Step by Step Fostering LTD

Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Step by Step Fostering LTD 1 Step by Step Fostering Ltd Step by Step Fostering Ltd 36 Crimea Road, Aldershot, Hampshire GU11 1UD Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this independent fostering agency

Step by Step Fostering Ltd registered with Ofsted in September 2023 and is a wholly owned trading subsidiary of the charity, Step by Step Partnership Ltd. It is a small agency based in Aldershot, Hampshire.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

The agency’s aim is to provide a range of placements, including short-term, long- term, respite and emergency placements.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

At the time of the inspection, two children were living in two fostering households.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2023.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The independent fostering agency is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Step by Step Fostering LTD 2

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improvement to be good

Children’s experiences of the care provided to them by their foster carers are mixed. Leaders and managers have sometimes failed to fully consider the foster carers’ capacity to meet the children’s needs before the children move in with them. On occasion they have failed to provide sufficient support when children move in. Children’s moves into foster homes have on occasion not been wholly positive. They have had inconsistent experiences ranging from long introductions to rushed moves. For example, one child moved into a carer’s home in an unplanned way, and initial introductions took place on the same day. This had not been the plan for this child. In another situation children were placed with new foster carers outside of the foster carer’s terms of approval without clear consideration. These shortfalls in matching children with their carer’s, along with sometimes poor planning of moves into the home and poor support for foster carers, have potentially led to premature and

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improvement to be good

unplanned moves. Carers or the agency have occasionally given immediate notice. As a result, some children have had to move on from their foster carers in an unplanned way. This does not help children to feel wanted or loved and potentially exposes them to another experience of feeling rejected.

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improvement to be good

Carers report positively about their experience of being assessed by the agency. However, assessment quality is variable. On one occasion some elements of the fostering assessment did not show suitable professional curiosity or clearly reflect the vulnerabilities of these carers.

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improvement to be good

Children’s health needs are understood, and carers have assisted children to attend important medical appointments. However, it is unclear what support children with additional health needs receive from their foster carers to manage these needs at home. One child needs daily medication and physiotherapy. However, it is unclear how the foster carer supports the child to understand the importance of engaging in their daily health plan routines to promote the child’s health and well-being.

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improvement to be good

Children’s case records are not helpful to children. Some foster carers’ records are sparse. They lack detail and empathy about the child’s life during the time they have been in their care. Due to poor recording, it is unclear how often the agency’s social workers visit the carers, and the quality of these visits cannot be determined. Furthermore, it is not clear if foster carers’ supervising social workers see the children to ensure that they are safe and well.

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improvement to be good

Some children make positive progress in their education and have been able to maintain their education in their school. The agency and carers are strong advocates for children when difficulties arise in education. For example, appropriate challenge was made to one school to keep a child’s school place open with extra support. As a result, this child remains engaged in education. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Step by Step Fostering LTD 3 Foster carers support children to undertake personal care routines and encourage them to try new things. One child is part of a school choir, and another child attends Scouts. These experiences help children to grow in confidence and learn new skills.

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improvement to be good

The manager does not maintain sufficient oversight to ensure that foster carers can keep children safe. The manager does not consistently ensure that all known risks to a child, and their vulnerabilities, are fully considered before the child moves in. Furthermore, the manager does not ensure that foster carers’ skills, knowledge and ability to keep the child safe from particular risks are considered.

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improvement to be good

Foster carers are clear about what processes to follow when a child goes missing. Police are notified appropriately when a child goes missing and when there are concerns about the child’s welfare.

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improvement to be good

The agency does not operate an emergency support system for children and their carers outside of normal office hours. Therefore, foster carers are unable to seek support from the agency at evenings and weekends if challenging or safeguarding situations occur in the fostering household. This has the potential to increase family stresses and risks safeguarding issues not being appropriately managed. The lack of out-of-hours support also raises the level of risk of children becoming criminalised unnecessarily.

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improvement to be good

The agency provides suitable preparatory training for prospective carers, which has helped carers to prepare for their fostering role. However, carers have not always been provided with specific training or support, for example in relation to criminal exploitation, to meet the needs of the children in their care. Additionally, carers have not had in-person first-aid training through the agency. This means that carers’ ability to respond to emergency situations is potentially undermined.

