Family Affect Ltd

Inspection report for adoption support agency: Family Affect Ltd 1 Family Affect Ltd

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Tarrihere, High Street, Thorpe-Le-Soken, Clacton-On-Sea, Essex CO16 0EA Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this adoption support agency

This family-run adoption support agency was registered on 23 September 2019. It offers intensive therapeutic family work to children and families. The agency’s aim is to enhance family life for both the child and parents. Its therapeutic approach includes dyadic developmental psychotherapy, theraplay, schema therapy, mindful interbeing mirror therapy, play therapy and therapeutic life-story work. In addition, it provides training for prospective adopters and approved adopters. Two part-time psychotherapists provide adoption-related counselling for adults. In the last 12 months, the agency provided 68 packages of adoption support.

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Information about this adoption support agency

There is a qualified manager who has been in post since September 2019.

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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 good

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outstanding

The adoption support agency provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the adoption support agency contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for service users.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since the last inspection: none Inspection report for adoption support agency: Family Affect Ltd 2

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

Children make real and meaningful progress that has a significant, positive impact on their lives. This is a result of the therapeutic intervention of the therapists at this agency. For example, a child who had no self-confidence, low self-esteem, and would never go anywhere without a parent is now able to go out with others, attend a school prom, and go to the theatre. The parent described the change in her child as ‘phenomenal’.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

The feedback from parents and other professionals is universally positive. One parent said, ‘It’s really helped to keep us together as a family; there have been times when we could have fallen apart without the agency.’ A professional said, ‘He [the therapist] has been huge in keeping this family together.’ The positive impact is also noticed by schools on account of children’s improved attendance and better emotional well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

The therapists quickly understand the needs of the children and ‘get them’. They are child-focused, working alongside the child at their pace and adapting to emerging issues when necessary. This flexibility and responsiveness ensures that therapy is individualised and targeted where it is most needed.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

Children and parents speak highly of the relationships they build with the therapists. They are able to trust them, and work well together to achieve positive outcomes. A parent commented, ‘My son has developed a good rapport with [the therapist] over the years. He really struggles to trust adults due to his past experiences; however, [name of therapist] has worked really hard to develop a trusting relationship with him.’ A child said of the other therapist, ‘He is the best, he is really kind.’

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

Children’s views and written feedback are sought regularly and acted on, in addition to the verbal feedback gained during therapy. The views of parents and social workers are also gathered at regular intervals. Children are provided with a guide to the service, which includes the complaints procedure and other useful contact details. This provides them with a variety of avenues of support, should they require it.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

The therapists are highly skilled, qualified and knowledgeable individuals who are leaders in their field. Their expertise is highly valued by other professionals, who hold them in high esteem. They embrace new ideas and therapies based on research, such as mindful interbeing mirror therapy. The therapists both have regular clinical supervision to ensure that their practice is safe and up to date. Inspection report for adoption support agency: Family Affect Ltd 3

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outstanding

Children feel very safe when they are receiving therapy. This always takes place in child-friendly and well-equipped therapy rooms. Children are accompanied by a parent, which adds to their sense of security. Children say that the therapists are approachable and friendly.

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outstanding

Safeguarding children is at the heart of everything the agency does. The safeguarding policy makes staff responsibilities very clear. Although there have been no specific safeguarding incidents, staff are appropriately trained and vigilant to the issues. Staff are able to speak very knowledgably about how they negotiate the boundaries of professional confidentiality with their safeguarding responsibilities. The staff are confident about raising any concerns with the local authority.

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outstanding

Local authorities have commented that the therapists have an excellent understanding of safeguarding and that safeguarding concerns are managed very well. The careful management of these concerns balances children’s safety with the trusting and meaningful relationships that the therapists have built with parents.

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outstanding

Children develop aa secure base from which they can explore their feelings also helps children to be safer when they wish to explore their identity and have contact with their birth family. Parents awareness of, and alertness to, the issues has enabled safe birth family meetings after a significant period.

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outstanding

Children are increasingly safer because they are more able to regulate their emotions and behaviour. A social worker spoke of a child who had previously demonstrated his emotions through disruptive behaviour, but is now able to verbalise his emotions, so his behaviour has improved significantly.

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outstanding

The impact of therapy can be quite remarkable. One young person, who was previously at risk from substance misuse, said, ‘If it wasn’t for mum, dad and [name of therapist] I’d be in prison or a mental health institute now. [Name of therapist] is a massive person to me, he’s everything.’ The social worker echoed this, saying, ‘[Name of therapist’s] input and presence have been pivotal to the significant changes this child has achieved.’ Another young person credited the therapist for saving their life when they felt suicidal.

