Chroma

Inspection report for adoption support agency: Chroma 1 Chroma Chroma Therapies Ltd Overross House, Ross Park, Ross-On-Wye, Herefordshire HR9 7US Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this adoption support agency

This is a large adoption support agency, operated by a private company. The agency provides health and care professions council (HCPC) regulated creative art therapies (art, drama and music therapy) to children and young adults who have been adopted. The agency has over 100 staff who are either employed or contracted to the service. Since its registration, the agency has worked with more than 600 children and young adults. The agency provides other therapeutic services to children and adults that are unrelated to adoption. These services are not subject to inspection by Ofsted.

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Information about this adoption support agency

The service and the manager were registered with Ofsted in June 2020.

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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 outstanding

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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

Date of last inspection: 18 January 2022

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

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

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

The work of this adoption support agency has a considerable and meaningful impact on the lives of children and their families. There is a strong child-centred ethos. One parent said that the agency and therapist had helped their family recover a sense of ‘peace and balance’ and had been an anchor that enabled them to ‘come together stronger as a whole’.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

Family members and their social workers are involved in the referral process, which is thorough and regularly reviewed to consider learning. Before a treating therapist becomes involved, a senior therapist makes the opportunity for communication with families through the development of a baseline outcome measure. Local authorities and regional adoption agencies are extremely positive about the presentation of information, as it supports them to make timely adoption support fund applications.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

Children are matched with a therapist in a considered way. The senior leadership team and staff ensure that the matching of children with a therapist is based on careful decision-making and information-sharing with everyone involved. Children are introduced to their therapist with thoughtful and sensitive planning.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

Children show substantial and lasting progress because of the therapy they receive. Children, their families and social workers agree and are clear about the intended objectives of individual adoption support work. This is supported by effective assessment. The outcomes of each piece of work are evaluated, recorded and clearly measured.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

Children are positive about their therapist and therapy sessions. Children describe the positive impact that this support has had on other areas of their lives. Although nervous and apprehensive when they start attending sessions, children are quickly reassured by therapists who establish comforting routines within sessions that support them to express and discuss their feelings and emotions.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

Where appropriate, the agency celebrates children’s work and creativity. For example, children are being given the opportunity to record and produce their music in a studio for a music album.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

Therapists help children to maintain and develop their relationships with their families and other people who are important to them. Family members enjoy supportive and professional relationships with therapists and the agency. Managers, staff and therapists advocate in the children’s best interest to ensure they are safe and outcomes are meaningful. This includes therapists doing direct work with children’s education placements to help them understand how to best support children experiencing trauma. Inspection report for adoption support agency: Chroma 3 Therapists have small caseloads, giving them the time to build meaningful relationships with children. These trusted relationships help the children to feel confident to share any worries that they may have. Children experience therapy that is sensitive and responsive to their needs, identity and family history. Therapists are experienced in working with adopted children, those who have experienced early

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

trauma and non-verbal children. As a result of their knowledge and experience, children heal, develop a positive self-view and build on their emotional resilience.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

The voices of children and their families are included throughout the therapeutic process. Regular consultation means that the impact of therapy for children is understood. Information about the service is accessible to all. The agency’s website has an accessibility platform, and there are written and animated children’s guides.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

The senior leadership team is actively engaged in the wider adoption sector and is focused on making a positive difference for all children and adoptive families. For example, it has been involved in pilot schemes and developing practice directly linked to the adoption and special guardian support fund. Leaders disseminate outstanding practice through case reviews, internal and external training sessions and at team days and national conferences.

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outstanding

Children feel valued, safe and respected. The positive relationships that they have with their therapists are a strong protective factor in reducing future risks.

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outstanding

Children, families and partnership agencies benefit from professional and supportive relationships with the agency’s staff and therapists. A whole-team approach means that any new or emerging risks for the children are flagged early, and joined-up planning ensures that the children’s safety and well-being are prioritised.

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outstanding

Allegations or concerns about standards of care are shared promptly and transparently with partnership agencies. Managers, staff and therapists work closely with other agencies to understand and identify solutions to help and protect children effectively.

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outstanding

The registered manager maintains detailed records, routinely reviews safeguarding concerns and presents reports to the senior leadership team. This ensures a comprehensive approach to monitoring and reviewing progress and actions following safeguarding incidents.

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outstanding

The registered manager, staff and therapists demonstrate a strong understanding of child protection. The registered manager is confident to challenge the practice of external agencies and to advocate on behalf of the children and therapists to ensure safe outcomes. Inspection report for adoption support agency: Chroma 4 Staff and therapists understand how to identify and manage risk. An assessment of risk is completed as part of the initial arrangement for work with the children. Assessments are dynamic and clearly pinpoint potential areas for concern and the favoured strategies to increase the children’s and the therapist’s safety. When appropriate, work is paused and consultations take place with other professionals, such as solicitors. This ensures that any risks are known and understood so that work is carried out safely.

