Amber Fostering

Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Amber Fostering 1 Amber Fostering Amber Fostering Ltd Suite 310, Olympic House, 28–42 Clements Road, Ilford IG1 1BA Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this independent fostering agency

Amber Fostering Limited is an independent fostering agency based in north-east London which provides foster care placements in London, Luton and Bedfordshire, Birmingham and Lincolnshire. The agency offers a wide range of placements, including short- and long-term, respite, parent and child, unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors, for children who have disabilities, and sibling groups. Some young adults are living in ‘staying put’ arrangements.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

At time of the inspection, the agency was providing foster care to 69 children in 51 fostering households.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

The inspector was aware during this inspection that a serious incident had occurred since the last inspection, and this was under investigation by the appropriate authorities. While Ofsted does not have the power to investigate incidents of this kind, actions taken by the agency in response to the incident were considered (where appropriate) alongside other evidence available at the time of the inspection to inform inspector’s judgements.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The independent fostering agency provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 7 November 2022

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Amber Fostering 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make sustained progress with their education, health and emotional well- being. Foster carers understand the needs of the children they look after and provide consistent and structured care. They support children to spend time with their friends and family and to celebrate their achievements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children develop trusting relationships with their foster carers. They feel confident to talk to them if they have any concerns or are worried about something.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Several children have achieved stability after previously experiencing placement breakdowns. Older children remain with their foster carers under staying put arrangements, developing independence and life skills. Two young adults told the inspector that remaining with their foster carers post-18 was their choice and that they feel settled, cared for and part of the family.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Foster carers have supported children to return to their family, offered short breaks and prepared children to move to adoptive placements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Placement stability has been variable for a small number of children. Some have moved to other foster carers described as a better match, whether for cultural, geographical or support reasons. These moves caused disruption and uncertainty. Leaders have strengthened their oversight of placement decisions and improved referral, matching and training processes to reduce further disruption. However, there is not yet a monitoring system in place to review placement breakdowns and evaluate whether these changes are having the intended impact.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s voices are central to the agency’s work. Their wishes and feelings are gathered through meetings with supervising social workers, input into safer care plans, feedback for foster carer reviews and involvement in activities. A new participation plan has recently been introduced and will strengthen how children’s and foster carers’ views inform future service development. The Amber Stars initiative recognises and celebrates the achievements of foster carers and children, which are celebrated monthly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have opportunities to take part in a wide range of activities, including trips to the seaside, sports days, horse riding, gymnastics and community events. This helps promote enjoyment, friendship and social development. Many of the children have struck up friendships with one another and meet with their foster carers to go on activities or out for a meal.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and foster carers place an emphasis on belonging and inclusion. Birthdays and cultural events are celebrated with enthusiasm, reflecting a community that values everyone. Foster carers work hard to promote children’s cultural heritage and there have been a number of successful cross-cultural placements. The agency has made efforts to support unaccompanied asylum-seeking children by matching them with Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Amber Fostering 3 carers or peers who share their cultural background. These actions strengthen relationships, promote identity and create a sense of belonging.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children live in foster carers homes where they feel safe, valued and understood. The leadership team promotes a culture of openness and accountability. Children are not at risk of offending behaviour, gang affiliation, substance misuse, self-harm or going missing from home. When these risks do occur, children and foster carers receive timely support and guidance to help them manage the associated risks.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Safeguarding practice across the agency is strong and proactive. Risks are clearly identified, understood and effectively managed. Supervising social workers maintain close oversight with regular visits to the placement, ensuring that risk assessments and safe care plans are in place. Children contribute to their own child-friendly safe care plans. This helps them understand how they are kept safe and what to do if they feel worried. This promotes trust and helps children feel part of the decision- making process.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff are working with a group of experienced foster carers to extend their skills and provide additional support. The registered manager and the newly appointed therapeutic lead have worked together to upskill foster carers through targeted training and reflective practice. Foster carers receive regular guidance on trauma- informed care, emotional regulation, recognising signs of harm, exploitation or radicalisation. As a result, carers demonstrate greater confidence in managing risk and supporting children who have experienced trauma or instability.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

While this has strengthened confidence and practice, some specialist training remains reactive and is only delivered once a child is placed. This means that foster carers are not always fully equipped in advance to meet the specific needs of children, such as unaccompanied asylum seekers, those in cross-cultural placements or young people at risk of exploitation.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The fostering service has strong and effective working partnerships with other agencies. These include children’s social workers, health professionals, education staff and the police. One local authority commissioning officer described practice as ‘exemplary’ in terms of the planning for one child’s move to a new foster carer under difficult circumstances. These collaborative relationships promote a coordinated approach to safeguarding and help to ensure that children receive the right support at the right time.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff are safely recruited, with all necessary checks completed before they work with children. Allegations and incidents are investigated promptly, and learning is shared to improve practice. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Amber Fostering 4

