Flying Colours Foster Care

Inspection report template for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Flying Colours Foster Care Flying Colours Foster Care Park View Business Centre, Combermere, Whitchurch, Shropshire SY13 4AL

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Registered provider: Flying Colours Foster Care Limited

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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 provide long-term and short-term care for children. At the time of this inspection, the fostering agency had five fostering households and there are six children being cared for.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

Date of previous inspection: 14 October 2024

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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. 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

In December 2024, Ofsted undertook a monitoring visit to review the steps taken to meet the compliance notices. Sufficient progress had not been made to meet the compliance notices. As the shortfalls found were all attributable to poor leadership and management, one compliance notice in respect of regulation 8 was issued to incorporate several of the shortfalls.

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This monitoring visit

On 28 and 29 April 2025, Ofsted undertook a further monitoring visit to review the steps taken to meet the most recent compliance notice. Very little action had been taken to meet the compliance notice due to the manager prioritising other agency matters. The compliance notice was not met and was reissued again.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit is to review whether sufficient action had been taken to meet the compliance notice re-issued in April 2025. Inspectors found that no action has been taken to try to meet the compliance notice. The manager has focused his Inspection report template for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Flying Colours Foster Care priorities on other agency business and has not addressed any of the shortfalls set out in the compliance notice that has been issued three times.

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This monitoring visit

The management of the agency remains ineffective. Leaders and managers have not demonstrated that they have the skills or motivation to address the shortfalls raised. Despite developing an action plan to respond to the inadequate judgement, managers have not implemented this in full and fail to recognise that this is the case. This lack of understanding means there has been no attempt to implement the actions required to bring about improvement.

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This monitoring visit

The oversight of the agency by the responsible individual remains insufficient. There is no evidence that they have increased their involvement with the agency or that any additional monitoring is being completed. No support has been provided to the manager to address the shortfalls or to try to meet the compliance notice.

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This monitoring visit

Manager’s monitoring of the operation of the agency remains ineffective. Despite inspectors being informed by the manager that they complete regular audits, there was no evidence of this. The manager did not know how to access records when asked. This demonstrates that the manager does not have the skills required to ensure that the activity of the agency is audited.

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This monitoring visit

The agency’s recording systems are confusing. Paper records do not contain up-to- date information, due to the transfer of information onto a computer-based system. The administrator is maintaining online files but was not confident that records were up to date, as this relies on the manager and social worker advising her about changes. The manager was not able to access the records, which demonstrates that the current system is not working.

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This monitoring visit

The agency still does not have a functioning panel. There are insufficient panel members, and the panel chair is still on the central list even though they are no longer able to fulfil the role. The agency is unable to present any carers to panel for annual reviews, and as a result, some of these are now out of timescales. The manager was aware of this but had not taken any action to address it.

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This monitoring visit

No additional training has been completed about safer recruitment. The manager fails to recognise why this is needed but also cannot evidence that he has followed up on recruitment shortfalls identified at previous inspections. There is still no system in place for recording recruitment information. This demonstrates that they do not have the required knowledge or systems in place to safely recruit staff.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has still failed to enrol on the appropriate management course, and due to other priorities within the agency, he has no intention to do so. Inspection report template for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Flying Colours Foster Care

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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

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 September

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Requirement Due date

The fostering service provider must review the approval of each foster parent in accordance with this regulation. 21 September Inspection report template for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Flying Colours Foster Care 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.

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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

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Requirement Due date

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. In particular, 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 all essential information to enable them to provide appropriate care for the child. It also relates to ensuring that the responsible individual has effective oversight of the running of the agency and supports the manager to make the necessary improvements. In addition, it relates to the manager enrolling on the required management qualification. It also relates to the provider ensuring that there are systems in place for the 21 September Inspection report template for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Flying Colours Foster Care administration of the agency, together with monitoring of their effectiveness.

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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. 21 September

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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")

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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.

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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. (Regulation 23 (4)(ii) (5) (7))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 21 September

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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. 21 September Inspection report template for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Flying Colours Foster Care 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. It has not been reviewed as part of the monitoring visit. 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. It has not been reviewed as part of the monitoring visit. 21 September

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject of 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 template for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Flying Colours Foster Care

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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 Helen Dunn, Social Care Inspector Inspection report template for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Flying Colours Foster Care regulates and inspects 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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