Kasper

Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Kasper 1 Kasper Kasper Limited Kasper Fostering, 79 Nelson Road, Whitstable, Kent CT5 1DX Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this independent fostering agency

This is a privately owned, not-for-profit fostering service that has been in operation since 1997. The service currently has 44 children placed in 41 fostering households. It provides a range of fostering placements for children from birth to 18 years. In addition, 'staying put' arrangements are in place for young people to remain with carers beyond their 18th birthday.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 31 October 2025.

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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

Date of last inspection: 19 February 2024

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Kasper 2

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Summary of findings

Children experience nurturing, stable foster homes where therapeutic care is well embedded. They feel safe, are listened to and make good progress. Foster carers advocate strongly for children's identity needs and are well supported through reflective supervision, training and regular contact. Safeguarding practice is generally strong, though some risk-identification shortfalls require learning. Leadership is effective, with a new manager strengthening oversight, staff development and service structure. Recruitment, supervision and quality assurance are robust. A lack of diversity on the fostering panel limits breadth of perspective, but, overall, the agency ensures that children receive stable, good-quality care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive nurture through stable and therapeutic foster homes. Foster carers offer loving, consistent care and are deeply committed to helping children heal, grow and thrive. Children describe the agency as feeling 'like family', and they benefit from warm, attuned relationships with carers who embody therapeutic parenting.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive direct therapeutic support that improves their wellbeing, alongside timely workshops such as internet-safety sessions delivered co-productively with young people. Training for carers embeds trauma-informed practice, ensuring that children receive thoughtful and insightful care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The secure-base model of care underpins the agency's culture and practice. However, the departure of a director in late 2025 has created uncertainty for some staff and carers, and succession planning now needs strengthening to ensure long-term stability for the agency.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Foster carers advocate strongly for children, particularly in meeting their cultural and identity needs. Inclusivity is promoted well. For example, additional allowances are provided to foster carers to ensure that children's hair and skin are nourished appropriately, in line with both health and cultural needs. Children exploring their gender identity are supported sensitively and at their own pace.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children's voices are heard and acted upon because of the trusting relationships they have with staff and carers. Agency events help children build friendships, strengthen connections with carers and staff and support positive respite arrangements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children's achievements are celebrated, including through annual reward ceremonies that build confidence and pride. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Kasper 3

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

Placement stability is good, and the agency undertakes extensive work to reduce both the likelihood and impact of unplanned placement endings.

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

Children say that they feel safe. The strong, trusting relationships they build with their carers support open and transparent discussions. However, there have been shortfalls in identifying risks and implementing clear plans to manage them. One relates to online safety, and one relates to a historical disclosure. Managers have confirmed that they will review both cases and use any learning to inform future practice.

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

The agency's proactive approach to multidisciplinary working ensures that risks are addressed in line with children's care plans. Foster carers support children to take age-appropriate risks and learn from them, helping them navigate everyday life with confidence.

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

Allegations are managed effectively and without delay. Recording is thorough, learning is identified, and training is delivered to strengthen future practice. Strong management oversight prevents drift and ensures timely decision-making. Standards of care are monitored rigorously, with evidence of challenge, reflection and increased managerial oversight driving improvements.

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

Safer recruitment processes are methodical, with all required checks completed and recorded, ensuring that children are cared for by suitable adults.

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

Training for foster carers is well organised and comprehensive. Carers speak positively about the agency's approach, including monthly supervision in the family home. Regular, reflective supervision and well-attended support groups help identify early signs of placement strain or carer fatigue, enabling swift intervention.

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

Unannounced visits to foster carers are completed in line with policy, providing assurance that children's homes are safe. Information is shared appropriately and promptly, ensuring that safeguarding practice is well informed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The introduction of the new registered manager has had a clear and positive impact on the agency. Her experienced and steady leadership has enabled a restructure of the staff team, which has homed in on individual's interests, talents and prospects for career development, while continuing to drive improvement and bolster management oversight across the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel valued, well supported and proud to work for the agency. Foster carers echoed this, consistently praising the quality of support and communication. Carers are treated as professionals and encouraged to develop their skills through comprehensive mandatory and bespoke training. Reflective supervision and support groups provide tailored guidance and help carers feel confident and connected. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Kasper 4 Staff receive regular, good-quality supervision that considers children's progress, safeguarding and professional development. Consultation with children, foster carers, staff and stakeholders informs ongoing development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Assessments of prospective carers are thorough and have been strengthened by rigorous quality assurance, additional home visits and learning from previous assessments.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The agency is receptive to panel advice and the agency decision-maker's insights. However, the fostering panel lacks diversity in culture, gender and professional background, which limits the breadth of perspectives available during decision-making.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Regular events for children and carers contribute to the agency's strong family feel and support placement stability.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Through dedicated and tenacious leadership, the agency provides good-quality care and secures long-term, stable placements for children. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Kasper 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that where the service, for any reason, cannot adequately and consistently maintain provision that complies with regulations or national minimum standards, an effective plan is established and implemented either to rectify the situation or to close down the service. In particular, there should be a succession plan in place should the sole director be unable to maintain the provision. ('Fostering services: national minimum standards', 18.3)  The registered person should regularly monitor all records kept by the service to ensure compliance with the service's policies, to identify any concerns about specific incidents and to identify patterns and trends. In particular, the monitoring of internet use of children in the foster carer's home. ('Fostering services: national minimum standards', 25.2)  The registered person should ensure that the number, skills, knowledge and

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Recommendations

experience of persons on the central list are sufficient to enable the fostering service to constitute panels that are equipped to make competent recommendations to the fostering service provider, taking into account the nature of the children and carers that the service caters for. The current panel lacks diversity in terms of the cultural heritage, gender and specialism of panel members. ('Fostering services: national minimum standards', 14.8)

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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: Kasper 6

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider address: 79 Nelson Road, Whitstable, Kent CT5 1DX

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Independent fostering agency details

Email address: jacquiwestwood@kasperfostering.org

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Inspectors

Emma Haskell, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Shaheda Dhandia, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Kasper 7 inspects 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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Inspectors

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