Fostering Options

Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Fostering Options 1 Fostering Options Fostering Options Limited Hayfield Farm, Berry Lane, Aspley Guise, Milton Keynes MK17 8HS Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this independent fostering agency

This independent fostering agency was registered with Ofsted on 3 June 2005 and is part of a group of companies owned by Futures for Children. It can provide a range of foster placements, including emergency, bridging, respite, short-term, long-term, permanent, and parent and child placements.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

At the time of this inspection, the agency was supporting 11 fostering households and 18 children.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

The current manager registered with Ofsted in April 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: Fostering Options 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making very good progress in their foster homes because of committed and skilled foster carers who are very well supported by the agency. One foster carer commented, ‘The level of support we have received has had a huge role in helping us provide the best and most consistent care for our young people.’ Foster carers support children’s education, health and emotional wellbeing to a very high standard because they are good advocates for the children and are fully invested in wanting the best for them. One professional commented about a child, ‘They have come on in leaps and bounds,’ and another said, ‘They are truly flourishing.’ The agency recognises and celebrates children’s achievements, which boosts children’s self- confidence and sense of self-worth.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children feel loved. They feel part of the foster carers’ family and they benefit from positive experiences, such as going on holiday, joining clubs and taking part in various sporting and musical activities. One child said of their foster carers, ‘They really help me with my emotions,’ and another said, ‘They are really loving and caring and I am happy here.’ Foster carers love the children as they would their own, and as a result, there is a high level of placement stability. All but 2 of the children have lived with their foster carers for over a year, and half of the children for over 4 years. This helps children to build secure attachments and develop a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The agency is fully committed to supporting foster carers to continue to care for children if they are struggling, including identifying additional support from either the agency or other partners. One foster carer said, ‘I don’t think we could have continued fostering without their support.’ Another foster carer said, ‘The agency is accessible, responsive and professional, giving us practical advice and emotional support when challenges have come up.’ When children have to leave their foster homes, this is done in as planned a way as possible, and a post-placement reflections meeting is always held to identify any learning for the future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to become independent and learn the skills they need for the future. Foster carers and agency staff are fully involved in discussions and decisions about a child’s future, including ‘staying put’ arrangements or other alternatives, and it has developed useful resources, with the input of children, to help children when they move on to independence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Matching is well considered and takes account of the children’s needs and the carers’ capacity to meet them, and the success of this is borne out by placement stability. Children receive a welcome pack, a children’s guide and child-friendly information about the foster carers to help them settle.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are consulted about activities and other aspects of the agency, such as questions for staff recruitment and the fostering panel, how to contribute their own Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Fostering Options 3 views to foster carer reviews and the children’s welcome packs. The most effective way to encourage participation is under constant review because the agency recognises the importance of the child’s voice in all it does.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The agency has focused on improving children’s case records in the last year, so that they are more accessible to a child in terms of the language used. Carer logs are now more child focused and written in child-friendly, inclusive language so that they provide a positive account of a child’s experience in foster care, should they choose to access their records in the future.

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

Safeguarding is given a high priority in this agency. Children are happy, they feel safe and they have people they can talk to about any worries they may have, including the supervising social workers, who ensure they develop positive relationships with the children.

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

Children are generally very settled in their foster homes. Foster carers and the agency are very attuned to potential safeguarding risks and any concerns are fully explored. Foster carers have relevant and appropriate training as well as access to written guidance and good support, so they are able to manage and respond in the best interests of the child. When risks are identified, thorough and personalised risk assessments and safer care plans are updated so that guidance is relevant and up to date.

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

Children’s safety is further enhanced by 2 unannounced visits a year to the fostering household, one of which is carried out by a different supervising social worker where possible to provide an additional level of independence. Children are spoken to alone on a regular basis and any concerns raised are taken seriously and acted upon.

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

There have been very few instances of children going missing from their foster homes. However, when this has occurred, foster carers and the agency have responded quickly. Independent return home interviews are successfully requested so that the child has the opportunity to discuss the factors involved and receive the support needed to prevent a reoccurrence.

