Flying Colours Foster Care

Inspection report for independent fostering agency - monitoring visit: Flying Colours Foster Care 1 Flying Colours Foster Care

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Park View Business Centre, Combermere, Whitchurch, Shropshire SY13 4AL

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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 foster carers, who live in England and Wales, provide long-term and short-term care. At the time of this inspection, the fostering agency was providing placements for six children living in six fostering households.

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This monitoring visit

In October 2024, Ofsted undertook a full inspection at Flying Colours Foster Care. Serious and widespread shortfalls were identified, and the agency was judged as inadequate. Compliance notices were issued in respect of Regulations 8, 17 and 20.

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This monitoring visit

On 17 December 2024, Ofsted undertook this monitoring visit to review the steps taken to meet the compliance notices and to bring about improvement.

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This monitoring visit

Although some progress has been made, shortfalls remain in the leadership and management of the agency.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager does not have the appropriate management qualification. This shortfall was first identified in 2017, but the manager has failed to take the required action. Furthermore, this has not been addressed by the responsible individual.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have created an action plan to show how they would make the necessary improvements to leadership and management; however, they have failed to fully implement it. For example, changes to managers’ monitoring are planned, but they have yet to be introduced. Inspection report for independent fostering agency - monitoring visit: Flying Colours Foster Care 2 The manager was not able to demonstrate a good understanding of the agency and some current issues happening with carers and children. This does not give Ofsted confidence in the effectiveness of the monitoring and oversight that the manager has.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual has not demonstrated that they have improved their oversight of the agency. No changes have been made to their level of involvement with monitoring and oversight of the management of the service. When this is considered alongside the manager’s lack of monitoring, it leaves the agency vulnerable because of the continued shortfalls in leadership and management.

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This monitoring visit

Some action has been taken to ensure that foster carers have completed essential training, and this work is ongoing. Since the full inspection, most of the foster carers have completed medication training, and they were due to attend first-aid training the day after this inspection. However, important training remains outstanding for some foster carers. For example, one foster carer has still not completed safeguarding training, and another has not completed medication training, even though they care for a child with complex needs. Risk is mitigated for this child because of the involvement of health professionals in the child’s care. However, it is not clear how managers have assured themselves that all foster carers have the necessary skills to provide safe care for children.

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This monitoring visit

Foster carers’ training records still do not provide a full overview of the training courses completed and those that are outstanding. Leaders and managers do not recognise the importance of foster carers’ professional development. Although action is being taken to update foster carers’ personal development plans, these plans were being updated without input from the foster carers, and only training that has been completed is recorded. Foster carers’ training and development is not routinely discussed or recorded at supervision visits, and suggested and requested training is not incorporated into the plan. This is a missed opportunity to monitor and promote foster carers’ development.

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This monitoring visit

Action has been taken to update the agency’s policies and distribute these to staff and foster carers. Some of the policies reviewed do not contain enough guidance for foster carers to follow. For example, the missing-from-care policy lacks information about what action is required when a child returns home following a missing-from- home episode. The manager did not recognise his responsibility to provide such advice and has made the assumption that foster carers would know what to do. Managers have not ensured that foster carers have robust guidance about keeping children safe.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have still not implemented a system to monitor the receipt of children’s statutory care documents or escalate with children’s placing authorities if these are not received. Some documents were missing from children’s records but then were later found by the administrator. The manager lacked awareness of what documents Inspection report for independent fostering agency - monitoring visit: Flying Colours Foster Care 3 were present and what was outstanding. He has not kept records of important conversations with foster carers or the supervising social worker. As a result, important information relating to children is not readily available and is not being used to inform the care of children.

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This monitoring visit

Some recruitment checks for two staff members remain outstanding, and managers were unable to provide evidence that this shortfall has been addressed. Neither the manager nor the responsible individual has taken steps to refresh and improve their knowledge about safer recruitment because they believe this to be unnecessary. Continued shortfalls in safer recruitment reflect a lack of acknowledgement and understanding by managers about their responsibilities in this area.

