Futures for Children North East Limited

Inspection report template for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Foster Care Solutions 1 Foster Care Solutions 8 Lumley Court, Drum Industrial Estate, Chester Lee Street, County Durham DH2 1AN

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Registered provider: Foster Care Solutions Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this independent fostering agency

Foster Care Solutions is an independent fostering agency based in County Durham. It registered with Ofsted in July 2010 and the manager registered with Ofsted in April 2020. It is part of the Futures for Children group, whose head office is in Maidstone, Kent.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

Foster Care Solutions provides placements on an emergency, respite, short-term and long-term basis, including parent and child placements. At the time of the monitoring visit, the agency had 26 fostering households providing care for 31 children and young people.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

Date of previous inspection: 14 October 2024

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to seek assurances from the agency regarding its response to safeguarding notifications previously submitted to Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

During the visit, inspectors spoke with the registered manager and sampled records. No serious or widespread concerns were identified.

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This monitoring visit

The manager and supervising social workers work effectively with other safeguarding professionals to share concerns about children. This joint approach supports decision-making and helps decide whether children can safely remain with their current carers. When needed, action is taken to move children to alternative carers, ensuring that their safety and welfare is maintained. On one occasion, a Inspection report template for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Foster Care Solutions 2 delay from a carer reporting an incident resulted in a delayed response from the agency and safeguarding partners. This has been addressed with the carer through training and support to prevent this happening again. The agency has out-of-hours support, and carers have been reminded of how and when to use it.

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This monitoring visit

Allegations are taken seriously and managed through safeguarding procedures. Carers are well supported through the allegation process and can access counselling if needed. This provides valuable emotional and practical support during challenging periods and promotes their wellbeing. The manager seeks advice from safeguarding professionals and responds appropriately to concerns. However, the manager did not record informal discussions with staff, which left an unclear decision-making trail.

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This monitoring visit

The manager creates meaningful opportunities for reflection and learning. This has improved the agency’s ability to learn from safeguarding incidents and improve practice. A more thorough approach has been introduced for carers who have rescue pets, with specialist behavioural assessments to be arranged in future, ensuring children’s safety when there are pets in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Carers receive safeguarding training within agreed timescales, helping them to meet fostering standards. Their understanding of roles and responsibilities is supported through regular supervision sessions, conversations and visits.

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This monitoring visit

Supervising social workers complete both planned and unannounced visits to ensure that children are safe, settled and well cared for. The frequency of visits reflects the needs of children and carers.

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This monitoring visit

Carer reviews provide a balanced reflection of carers’ strengths and areas of challenge, including feedback from a range of professionals. This allows the agency to maintain good oversight of the ongoing suitability of carers. Reviews are presented to the agency decision-maker in a timely manner, supporting comprehensive decision-making.

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This monitoring visit

The requirement and recommendations issued at the last inspection were not reviewed as part of this visit and have been restated. One new recommendation from this visit has been raised. Inspection report template for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Foster Care Solutions 3

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Statutory requirement

This section sets out the actions that the registered person must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, The Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011 and the national minimum standards. The registered person must comply with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person in respect of an independent fostering agency must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

the welfare of children placed or to be placed with foster parents is safeguarded and promoted at all times, and

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Requirement Due date

before making any decision affecting a child placed or to be placed with a foster parent due consideration is given. (Regulation 11 (a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must consider National Minimum Standards 11.2, 15.1 and 15.2. 30 June 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered provider should ensure that each foster carer is aware of all the necessary information available to the fostering service about a child's circumstances, including any significant recent events, to help the foster carer understand and predict the child's needs and behaviours and support the child within their household. The fostering service follows up with the responsible authority where all such necessary information has not been provided by the authority. In particular, to develop an effective escalation policy referring to the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review Regulations 2010 when contacting the placing authority and if necessary escalate the matter to the Director of Children's Services. (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 3.9)  The registered provider should ensure that a clear and comprehensive summary of any allegations made against a particular member of the

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Recommendations

fostering household, or staff member, including details of how the allegation was followed up and resolved, a record of any action taken and the decisions reached, is kept on the person's confidential file. In particular, the manager should record informal discussions that help with decision making. (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 22.7). Inspection report template for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Foster Care Solutions 4  The registered provider should ensure that the management of the service ensures that all staff's work and all fostering activity is consistent with the 2011 Regulations and NMS and with the service's policies and procedures (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 25.3)  The registered provider should ensure that staff, volunteers, panel members and fostering households understand the nature of records maintained and follow the service's policy. There is a system in place to monitor the quality

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Recommendations

and adequacy of record keeping and take action when needed. (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 26.2)  The registered provider should ensure that records, entries, decisions and reasons for them, are legible, clearly expressed, non-stigmatising, distinguish between fact, opinion and third-party information and are signed and dated. Information about the child is recorded clearly and in a way which will be helpful to the child when they access their files 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. (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 26.5 and 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 template for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Foster Care Solutions 5

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider: Foster Care Solutions Limited

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Independent fostering agency details

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

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Independent fostering agency details

Responsible individual: Nicholas Barnsby

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Inspectors

Miriam Dolman, Social Care Inspector (lead) Cat Makel, Social Care Inspector Inspection report template for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Foster Care Solutions 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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