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outstanding

The work undertaken with adults ensures that they have a good understanding of the reasons behind a child’s behaviour, their trauma, and their own attachment styles. This enables adoptive parents to respond more therapeutically. The agency also undertakes pre- and post-adoption training, which addresses attachment.

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outstanding

The agency has links with the local safeguarding board and ready access to the procedures, which are linked in the safeguarding policy. Any concerns are always raised with the local authority, whether they reach a threshold or not. Inspection report for adoption support agency: Family Affect Ltd 4

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The agency is small and family run. The responsible individual and registered managers are the two full-time therapists. They employ two psychotherapists to work with adults on a part-time basis. The responsible individual and manager are both totally committed to achieving positive outcomes for children, who are placed at the heart of the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The service is provided promptly as the agency only responds to requests if it has space, to ensure that there is no delay. Local authorities appreciate their honesty, including ending a service if it is not achieving what was expected.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and responsible individual know the strengths of the service and the areas for development. Outcomes and progress are monitored very regularly, both internally by service user feedback, and through the regular reviews with the local authority commissioners. There have been no complaints, although service users feel able to raise any concerns and are confident in getting a positive response.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The board of directors meets twice a year to consider how the agency is operating and its financial viability. However, although these meetings are recorded, the registered manager does not provide a written report to inform the discussion. This shortfall has not had a negative impact as the responsible individual is a member of the board as well as a case holder, and he has regular discussions with the registered manager and is fully aware of what is happening.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The two psychotherapists/counsellors have a low number of cases at a time. They are both well qualified, well supported, regularly supervised and appraised annually. Staff also have their own clinical supervision and are registered with professional bodies that have an expectation that training and skills are kept up to date regularly as a condition of registration. The staff are very positive about working for this agency and appreciate the skills and knowledge of the responsible individual and registered manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Case records are maintained on every service user and detail the work that is undertaken. They are written in a child-focused way, as well as the reports to the local authority and service user feedback.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The agency has extremely positive relationships with local authorities, and this agency is one of the preferred providers. Local authority commissioners and social workers refer to good communication, transparency, honesty, flexibility and responsiveness. Social workers have a high degree of trust in the knowledgeable and approachable therapists, and comment that the work always produces good outcomes. This is summed up by feedback from a professional who said, ‘They are a fantastic provider of therapeutic support and are able to develop positive relationships with children and families, and social workers. They have a flexible approach to offering support. They are the absolute embodiment of their trauma- informed work.’ Inspection report for adoption support agency: Family Affect Ltd 5 The statement of purpose and the children’s guide have been revised and now meet the requirements, which was a shortfall raised at the last inspection. However, they

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

have not been sent to Ofsted when they have been revised, to enable the regulator to monitor any changes to the service. Inspection report for adoption support agency: Family Affect Ltd 6

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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

keep under review and, where appropriate, revise the statement of purpose and children’s guide;

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Requirement Due date

notify the registration authority of any such revision within 28 days of making the revision; and

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Requirement Due date

children’s guide is revised, supply a copy to any adult acting on behalf of a child to whom the agency provides adoption support services and (subject to his age and understanding) to each such child.

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Requirement Due date

(The Adoption Support Agencies (England) and Adoption Agencies (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2005 regulation 6 (a)(b)(c)) 30 September 2024

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the executive side of the local authority, the voluntary adoption agency’s/Adoption Support Agency’s provider/trustees, board members or management committee members: • receive written reports on the management, outcomes and financial state of the agency every six months • monitor the management and outcomes of the services in order to satisfy themselves that the agency is effective and is achieving good outcomes for children and/or service users • satisfy themselves that the agency is complying with the conditions of registration. It is expected that these reports are submitted to Ofsted annually. (‘Adoption: National minimum standards’, 25.6) Inspection report for adoption support agency: Family Affect Ltd 7

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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: Family Affect Ltd 8

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Adoption support agency details

Registered provider: Family Affect Limited

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Adoption support agency details

Registered provider address: Tarrihere, High Street, Thorpe-Le-Soken, Clacton- On-Sea, Essex O16 0EA

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Adoption support agency details

Responsible individual: Mr Stephen Layzell

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Adoption support agency details

Email address: steve.layzell@familyaffect.co.uk

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Inspectors

Rosemary Chapman, Social Care Inspector Majella Russell, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for adoption support agency: Family Affect Ltd 9 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

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http:www.gov.uk/ofsted

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