Compass Fostering West

Inspection report for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Compass Fostering West 1 Compass Fostering West Unit G1, New Venture House, Venture Business Park, Worcester WR2 4AY

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this independent fostering agency

Compass Fostering West provides short-term, long-term, respite, emergency, permanent, sibling group and parent and child foster placements. At the time of this inspection, the agency was supporting 153 households caring for 218 children.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

There is no registered manager. A new manager started in August 2024. The manager has applied to Ofsted to register.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit took place after Ofsted received information of concern in schedule 7 notifications relating to safeguarding incidents. The purpose of the monitoring visit was to review the effectiveness of arrangements to ensure the safety and welfare of children.

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This monitoring visit

Overall, the agency responds well to safeguarding concerns and takes appropriate action to keep children safe. However, since the last inspection on two occasions, a lack of professional curiosity by supervising social workers and managers about the practice of foster carers left children exposed to harmful situations. The new manager has recognised the shortfalls and a learning review is being undertaken.

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This monitoring visit

Managers do not always share information with Ofsted in a timely way about child protection investigations or when serious complaints have been made about foster carers. This reduces the regulator’s understanding of the action managers are taking to ensure the safety of children.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, there has been a change to the organisation’s out-of-hours service. This change impacted on the stability of two children who were placed with foster carers in an emergency. Poor care planning meant that the children were Inspection report for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Compass Fostering West 2 moved to carers who did not have the required skills to meet their needs. This resulted in the children having to move again shortly after moving in.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, managers have not always followed the correct procedures for granting exemptions to some foster carers’ terms of approval. This has resulted in children being placed with foster carers beyond the usual limit for the number of children. This has been recognised by senior leaders and foster carers have been taken back to panel for their approval to be changed. In addition, work has been undertaken with staff and foster carers around the exemption process.

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This monitoring visit

Allegations against foster carers are well managed. Managers ensure action is taken as agreed in multi-agency meetings, and they hold other professionals to account for their safeguarding responsibilities. When required, foster carers have been taken to panel and deregistered.

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This monitoring visit

Foster carer feedback about the agency is mixed. On the whole, foster carers feel supported by their supervising social workers and valued by managers. However, some foster carers feel dissatisfied with the support they have received. One foster said they were considering if the agency was right for them.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, the registered manager has left the agency. A new manager has been appointed. The manager has a good understanding of the agency’s strengths and areas for development and has made progress in creating the right environment for staff to work effectively. The manager has applied to register with Ofsted. However, she intends to withdraw her application as she is leaving. Senior leaders said arrangements are in place to recruit a new manager.

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This monitoring visit

The recommendations made at the last full inspection were not reviewed at this visit and will be considered at the next full inspection. Inspection report for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Compass Fostering West 3

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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 registered person in respect of an independent fostering agency must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

before making any decision affecting a child placed or to be placed with a foster

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Requirement Due date

parent due consideration is given to the child’s—

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Requirement Due date

wishes and feelings (having regard to the child’s age and understanding), and

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Requirement Due date

religious persuasion, racial origin and cultural and linguistic background. (Regulation 11 (b)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that clear care planning arrangements are in place for children when moving to foster carers in an emergency situation. 3 January 2025

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Requirement Due date

The fostering service provider must prepare and implement a written policy which—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard children placed with foster parents from abuse or neglect, and

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Requirement Due date

sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of any allegation of abuse or neglect.

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Requirement Due date

The procedure under paragraph (1)(b) must, subject to paragraph (4), provide in particular for—

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Requirement Due date

consideration to be given to the measures which may be necessary to protect (Regulation 12 (1)(a)(b) (3)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that supervising social workers understand their safeguarding role and responsibilities. 3 January 2025 Inspection report for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Compass Fostering West 4 If any of the events listed in column 1 of the table in Schedule 7 takes place in relation to a fostering agency, the registered person must without delay notify the persons or bodies indicated in respect of the event in column 2 of the table. (Regulation 36 (1))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that all schedule 7 notifications are reported to Ofsted. 3 January 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all foster carers receive training in positive care and control of children, including training in de-escalating problems and disputes. The fostering service should have a clear written policy on managing behaviour, which includes supporting positive behaviour, de-escalation of conflicts and discipline. (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 3.8)  The registered person should ensure that a clear and comprehensive summary of any allegations made against a particular member of the fostering household, or staff member, including details of how the allegation was followed up and resolved, a record of any action taken and the decisions reached, is kept on the person’s confidential file. (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 22.7)  The registered person should ensure that the manager regularly monitors all records kept by the service to ensure compliance with the service’s policies, to

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Recommendations

identify any concerns about specific incidents and to identify patterns and trends. Immediate action should be taken to address any issues raised by this monitoring. (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 25.2)  The registered person should ensure that staff, volunteers, panel members and fostering households understand the nature of records maintained and follow the service’s policy for the keeping and managing of information. There should be a system in place to ensure that records are of a consistently high standard across the agency. (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 26.2)  The registered person should ensure that the foster carer’s terms of approval allow for the placement of a child (any terms of approval must be compatible with the number of children the foster carer is caring for even if an exemption to the usual fostering limit has been granted, unless the placement is in an emergency

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Recommendations

and for less than six days). (‘The Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations Volume 4’: Fostering services, 3.3) Inspection report for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Compass Fostering West 5

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the independent fostering agency since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Compass Fostering West 6

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider: Compass Fostering West Limited

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider address: 3 Rayns Way, Syston, Leicester LE7 1PF

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Inspectors

Lydia Isaac, Social Care Inspector Dean Wilton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Compass Fostering West 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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