such as drama classes and karate. Children have been abroad on holiday and have enjoyed experiencing destinations such as Germany, Tenerife and Jamaica. These opportunities create lifelong memories and support children to explore different cultures and religions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Foster carers understand the importance of children keeping in contact with people who are important to them. Consequently, family time is promoted. One foster carer supports a child to have family time in the fostering household. This means that positive relationships have been developed between adults and role modelled to the child.

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

Safer caring plans and risk assessments for the children are detailed, and are reviewed regularly in light of changes or emerging concerns. As a result, foster carers know their children and any associated risk well. Furthermore, the children are helped to understand risk and to take age-appropriate responsibility for their safety.

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

Managers ensure the safe recruitment of foster carers. Checks are thorough, detailed and monitored by the registered manager, who signs off stage one of the application process. This detail is also seen in the recruitment of staff and panel members to ensure that all adults are safe to work with children. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Wholistic Fostering Ltd 3 There is continued monitoring of foster carers’ suitability for the fostering role. Twice-monthly home visits and at least one unannounced visit per year provide an opportunity to ensure that foster carers’ homes are safe and secure and the children are happy.

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

Safeguarding practice is good. Since the last inspection, there have been three notifiable events. The concerns raised were responded to quickly and appropriately. Children do not go missing and there are no concerns in respect of self-harm, child sexual exploitation or radicalisation. The foster carers are well equipped to identify and manage these concerns should they arise as a result of training and development opportunities. Foster carers’ practice benefits from training in therapeutic de-escalation techniques underpinned by a secure base model.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is suitably skilled, experienced and qualified. She makes good use of her social work experience and the responsible individual’s personal experience of foster care, to create a strong ethos that ensures that children have a positive experience of fostering that helps them to achieve the best possible outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has good monitoring systems in place and has made good use of the agency’s chosen systems to improve these. This has been particularly good for tracking and monitoring the children’s outcomes and progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager ensures that she has monthly supervision with a suitably experienced external person. The registered manager has a passion for her own learning and development and makes sure that her own supervision is reflective and considers research.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Foster carers benefit from training on a monthly basis. New foster carers complete induction training as part of their assessment period to prepare them for fostering.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The fostering panel provides a good level of independent scrutiny of the decision- making of the agency. The panel carries out a thorough quality assurance of assessments. An experienced panel chair provides clear reasons for the recommendations made.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The agency decision-maker is independent. She is also able to cover the registered manager should this be necessary as an interim arrangement. This is reflected in the agency’s policy.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Foster carers speak positively about their fostering journey and the support that they receive from staff and the registered manager, who they described as a strong advocate for children.

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Information about this inspection

Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Wholistic Fostering Ltd 4 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: Wholistic Fostering Ltd 5

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider: Wholistic Fostering Limited

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider address: 34 Brook House, Brook Street Business Centre, Brook Street, Tipton DY4 9DD

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Independent fostering agency details

Email address: info@wholisticfostering.co.uk

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Inspector

Stacie Sharpe, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Wholistic Fostering Ltd 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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Inspector

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