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improvement to be good

Children risk assessments and safer caring plans are generic and not unique to them or where they live. They do not contain all the known risks for the children, nor are they helpful to foster carers. The safer caring plans do not provide strategies for foster carers to follow to help them keep the children and others safe.

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good

While the manager seems keen to get things right, the agency is not yet providing effective levels of care and support for children or foster carers. The manager has had to immerse herself in the day-to-day activities of the agency, which has negatively affected her ability to provide the oversight that is required to manage this service. Consequently, areas of the service have been compromised, and the agency is not delivering the quality of service the manager aspires for. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Step by Step Fostering LTD 4 The manager has limited insight into the individual and group developmental needs of panel members. New panel members have not received induction training, and most panel members have yet to have the opportunity to attend a joint training day with the fostering service’s fostering staff.

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good

Foster carers have had children placed with them who have been outside their terms of approval. The manager has not always considered the terms of approval and the capacity of carers to meet the children’s needs. Shortfalls in decision-making has had a negative impact for some children and has resulted in disruption and children having to move.

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good

Carers do not a have a personal development plan, and their training and development needs are not discussed during supervision. There are missed opportunities to reflect on carers’ strengths and monitor their training and development needs.

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good

Records management systems are ineffective. Some records are missing or hard to locate. Records held about children do not clearly evidence the quality of work that is, or should be, taking place with children. These records are unlikely to be helpful for children to understand their life story should they wish to view them in the future.

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good

Fostering assessments on occasion do not indicate a good level of professional curiosity. For example, ex-partner checks have not always been carried out when the carer has had a significant relevant previous relationship. When these have not been carried out it is not always clear why, and how else the agency has sought further information to support the suitability decision.

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good

Feedback is not always sought from all relevant people, such as children’s social workers, for foster carers’ annual reviews. This is a missed opportunity to fully understand the quality of care, strengths and developmental needs of the carer.

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good

Professionals said that the manager works well in partnership with them, and they are happy with the level of care children receive from their carers. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Step by Step Fostering LTD 5

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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 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. (Regulation 17 (1))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure clear and effective systems for providing foster carers with out of office hours support. 1 July 2025

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Requirement Due date

If a fostering service provider decide to approve X as a foster parent they must—

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Requirement Due date

enter into a written agreement with X covering the matters specified in Schedule 5 (the “foster care agreement”). (Regulation 27 (5)(b)(Schedule 5)

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the foster care agreement should detail the support and training to be given to the foster parent. 1 July 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the service only suggests foster carers to local authorities as a potential match for a child if the foster carer can reasonably be expected to meet the child’s assessed needs and the impact of the placement on existing household members has been considered. Where gaps are identified, the service should work with the responsible authority to ensure that the placement plan sets out any additional training, resources or support required. (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 15.1)  The registered person should ensure that the service implements a proportionate approach to any risk assessment. (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 4.5)  The registered person should ensure that the written report on the person’s suitability to be approved as a foster carer sets out clearly all the necessary information for the fostering panel and decision-maker to make an objective

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Recommendations

approval decision. The reports should be accurate, up to date and include evidence-based information that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third- party information. The reports should be prepared, signed and dated by the social Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Step by Step Fostering LTD 6 worker who assessed the prospective foster carer and be countersigned and dated by the fostering team manager or a team manager of another of the provider’s fostering teams. (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 13.7)  The registered person should ensure that the reviews of foster carers’ approval are sufficiently thorough to assure the service of its carers’ ongoing suitability to foster. (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 13.8)  The registered person should ensure that staff, volunteers, panel members and fostering households understand the nature of records maintained and follow the

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Recommendations

service’s policy for the keeping and retention of files, managing confidential information and access to files (including files removed from the premises). There should be a system in place to monitor the quality and adequacy of record- keeping and action taken when needed. (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 26.2)  The registered person should ensure that the manager exercises effective leadership of the staff and operation, such that the service is organised, managed and staffed in a manner that delivers the best possible childcare that meets the individual needs of each fostered child and of foster carers. (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 17.5)

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Information about this inspection

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: Step by Step Fostering LTD 7

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider: Step by Step Fostering Ltd

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider address: 36 Crimea Road, Aldershot, Hampshire GU11 1UD

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Independent fostering agency details

Email address: fostering@stepbystep.org.uk

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Inspector

Karen Flanagan de Martinez, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Step by Step Fostering LTD 8 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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