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

The agency has developed some good resources for children so that they can understand adults’ concerns about potential risk. This includes leaflets about healthy relationships, and useful worksheets for children and guides for carers about incel (involuntary celibacy) culture.

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

Foster carers parent in a therapeutic manner and demonstrate a strong understanding of children’s vulnerabilities and behaviours. They are skilled in safely managing risk and responding to children in ways that promote emotional regulation and security. Behaviour is supported through positive relationships, clear guidance and empathy. Carers also have access to psychotherapeutic support provided by the agency, which helps them understand and process their own emotional responses, Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Fostering Options 4 including compassion fatigue. This enables them to maintain resilience and continue providing safe, nurturing care.

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

If there are concerns or allegations about carers, the agency manages these well to ensure that children continue to be cared for by foster carers who are safe to do so. The local authority designated officer is consulted, an investigation is carried out, and an independent review is undertaken followed by consideration by the fostering panel to consider ongoing suitability.

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

Staff and panel members are recruited in line with safer recruitment guidance to ensure that they are suitable people to work with and have access to information about children. Although there has been no recent recruitment of foster carers, their statutory checks are updated regularly, along with any adult family members who support or live with them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers demonstrate a strong commitment to providing a service that enables children to reach their potential in safe, caring and loving foster families. Children are at the heart of the service and there is a strong focus on continuous development and improved practice. Leaders and managers know the children well and understand their progress and challenges.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team feels very well supported by accessible managers, regular, reflective supervision, good-quality training and team meetings. Their caseloads are manageable, which enables staff to be available to support foster carers when they need a prompt response.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a strong emphasis on reflection throughout the agency, which is supported by monthly staff reflective practice meetings, with occasional input from the psychotherapist, agency development days and registered managers’ meetings. These mechanisms feed into a strong improvement agenda. Currently, there is a clear focus on recruiting more foster carers, with the appointment of a marketing manager tasked to lead this development. Monitoring arrangements are well developed, with regular reporting to the responsible individual.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professional relationships with partner agencies are strong, and partners consistently speak highly of the supervising social workers. One professional remarked, ‘There is very good communication and lots of sharing of tasks, which is very helpful. It has been good working with them; they are helpful and supportive.’ Despite these positive relationships, the agency is confident in appropriately challenging partner organisations when necessary to ensure that the best interests of foster carers and children are upheld. The agency also has a clear and effective escalation policy, which has been successful in securing essential documentation relating to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Foster carers feel valued, consulted and respected. There is an annual formal foster carer consultation that is analysed and informs an action plan, although carers are Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Fostering Options 5 regularly consulted more informally throughout the year. In addition, carers meet with the assistant director annually, and they meet with the responsible individual at carer events. This ensures that they have additional avenues to voice any concerns they may have about the agency. They are kept informed of any developments through newsletters, meeting with the assistant director, social events, and supervision and support groups.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Foster carers benefit from regular, good-quality supervision and relevant training, which is identified in reviews and supervision to meet the needs of the children. The input of an independent psychotherapist is an invaluable resource, either through the individual support offered to carers and children, reflective group meetings or training. Foster carers speak highly of the support they receive. Comments include, ‘We couldn’t be better supported,’ and, ‘When we have had difficulties, knowing that they are there and understand and support us has made all the difference.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Annual reviews of foster carers are thorough and timely and carried out by a reviewing officer independent of the agency to increase the level of scrutiny and oversight.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The joint fostering panel provides a robust quality assurance function. It has a diverse membership, including people with a range of relevant personal and professional experience. Its scrutiny is child focused and the minutes of the meeting provide a clear rationale for the recommendations made. The agency decision-maker makes a timely, well-considered decision which is relayed to the foster carers in a very personalised and detailed letter. This enables foster carers to have a good understanding of why decisions have been made, particularly if their approval has been changed in any way.

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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: Fostering Options 6

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider: Fostering Options Limited

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider address: Futures for Children, The Master’s House, College Road, Maidstone, Kent ME15 6YQ

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Independent fostering agency details

Responsible individual: Nicholas Barnsby

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Independent fostering agency details

Email address: LauraGray@fostering-options.org

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Inspector

Rosemary Chapman, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Fostering Options 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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