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This monitoring visit

Although there are several issues that managers still need to address, progress has been made in some areas.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have appointed a new panel chair who is currently waiting for recruitment checks. This will allow the agency to fulfil its panel function effectively.

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This monitoring visit

Most foster carers are receiving good support from their supervising social worker. This good support has helped one family to manage a child’s complex needs. In addition, when a child had to move sooner than anticipated, this situation was managed with care and consideration. This meant that the child experienced a positive ending and was well prepared for their move to a new foster placement.

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This monitoring visit

Although some improvement has been made, the leadership and management of the agency remain a concern. The effectiveness of leadership and management has not been judged good since the agency was registered in 2011 and is currently judged as being inadequate. Repeated requirements have been raised since 2017, and compliance notices issued after the last full inspection have not been met. As a result, a new compliance notice has been raised again for Regulation 8, which incorporates outstanding actions from the previous inspection. Adherence to these will be monitored through inspection in due course.

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This monitoring visit

Requirements under Regulations 4, 11, 21, 23, 27 and 28 that were raised at the full inspection have not been reviewed at this monitoring visit and will be reviewed at the next inspection. All other requirements are repeated. Inspection report for independent fostering agency - monitoring visit: Flying Colours Foster Care 4

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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 with 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, and

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Requirement Due date

notify the Chief Inspector of any such revision within 28 days. (Regulation 4 (a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 31 January 2025

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Requirement Due date

A person is not fit to manage a fostering agency unless that person—

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Requirement Due date

having regard to the size of the fostering agency, its statement of purpose, and the numbers and needs of the children placed by it—

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Requirement Due date

has the qualifications, skills and experience necessary for managing the fostering agency. (Regulation 7 (2)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager having the recognised management qualification and skills to manage the fostering agency.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is repeated. 21 April 2025

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Requirement Due date

The fostering service provider must provide foster parents with such training, advice, information and support, including support outside office hours, as appears necessary in the interests of children placed with them.

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Requirement Due date

The fostering service provider must take all reasonable steps to ensure that foster parents are familiar with, and act in accordance with the policies established in accordance with regulations 12(1) and 13(1) and (3). 21 April 2025 Inspection report for independent fostering agency - monitoring visit: Flying Colours Foster Care 5 The fostering service provider must ensure that, in relation to any child placed or to be placed with a foster parent, the foster parent is given such information, which is kept up to date, as to enable him to provide appropriate care for the child, and in particular that each foster parent is provided with a copy of the most recent version of the child’s care plan provided to the fostering service provider under regulation 6(3)(d) of the Care Planning Regulations. (Regulation 17 (1) (2) (3))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is repeated. The fostering service provider must not—

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Requirement Due date

employ a person to work for the purposes of the fostering service unless that person is fit to do so, or allow a person to whom paragraph (2) applies, to work for the purposes of the fostering service unless that person is fit to do so.

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Requirement Due date

This paragraph applies to any person who is employed, other than by the fostering service provider, in a position in which that person may in the course of their duties have regular contact with children placed by the fostering service.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (1), a person is not fit to work for the purposes of a fostering service unless that person—

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Requirement Due date

has the qualifications, skills and experience necessary for the work they are to perform,

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Requirement Due date

is physically and mentally fit for the work they are to perform, and full and satisfactory information is available in relation to that person in respect of each of the matters specified in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

The fostering service provider must take reasonable steps to ensure that any person working for a fostering service who is not employed by the fostering service, and to whom paragraph (2) does not apply, is appropriately supervised while carrying out their duties. (Regulation 20 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(b)(c) (4))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is repeated. 21 April 2025 Inspection report for independent fostering agency - monitoring visit: Flying Colours Foster Care 6 The fostering service provider must review the approval of each foster parent in accordance with this regulation.

