Fusion Fostering South East

Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Fusion Fostering South East 1 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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Fusion Fostering South East Fusion Fostering Limited Office 29, The Cobalt Building, 1600 Eureka Park, Lower Pemberton, Ashford, Kent TN25 4BF Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this independent fostering agency

This is a small independent fostering agency based in the southeast of England. It covers a large geographical area. At the time of the inspection, the agency had 26 foster families caring for 38 children. It currently offers one parent and child placement.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since July 2024.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Fusion Fostering South East 2 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Long-term stability is a key focus for this agency. There are a stable staff team and a consistent cohort of foster carers, both of which supports the ongoing stability of children. This is reflected in the high number of children who are living under long- term arrangements. Children are supported to live alongside their siblings whenever possible, including those from larger sibling groups, helping them to maintain relationships with those important to them. Foster carers are supported to understand ‘staying put’ agreements, which has enabled several young people to remain with their foster families beyond the age of 18.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s moves are well supported, and they are helped to understand what will happen and what to expect. The children’s guides contain the required information and are adapted and personalised to meet individual needs, ensuring that they remain accessible to all children within the service. When children move on, foster carers and staff work hard to manage this as positively as possible for children. The manager promotes reflection and learning from any unplanned endings when these do occur, to help improve future practice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children say they are happy with their foster carers and feel safe in their care. Foster carers talk positively and fondly about the children and are proud of their progress and achievements. They provide children with attuned care and positive experiences, including access to clubs, activities and holidays. These provide social opportunities and help create lasting, positive memories.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s culture and identity are well supported. The agency is diverse, and differences are celebrated. Some children live with foster carers who share their culture. One child is supported to maintain their secondary language by attending a weekly culturally appropriate youth club. This approach has also helped to develop relationships with birth families.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The parent and child placement is effective. Foster carers and staff work effectively with the placing social worker and the child’s parent to ensure that the child’s needs are met. As a result, the parent is given the best opportunity to grow and demonstrate their parenting abilities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to access education and learning that are appropriate for their needs and plans. When children are not in school, the agency explores alternative learning options for them. One child is currently receiving support to apply for university.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some children have diagnosed learning disabilities and/or health needs. These are well understood, carefully responded to and met. Agency staff have advocated for one child to access further assessments to ensure that her needs are fully understood and subsequently supported into adulthood. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Fusion Fostering South East 3 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s involvement in the wider agency is currently limited; participation is a recognised area for further development by managers.

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

Children say they feel safe. They are seen by staff in the agency regularly, which has helped them build positive relationships with additional trusted adults. Some children have been supported through targeted direct work, training and workshops to help them better understand and manage risk. Foster carers are provided with tailored training in response to any new or emerging risks related to children they are caring for. This educative approach supports children to stay safe.

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

When children go missing, staff and foster carers follow the missing processes. They actively look for children and promptly contact partner agencies to ensure that children return at the earliest opportunity.

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

Complaints in this agency are rare. When they do occur, they are handled effectively and clear outcomes are shared with the complainant.

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

The fostering panel consists of appropriately qualified and experienced members who are equipped to make recommendations in the best interests of children. The agency decision-maker provides clarity, scrutiny and oversight of decision ‑ making. Information and reports are submitted within required timescales, enabling decisions to be timely and well informed. When concerns regarding foster carers are identified, internal investigations and standards of care reports are completed, and carers are returned to panel for a review of their approval.

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

Serious incidents remain low, which reflects the stability and longevity of children’s placements. When incidents of concern do occur, they are addressed swiftly by the manager, and foster carers report they feel well supported. Information-sharing between the agency, placing authorities and the local authority designated officer provides an additional layer of external scrutiny. Practice in the agency does not demonstrate a risk-averse approach; the agency is currently supporting some high- risk complex situations. The agency is working in partnership with external professionals in decision-making, ensuring it remains child focused and making concerted attempts to reduce these risks. The manager has not consistently ensured that safeguarding notifications are submitted to the regulator; however, this shortfall has not had any direct negative effect on children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is suitably experienced. She is present across the agency and understands the functions of the service. She is clear on the agency strengths and can demonstrate good awareness of areas of development. There is a clear plan in place to further progress and improve the agency, with key priorities including the development of independence processes and an increased focus on participation for both foster carers and children. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Fusion Fostering South East 4 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Foster carers describe good levels of communication and support. This reflects low caseloads of supervising social workers and stability of allocated workers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say they are well supported and feel valued by managers and colleagues. Staff are mostly up to date with their mandatory training, and the manager maintains effective oversight to ensure that any delays are addressed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Case records are well maintained. Foster carer recordings are written directly to children in a child ‑ centred way, supporting children’s understanding of their journey.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

External professionals, including placing authority staff (social workers and team managers), commissioners and placement teams, report effective working relationships, joined-up practice and high levels of communication. They describe the agency and foster carers as dedicated to the children in their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The agency is striving to be a learning organisation, and a recent team away day on reflective safeguarding was well received by staff. This demonstrates the emerging culture and ethos being led by the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Records of supervisions of both staff and foster carers do not always show professional curiosity, reflection or appropriate challenge. On occasion, supervisions were taking place virtually and durations and actions were not always clear. Where there are long-term supervisory relationships, agency expectations regarding professional boundaries had not been consistently upheld.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Although the manager completes regular quality of care reports, these have not been routinely submitted to the regulator, which affects the regulator’s ability to maintain effective oversight. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Fusion Fostering South East 5 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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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 registered person must ensure that if any of the events listed in column 1 of the table in Schedule 7 takes place in relation to a fostering agency, the registered person must without delay notify the persons or bodies indicated in respect of the event in column 2 of the table.

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Requirement Due date

Any notification made in accordance with this regulation which is given orally must be confirmed in writing. (Regulation 36 (1) (2)) 31 March 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the views of children are taken into account in developing the fostering service. (Fostering services: national minimum standards, 1.7)  The registered person should ensure that each approved foster carer is supervised by a social worker who has meetings with the foster carer and that these meetings have a clear purpose and provide the opportunity to supervise the foster carer’s work and ensure the foster carer is meeting the child’s needs. (Fostering services: national minimum standards, 21.8)  The registered person should ensure a written record is kept by the fostering service detailing the length of each supervision held for each member of staff, including the registered person. (Fostering services: national minimum standards, 24.5)  The registered person should ensure that all records kept by the service are regularly monitored to ensure compliance with the service’s policies, to identify

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Recommendations

any concerns about specific incidents and to identify patterns and trends. In particular, they should ensure that reviews of the quality of care are routinely submitted to the Chief Inspector. (Fostering services: national minimum standards, 25.2) Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Fusion Fostering South East 6 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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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: Fusion Fostering South East 7 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider: Fusion Fostering Limited

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider address: Old Mill, Maltravers House, Petters Way, Yeovil, Somerset BA20 1SH

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Independent fostering agency details

Email address: mbarker@fusionfostering.co.uk

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Inspector

Cassie Martin, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Fusion Fostering South East 8 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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Inspector

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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