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, the agency has grown significantly, leading to a well- considered restructuring of its leadership and staffing arrangements. A suitably qualified and experienced registered manager is now in post, with the former manager assuming the role of responsible individual. They are supported by an experienced and committed practice manager, who knows the foster carers and children extremely well. This restructure has provided the agency with a stronger sense of direction and a clear focus on upskilling and supporting foster carers to meet the needs of children. Leaders recognise that with growth comes the need to strengthen internal systems, particularly around recording to ensure a robust oversight of practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Over the last year, additional supervising social workers have joined the team, strengthening the agency’s capacity to support its growing number of foster carers. Two new supervising social workers and an independent reviewing officer are due to start full-time positions. Leaders use reflective supervision, effective caseload management and a strong culture of quality assurance through regular supervision and team meetings. Supervising social workers report that their caseloads are manageable and that they feel well supported in their roles. Foster carers describe feeling well supported and valued.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have taken steps to strengthen training consistency. The training programme includes trauma-informed care, attachment, safeguarding and specialist courses, with enhanced carers accessing monthly reflective and therapeutic sessions. Documentation, including the Fostering Handbook are being aligned to ensure clarity for the foster carers regarding training.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The fostering panel operates in a structured, collaborative and well-organised manner. It is chaired by an experienced and committed chairperson, who provides strong leadership and direction. Panel members bring a range of professional expertise and demonstrate balanced, well-informed decision-making. Meetings are held monthly, with reports circulated in advance, allowing for thorough preparation and scrutiny. This ensures that approval and review decisions are consistent and of a good standard.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Foster carers are reviewed at panel in their first and third years of approval, providing robust monitoring and assurance of ongoing suitability. Foster carers are encouraged to attend panel meetings, which are constructive and reflective in tone. Supervising social workers are invited to shadow panels to deepen their understanding of the process and expectations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A number of variations have been made within foster carers’ first year of approval. Records do not consistently demonstrate that foster carers had developed the skills or resilience required for increased capacity, or that feedback had been sought from supervising or placing social workers. Suitability assessments and consideration of Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Amber Fostering 5 the impact on existing children were also missing. Of the six capacity increases reviewed, four did not result in successful outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers know and understand the service’s strengths and areas for development. They recognise the need for a better understanding of placement endings and variations in first-year placements to inform future planning and matching. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Amber Fostering 6

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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 review the approval of each foster parent in accordance with this regulation.

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Requirement Due date

When undertaking a review, the fostering service provider must make such enquiries and obtain such information as it considers necessary in order to review whether the foster parent and household continue to be suitable to foster children, and whether the terms of the approval remain appropriate.

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Requirement Due date

The fostering service provider must review the approval of each foster parent if it considers it necessary, having regard to any change of circumstances of the foster parent.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 28 (1) (3) (5)) 30 December 2025

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Requirement Due date

The fostering service provider must maintain a case record for each foster parent approved by the fostering service provider, and for each child placed with a foster parent by the fostering service provider.

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Requirement Due date

The record for each foster parent must include—

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Requirement Due date

details of each placement made with the foster parent and, where any placement has been terminated, the reason for the termination;

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Requirement Due date

The record for each child placed with a foster parent must include the date on which the placement began and, if it has ended, the reason for its termination;

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Requirement Due date

information relating to the child’s care plan, placement plan and any reviews of the child’s case; and

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Requirement Due date

any other information the fostering service provider considers appropriate. 30 January 2026 Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Amber Fostering 7 The fostering service provider must ensure that entries in records are made as soon as practicable after the event to which they relate;

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Requirement Due date

signed and dated by the person making the entry; and kept up to date.

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Requirement Due date

Regulation 38 (1) (2)(c) (3)(c)(d)(e) (4)(a)(b)(c))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure support and training is made available to foster carers, including hard-to-reach carers, to assist them in meeting the specific needs of the children they are caring for or are expected to care for where possible in advance of the child being placed. In particular, when children are at risk of exploitation, young unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and children with additional learning needs. (Fostering services: national minimum standards, 20.8)

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Information about this inspection

The inspector has 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: Amber Fostering 8

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider: Amber Fostering Ltd

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider address: Suite 310, Olympic House, 28–42 Clements Road, Ilford IG1 1BA

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Independent fostering agency details

Email address: I.ilyasi@amberfostering.co.uk

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Inspector

Matilda Clode, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Amber Fostering 9 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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