Thrive Fostering Ltd

Inspection report for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Thrive Fostering Ltd 1 Thrive Fostering Limited 1-9 St. Anns Road, Harrow HA1 1LQ

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Registered provider: Thrive Fostering Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this independent fostering agency

Thrive Fostering Limited is an independent fostering agency based in Harrow, North London. It provides emergency, respite, short-term and long-term placements. At the time of this monitoring visit, the agency had 10 approved fostering households and was providing care for 9 children.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

The fostering service and the manager have been registered with Ofsted since March 2025. The registered manager was not present for the monitoring visit. The responsible individual was present throughout.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

Date of previous inspection: 2 March 2026

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This monitoring visit

On 2 to 6 March 2026, a full inspection of the fostering service was carried out. The provider was judged inadequate. As a result, two compliance notices were issued. These were issued under Regulation 35, ‘Review of quality of care’ and Regulation 8, ‘Registered person – general requirements’ of the Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was carried out to review the progress made by the provider in meeting the conditions of the compliance notices and other concerns highlighted since the previous inspection.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers ensure that they consistently request children’s care plans from the local authority. Where these are not obtained, the request is escalated to local authority senior managers. In the absence of care plans, staff devise interim care plans based on information available on referral forms. Interim care plans require some attention, as not all plans are completed comprehensively. This is also Inspection report for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Thrive Fostering Ltd 2 found to be the case for some children’s risk assessments, which are of a poor quality.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have developed systems to support them monitor compliance with children’s care plans and children’s progress. Managers complete regular file reviews and discuss the progress children are making in management meetings, team meetings and in individual staff and foster carer supervision. Staff speak with children to gain their view of the progress they feel they have made, and staff similarly obtain the views of children’s professional networks.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have revised the fostering agency’s matching /suitability tool to highlight how decisions have been made in determining the best foster care match for children. The document prompts staff to identify any additional support needs or gaps in meeting children’s needs and how these are to be met.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have systems in place to ensure the effective review and quality assurance of foster carer assessments. Additional appointments to the management team include two consultants and a quality assurance officer, which has increased the governance and oversight of the fostering service.

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This monitoring visit

A consultant experienced in the fostering field is responsible for and is completing the quality assurance of all foster carer assessments. This includes the routine review of draft assessments with the consultant providing clear feedback, highlighting strengths of the assessment and areas identified for improvement. Assessors now receive supervision and external training focused on the completion of high-quality foster carer assessments. These measures are in place to improve the quality of foster carer assessments presented to the fostering panel.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has recruited a suitably qualified and experienced panel adviser to support the work of the fostering panel. This is to ensure that panel members benefit from the panel adviser’s advice and guidance in making recommendations about the suitability of prospective foster carers and the continued suitability of foster carers already approved by the agency.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have recruited additional panel members to the fostering agency’s central list to enhance the level of expertise of the fostering panel. Panel members have received training to enhance their understanding of their roles and responsibilities, and that of the agency’s decision-maker. Leaders have also recruited a second agency decision-maker. Leaders are making arrangements for all panel members and agency decision-makers to attend relevant external training to support and inform their practice around the function of the fostering panel.

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This monitoring visit

The monitoring visit reviewed the provider’s response to concerns raised by a local authority about the quality of care provided by a foster carer. The subsequent standard of care investigation is yet to be completed. However, the provider demonstrates that appropriate action has been taken thus far to address most of the concerns highlighted. Inspection report for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Thrive Fostering Ltd 3 The monitoring visit also reviewed a complaint made by the foster carer subject to the ongoing standard of care investigation. The provider demonstrates that, thus far, appropriate action has been taken to address key issues highlighted in the complaint.

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This monitoring visit

The compliance notices under Regulation 35 and Regulation 8 are judged to be met.

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This monitoring visit

The requirements made at the assurance visit were out of the scope of this monitoring visit and will be reviewed at the next inspection. Inspection report for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Thrive Fostering Ltd 4

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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 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. (Regulation 11 (a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that staff complete and make available comprehensive, up-to-date interim care plans and risk assessments. Foster carers must consistently complete and share their daily logs with staff. 1 July 2026

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (1), a person is not fit to work for the purposes of a fostering service unless that person—

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Requirement Due date

has the qualifications, skills and experience necessary for the work they are to perform,

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Requirement Due date

and full and satisfactory information is available in relation to that person in respect of each of the matters specified in Schedule 1. (Regulation 20 (3)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that all required recruitment information is received, all required checks are completed and that this can be clearly evidenced. 1 July 2026

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Requirement Due date

keep under review and, where appropriate, revise the statement of purpose and children’s guide,

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Requirement Due date

notify the Chief Inspector of any such revision within 28 days. (Regulation 4 (a)(b)) 1 July 2026

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Requirement Due date

The fostering service provider must ensure that all persons employed by them— 1 July 2026 Inspection report for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Thrive Fostering Ltd 5 receive appropriate training, supervision and appraisal. (Regulation 21 (4)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that staff, including the registered manager and assessing social workers, receive regular supervision.

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Requirement Due date

Where the fostering service provider have obtained all the information set out in paragraph (1A) and have not given the notification in paragraph (1B) within 10 working days of doing so, the fostering service provider must, subject to paragraph (3)—

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Requirement Due date

obtain the information specified in Part 2 of Schedule 3 relating to X and other members of X’s household and any other information they consider relevant,

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Requirement Due date

consider whether X is suitable to be a foster parent and whether X’s household is suitable for any child,

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Requirement Due date

prepare a written report on X which includes the following matters—

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Requirement Due date

the information required by Schedule 3 and any other information the fostering service provider consider relevant,

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Requirement Due date

the fostering service provider’s assessment of X’s suitability to be a foster parent, and

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Requirement Due date

the fostering service provider’s proposals about any terms of approval, and

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Requirement Due date

notify X that the case is to be referred to the fostering panel, and give X a copy of the report prepared under subparagraph (c) inviting X to send any observations in writing to the fostering service provider within 10 working days beginning with the date on which the notification is sent. (Regulation 26 (2)(a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that all relevant information is shared with the fostering panel so that it is aware when pre-set conditions for carer approval are met, or not met, so that it can make fully informed recommendations. The registered provider must also ensure that assessments presented to panel are of a good quality. 1 July 2026 Inspection report for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Thrive Fostering Ltd 6 If a fostering service provider decide to approve X as a foster parent they must—

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Requirement Due date

give X notice in writing specifying any terms on which the approval is given, and

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Requirement Due date

enter into a written agreement with X covering the matters specified in Schedule 5 (the "foster care agreement"). (Regulation 27 (5)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must have a system in place so that they know when carers are notified in writing when they are approved to care for children, the conditions of those approvals and confirmation these are included in foster care agreements. 1 July 2026

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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 for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Thrive Fostering Ltd 7

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider: Thrive Fostering Limited

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider address: 111 Watlingate Unit 1, 297-303 Edgware Road, London NW9 6NB

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Independent fostering agency details

Email address: sarahokae@thrivefostering.com

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Inspectors

Sandra Jacobs-Walls, Social Care Inspector Becky Fisher, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Thrive Fostering Ltd 8 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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