Fostering Together - for children with disabilities

Inspection report - monitoring: Fostering Together - for children with disabilities 1 Fostering Together - for children with disabilities

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The Old Granary, Penstock Hall Farm, Canterbury Road, Ashford, Kent TN25 5LL

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this independent fostering agency

This agency has been registered with Ofsted since August 2020.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

The agency offers short- and long-term fostering for children with disabilities and complex, life-limiting medical needs. There are currently 35 fostering households, with 38 children placed with foster carers.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was carried out following the very sad, expected death of a child. Ofsted does not investigate incidents of this kind. The focus of this monitoring visit was the support provided to foster carers, children and staff, and the training and supervision of foster carers, alongside actions taken following the child’s death.

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This monitoring visit

Foster carers and staff receive good-quality support following the death of a child, including access to bereavement counsellors. Sensitive support has been provided to the foster carers following the recent death of a child and subsequent investigations. Other children in the home have also been provided with caring and thoughtful support.

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This monitoring visit

Foster carers receive regular, thorough, reflective and child-focused supervision. Foster carers and staff discuss training outcomes and developmental needs as part of their supervision. This ensures that foster carers develop their skills in parallel with children’s health and medical needs. This supports them with caring for children who may be on an end-of-life care plan and/or receiving palliative care. Inspection report - monitoring: Fostering Together - for children with disabilities 2 Foster carers benefit from a range of training opportunities. This enables them to provide well-informed care to children with complex needs. Foster carers complete bespoke training and are highly skilled in caring for children with disabilities and life- limiting illnesses.

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This monitoring visit

Children have positive experiences with their foster carers, participating in activities, doing things that they enjoy and benefiting from nurturing relationships. Foster carers provide attentive, caring support to the children and are compassionate and skilled, enabling the children to experience a wide range of activities, both in the home and in the local community. These include swimming, holidays and trips to the park.

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This monitoring visit

Children build positive relationships with other children in the family home and thoroughly enjoy the time they spend together. Some children have made progress since being placed in the same household, taking part in enjoyable activities that help them to build connections with each other.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers work effectively in partnership with families and the wider network when allegations occur. The agency follows its policy and procedures to ensure that investigations are carried out and that any actions identified are implemented. Standards of care investigations are thorough and meticulous. The subsequent ‘working together plan’ that is drawn up is a collaborative document designed to improve outcomes for children.

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This monitoring visit

The requirement and recommendations made at the last full inspection have not been reviewed as part of this visit and have therefore been restated with their original dates, where relevant. Inspection report - monitoring: Fostering Together - for children with disabilities 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

In considering what recommendation to make under paragraph (1), the fostering panel—

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Requirement Due date

must consider and take into account all of the information passed to it in accordance with regulation 26, 27 or 28 (as the case may be). (Regulation 25 (2)(a)) 24 August 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the agency has all records of the recruitment and suitability checks that have been carried out for foster carers and those working, including as volunteers, for the fostering service. (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 19.3)  The registered person should ensure that there are clear and effective procedures for monitoring and controlling the activities of the service. (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 25.1)  The registered person should ensure that investigations into allegations or suspicions of harm are handled fairly, quickly and consistently in a way that provides effective protection for the child and, at the same time, supports the person who is the subject of the allegation. The fostering service should follow the framework for managing cases of allegations of abuse against people who work with children as set out in ‘Working together to safeguard children’.

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Recommendations

(‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 22.9)  The registered person should ensure that all social workers and other specialists (such as medical, legal, educationalists, psychologists and therapists) are professionally qualified and, where applicable, registered by the appropriate professional body. They should be appropriately trained to work with children, their families and foster carers and have a good understanding of foster care and the policies and purpose of the fostering service. (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 23.4) Inspection report - monitoring: Fostering Together - for children with disabilities 4

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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 - monitoring: Fostering Together - for children with disabilities 5

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider: Fostering Together Ltd

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider address: The Old Granary, Penstock Hall Farm, Canterbury Road, Ashford, Kent TN25 5LL

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Inspector

Becky Fisher, Social Care Inspector Inspection report - monitoring: Fostering Together - for children with disabilities 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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