Foster Care Matters

Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Foster Care Matters 1 Foster Care Matters Foster Care Matters 14 Liverpool Road, Chester CH2 1AE Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this independent fostering agency

Foster Care Matters is an independent fostering agency. It was registered with Ofsted in May 2024.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

The agency offers a range of foster placements, including long-term, short-term, respite and emergency placements for children.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

At the time of this inspection, the agency had 4 approved fostering households, 2 of whom were providing care to 2 children.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2024.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

This inspection involved both on-site and off-site inspection activity. Inspection activity included speaking with managers, supervising social workers, foster carers and other professionals.

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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 outstanding

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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: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Foster Care Matters 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The agency is highly child and family focused. Staff support foster carers to provide high-quality nurturing and individualised care to children. Five children have lived with foster carers since the agency was registered. Three children have moved on, and although their moves were unplanned, staff worked effectively with other agencies to ensure that children and foster carers were appropriately supported.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The two children who moved in with their new foster families several months ago are starting to make progress in all areas of their lives. They live in settled, loving and stable homes with foster carers who receive excellent support, advice and training. This provides foster carers with the skills and knowledge to meet the children’s needs. Foster carers are starting to form trusting relationships with children, which enhances children’s progress and sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to move in with their new foster family in a planned way. Thorough and careful consideration is given to which foster carers can meet the needs of each individual child. Decisions to match children with their foster carers are made using comprehensive and relevant information.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to maintain strong and positive relationships with people who are important to them. Staff help foster carers to organise and transport children to spend time with family members. This means opportunities for children to maintain significant relationships are not missed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support foster carers to use therapeutic parenting techniques for the benefit of children in their care. Foster carers also have access to specialist therapeutic support from the agency’s in-house therapy service. This helps foster carers to use therapeutic responses when they are struggling to understand and manage children’s behaviour. Foster carers attend a therapeutic parenting course as part of their induction training programme.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Foster carers who are new to the role are made to feel very welcome and prepared. They say they feel valued and listened to. Assessments are carried out within timescales and with sensitivity and respect. One foster carer, who joined the agency last year, described the agency’s approach as ‘amazing’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The agency has developed positive and highly effective working relationships with other professionals for the benefit of children. When decisions are made that may not be in the child’s best interests, these are respectfully but confidently challenged and escalated when necessary. One social worker said she is ‘incredibly grateful’ to the agency and the fosters carers for the ‘very child-centred and therapeutic care’ provided to the child in their care. She described their commitment and communication as ‘great’. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Foster Care Matters 3

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

The agency promotes a strong safeguarding culture. Staff provide training and regular support to foster carers in subjects that help to keep children safe. Foster carers value the training on offer; they say it is interesting and useful to them.

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

Children have clear and individualised safe care plans in place. They outline identified risks and what action foster carers can take to help them keep children safe. Children’s positive behaviour is promoted. Knowledgeable and experienced staff provide foster carers with strategies to support children safely and meet their individual needs.

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

Supervising social workers have an in-depth knowledge of the children and their foster carers. They are in regular contact with foster carers and provide a high level of professional and child-centred support. Feedback from foster carers about the staff and the agency was overwhelmingly positive. One foster carer described the support as ‘absolutely brilliant’ and another as ‘great’.

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

There have been no significant safeguarding incidents or complaints.

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

Children’s care records are extremely child friendly, comprehensive and provide children with information about their day-to-day lives and decision-making. They are written to them, and with care and consideration to help children understand their experiences when they access them now or in adulthood.

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

Children are provided with a children’s guide written by the agency, which gives them information about who to contact if they need to make a complaint or are worried. The guides are colourful and age appropriate.

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

The fostering panel and agency decision-maker (ADM) provide robust independent scrutiny to approvals of foster carers. Any gaps identified in assessments are raised and addressed with any learning used to further develop practice in the agency.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is inspirational, child centred and highly experienced. She knows the foster carers and the staff incredibly well and is a strong advocate for them. The manager leads by example and instils a culture of high expectation and ambition. She is held in high regard by the foster carers, staff and other professionals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is supported by a highly experienced leadership team, whose members meet regularly to discuss and reflect on practice. There is an incredibly strong and open culture of learning in the agency. Reflection and development are embedded throughout their practice, and points of learning are shared with staff, panel and the wider agency to ensure continued improvement and development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff thoroughly enjoy working in the agency and are proud and enthusiastic about the services they provide, and the progress children make. The staff team is highly Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Foster Care Matters 4 experienced and committed to their roles. They work positively and proactively together, and with other professionals, to ensure that children are provided with consistently high levels of care and foster carers receive consistently high levels of support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff benefit from regular supervision sessions and ad hoc opportunities to seek support and reflect on their practice. Appraisals usually take place annually by a suitably qualified person. However, one did not take place for the manager within timescales. This had been identified prior to the inspection taking place and action taken. It has not negatively impacted on the quality of work undertaken by the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The agency benefits from having a highly experienced panel chair and vice-chair. The ADM has a wealth of knowledge and skills, which they apply effectively to their role. ADM decisions are very thorough and provide a clear rationale for decision- making. Foster carers are made to feel extremely welcome at panel and feedback from them about their experiences at panel is overwhelmingly positive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Management oversight of the agency is excellent. The manager is highly organised and has effective systems and routines in place to ensure that she is fully aware of the agency’s strengths and areas of challenge. The management team creates a culture of positivity, creativity and excitement for continued improvement, learning and growth. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Foster Care Matters 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure suitable arrangements are in place for them to have their performance individually and formally appraised at least annually. (Fostering services: national minimum standards: 24.6)

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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: Foster Care Matters 6

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider: Foster Care Matters

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider address: Foster Care Matters, 14 Liverpool Road, Chester CH2 1AE

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Independent fostering agency details

Email address: karen.palfreyman@fostercarematters.org.uk

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Inspector

Zillah Brooks, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Foster Care Matters 7 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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