DMR Services Limited

Inspection report for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: DMR Services Limited 1 DMR Services Limited D M R Services, 102 Queslett Road East, Sutton Coldfield B74 2EZ

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this independent fostering agency

DMR Services Limited is a small, independent fostering agency. It was registered in November 2017. According to its statement of purpose, the agency offers a range of placement types, including emergency, respite and short-break placements, parent and child placements, as well as short-term and long-term placements.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

At the time of the inspection, the agency was supporting three fostering households, which were providing care to two children.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2017. She submitted a voluntary cancellation of her registration on 30 June 2025.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

Date of previous inspection: 18 March 2024

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted carried out a monitoring visit to review the agency’s management arrangements following the departure of the registered manager. The purpose of the visit was to assess whether the registered provider had implemented effective leadership arrangements to ensure continuity of care and the safeguarding of children.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, there has been a change in the ownership of the agency. The previous responsible individual left the agency in July 2025. The registered provider has appointed a new responsible individual. At the time of this visit, Ofsted was in the process of assessing whether the newly appointed individual has the appropriate capacity, experience and skills required for the role. Inspection report for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: DMR Services Limited 2 The registered manager has continued to provide support to foster carers during the recent organisational changes. Foster carers value her support and describe her as ‘amazing’. They are naturally anxious about her departure and the support they will receive going forward. Despite this, the registered provider has not communicated effectively with carers regarding future support arrangements, leading to uncertainty and concern among foster carers.

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This monitoring visit

Children have lived with their foster carers for several years. They are settled and making good progress. One child’s social worker spoke positively about the care the child receives and the support provided by the registered manager. However, the social worker raised concerns about the registered provider, specifically regarding the lack of communication about changes within the agency and the impact on the child.

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This monitoring visit

The registered provider has not recruited a permanent manager. Interim management arrangements are insufficient and lack the capacity to provide effective oversight. As a result, there are concerns about the oversight of safeguarding practices and the continuity of support for children and their foster carers.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual is due to assume day-to-day responsibility for the agency. However, they do not possess the necessary qualifications, skills or knowledge to oversee the effective functioning of the agency, to support foster carers, or safeguard the welfare of children. During the inspection, the responsible individual was unable to demonstrate a sufficient understanding of the fostering regulations and national minimum standards. This raises serious concerns about their capacity to manage and provide appropriate oversight of the agency.

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This monitoring visit

The registered provider has failed to recruit a supervising social worker. In their absence, the provider stated that the panel chair would be responsible for supervising foster carers. This arrangement is inappropriate and does not meet regulatory requirements, raising serious concerns about the quality and consistency of support provided to foster carers. However, during the visit, the panel chair resigned from their role.

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This monitoring visit

There is currently no agency decision-maker. They resigned with immediate effect during the inspection visit, meaning the agency is no longer able to carry out regulated activities such as the approval, review, or termination of foster carers’ approval.

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This monitoring visit

The previous recommendations were not reviewed during this monitoring visits. Therefore, they will be reinstated. Inspection report for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: DMR Services Limited 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 with the given timescales.

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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, 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 individual, that person,

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

where the registered provider is a partnership, one of the partners, 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. (Regulation 8 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)) 12 November 2025

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Requirement Due date

The fostering service provider must ensure that there is a sufficient number of suitably qualified, competent and experienced persons working for the purposes of the fostering service, having regard to—

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Requirement Due date

the size of the fostering service, its statement of purpose, and the numbers and needs of the children placed by it, and

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Requirement Due date

the need to safeguard and promote the health and welfare of children placed with foster parents. (Regulation 19 (a)(b)) 12 November 2025 Inspection report for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: DMR Services Limited 4 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. (Regulation 27 (3)) 12 November 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children’s safety and welfare are promoted in all fostering placements. In particular, the registered person must ensure that safer care plans provide clear guidance to foster carers to address the vulnerabilities identified. (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 4.1)  The registered person should regularly monitor all records kept by the service to ensure compliance with the service’s policies, to 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 visit. In particular, managers should record their oversight to show the actions that have been taken to improve the quality of care. (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 25.2)  The registered person should ensure that information about the child is recorded clearly and in a way that will be helpful to the child when they access their files

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Recommendations

now or in the future. Children are actively encouraged to read their files, other than necessarily confidential or third-party information, and to correct errors and add personal statements. In particular, daily records received from foster carers should reflect how they have helped and supported the child. (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 26.6)

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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: DMR Services Limited 5

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider address: D M R Services, 102 Queslett Road East, Sutton Coldfield, B74 2EZ

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Inspectors

Lydia Isaac, Social Care Inspector Vicky Smith, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: DMR Services Limited 6 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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