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Requirement Due date

A review must take place not more than a year after approval, and thereafter whenever the fostering service provider consider it necessary, but at intervals of not more than a year. (Regulation 28 (1) (2))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 31 January 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain a system for—

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Requirement Due date

monitoring the matters set out in Schedule 6 at appropriate intervals, and

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Requirement Due date

improving the quality of foster care provided by the fostering agency.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must provide the Chief Inspector with a written report in respect of any review conducted for the purposes of paragraph (1) and, on request, to any local authority.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (1) must provide for consultation with foster parents, children placed with foster parents, and their placing authority (unless, in the case of a fostering agency which is a voluntary organisation, it is also the placing authority). (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b)(2)(3))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to having effective monitoring systems in place. It also relates to completing a monitoring report at regular intervals and sharing this with Ofsted. It also relates to ensuring that the monitoring report contains consultation from stakeholders.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is repeated. 21 April 2025

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Requirement Due date

*The registered provider and the registered manager must, having regard to—

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Requirement Due date

the size of the fostering agency, its statement of purpose, and the numbers and needs of the children placed by the fostering agency, and 21 April 2025 Inspection report for independent fostering agency - monitoring visit: Flying Colours Foster Care 7 the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of the children placed by the fostering agency,

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Requirement Due date

carry on or manage the fostering agency (as the case may be) with sufficient care, competence and skill.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

where the registered provider is an organisation, the responsible individual,

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Requirement Due date

undertakes, from time to time, such training as is appropriate to ensure that they have the experience and skills necessary for carrying on the fostering agency.

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Requirement Due date

The registered manager must undertake from time to time such training as is appropriate to ensure that they have the experience and skills necessary for managing the fostering agency. (Regulation 8 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b) (3))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to leaders and managers understanding their roles and carrying them out effectively.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and repeated.

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Requirement Due date

The fostering service provider must ensure that all persons employed by them—

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Requirement Due date

receive appropriate training, supervision and appraisal, and

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Requirement Due date

are enabled from to time to time to obtain further qualifications appropriate to the work they perform. (Regulation 21 (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 31 January 2025

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (5), the fostering service provider must constitute one or more fostering panels, as necessary, to perform the functions of a fostering panel under these Regulations, and must appoint panel members including—

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Requirement Due date

one or two persons who may act as chair if the person appointed to chair the panel is absent or that office is vacant ("the vice chairs") 31 January 2025 Inspection report for independent fostering agency - monitoring visit: Flying Colours Foster Care 8 from the persons on the central list.

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Requirement Due date

The fostering service provider must ensure that the fostering panel has sufficient members, and that individual members have between them the experience and expertise necessary, to effectively discharge the functions of the panel.

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Requirement Due date

A fostering panel may be constituted jointly by any two or more fostering service providers, in which case the appointment of members must be made by agreement between the fostering service providers. (Regulation 23 (4)(ii) (5))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

A fostering service provider must, in deciding whether to approve X as a foster parent and as to the terms of any approval, take into account the recommendation of the fostering panel.

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Requirement Due date

No member of the fostering panel may take part in any decision made by a fostering service provider under paragraph (3). (Regulation 27 (3) (4))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 31 January 2025

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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

the welfare of children placed or to be placed with foster parents is safeguarded and promoted at all times, and

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Requirement Due date

before making any decision affecting a child placed or to be placed with a foster 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. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 31 January 2025 Inspection report for independent fostering agency - monitoring visit: Flying Colours Foster Care 9 *These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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 agency - monitoring visit: Flying Colours Foster Care 10

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider: Flying Colours Foster Care Limited

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider address: Park View Business Centre, Combermere, Whitchurch, Shropshire SY13 4AL

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Inspectors

Vicky Smith, Social Care Inspector Jackie Line, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for independent fostering agency - monitoring visit: Flying Colours Foster Care 11 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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