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outstanding

The senior leadership team ensures that staff and therapists have the opportunity of regular supervision, meetings and groups and advanced training. Staff are proactively encouraged to take care of themselves and learn to recognise when they may need extra support. This approach flows into the interactions with children, who are encouraged to talk through problems or difficult feelings and seek help when they need it.

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outstanding

Children can identify the impact that therapy has had on their ability and confidence to make safe decisions, for example making better friendship choices, repairing and sustaining relationships and appropriately self-regulating emotions.

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outstanding

The senior leadership team ensures that safer recruitment processes are in place so that only appropriately vetted staff are employed to work with children. All therapists are suitably qualified, registered and experienced to work with children.

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outstanding

The senior leadership team continues to develop a healthy safeguarding culture. For example, a decision has been made to share the registered manager’s designated safeguarding lead role to include the clinical team. This will expand this area of expertise within the agency as well as enhance the overview of safeguarding incidents. The registered manager has produced podcasts on safeguarding within this specialist therapeutic field. These are available to everyone within the agency as well as nationally.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

An experienced, enthusiastic and ambitious senior leadership team runs the agency. The registered manager is unwavering in his determination to enhance and improve the lives of children. Research-informed practice continues to develop from a strong and relevant evidence base.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The agency is owned, managed and staffed by qualified registered therapists. This structure ensures that associate therapists are line managed by professionals who have clear insight and understanding of their clinical role and practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The senior leadership team, staff and therapists are compassionate, curious and committed to understanding the experiences of the children that they work with and making a positive difference in their lives. Children and families are unanimous in their praise of the agency and the range of support offered to them. One parent said: Inspection report for adoption support agency: Chroma 5 ‘I have been working with the agency for over a year now and have found from the start that they are both professional and understanding. They are keen to offer a service that is client-centred and meets the needs of the service users. I am confident that as an organisation, they operate effectively and compassionately.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The senior leadership team promotes an inclusive and welcoming culture within the agency. A member of staff said:

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

‘I find the directors to be very supportive of their employees and progressive in their thinking about how to provide an effective service. They are always striving to improve and to lead the way for others by setting and upholding standards. I have felt welcomed and a sense of belonging as part of the staff team, which values our individual opinions and provides opportunities for our ideas to be realised. There is continued attention given to the quality of therapy provided to clients, and their experience of therapy is central to the agency’s ethos.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The agency is well resourced, with a low turnover of staff and therapists. There is strong team morale. Staff have constant opportunities to review, reflect on and develop their practice. For example, all staff and therapists receive regular external clinical supervision as well as regular peer, line-management and case-load supervision.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The training and development of the team are prioritised, and the senior leadership team invests in high-quality training and resources. Staff and therapists are well qualified in their field, and individual development opportunities are encouraged. All training is linked to the therapist’s registration, and the senior leadership team has implemented a programme of professional and practical training to support both newly qualified and established therapists to develop their practice. This means that the staff and therapists are equipped to provide the best possible support for the children and their families.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The agency staff and therapists build excellent relationships with partner professionals. Partner professionals are positive about how staff and therapists work with them. One professional said:

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

‘This agency has fast become our first choice of therapy provider; the referral and consultation process is efficient and well considered. We have found the way in which they work very child-focused and flexible to the family’s individual needs. The agency has ensured that the therapists are carefully matched with each child and family, and there is an easy and open line of communication to ensure that the correct therapy is implemented. The outcomes of therapy for many families have been very significant, especially for those families where placement breakdowns were a concern.’ Inspection report for adoption support agency: Chroma 6 Leaders and managers continue to role model positive approaches to equality, diversity and inclusion. For example, they have recently set up workshops and delivered training about menopause and diversity.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager and senior leadership team make effective use of the agency’s internal and external monitoring activities to secure continuous improvement. The learning ethos of this agency means that when things do go wrong, the staff are open to taking forward new learning to inform and improve future practice. Plans to develop the service are ambitious and support the agency’s sustained and ongoing development. For example, the recent recruitment to a new head of people is increasing the number and geographical spread of associate therapists available to meet the needs of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The senior leadership team has maintained a culture of using research in practice, and the links that have developed in the wider sector support their drive for excellence. The extensive commitment to research and innovation ensures that the agency is at the heart of new developments. Inspection report for adoption support agency: Chroma 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: Chroma 8

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Adoption support agency details

Registered provider: Chroma Therapies Ltd

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Adoption support agency details

Registered provider address: Overross House, Ross Park, Ross-On-Wye, Herefordshire HR9 7US

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Adoption support agency details

Responsible individual: Mr Daniel Thomas

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Inspectors

Dawn Bennett, Social Care Inspector Stacie Sharpe, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for adoption support agency: Chroma 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

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