Lika Family Fostering

Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Lika Family Fostering 1 Lika Family Fostering Lika Family Fostering Limited

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Battersea Business Centre, Unit 120, 99–109 Lavender Hill, London SW11 5QL

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this independent fostering agency

Lika Family Fostering Limited is an independent fostering agency that provides a range of foster care placements, including emergency, short-term, long-term, ‘staying put’ and respite and care for disabled children.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2025. The manager is suitably qualified and an experienced systemic social worker.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

At the time of this inspection, the agency had 33 approved fostering households providing care for 27 children. Several young adults continue to live with their foster families under staying put arrangements.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The independent fostering agency provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the independent fostering agency contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Lika Family Fostering 2

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Summary of findings

Children experience stable, nurturing lives in families where they feel safe, valued and loved. Children are cared for by foster carers who understand their individual needs and have high aspirations for their futures. Children develop confidence, resilience and a strong sense of belonging.

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Summary of findings

Children say that they feel safe living in their foster homes. Leaders, managers and supervising social workers know every child and foster family exceptionally well. This ensures that children and their foster carers receive bespoke support. When concerns are identified relating to children’s safety, these are responded to quickly.

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Summary of findings

Leaders and managers create a positive and reflective culture. They effectively embed a systemic and relationship-based approach in practice. High-quality training for staff and foster carers and strong coordinated practice helps to ensure that children receive excellent care.

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outstanding

Children develop trusting relationships with their foster carers and supervising social workers, who understand their individual histories, their strengths and their vulnerabilities. As a result, children make excellent progress and experience a strong sense of belonging within their foster families.

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outstanding

The systemic and relationship-based approach which underpins the support offered is evident throughout children’s experiences. Foster carers understand the impact of trauma and provide nurturing, therapeutic support. They are unwavering in their commitment and the care they provide.

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outstanding

Children benefit from highly individualised care that is tailored to their needs, interests and ambitions. Foster carers reflect carefully on how children present and work alongside supervising social workers to adapt their approaches when difficulties arise. Everyone strives to respond to children with patience, consistency, curiosity and empathy.

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outstanding

Foster carers and supervising social workers work creatively to help children enjoy opportunities that enrich their lives and build their confidence. This includes supporting university and career aspirations, promoting independence and engaging children in community activities and clubs. Children enjoy holidays in the UK and abroad, including holidays to Canada, the USA and Jamaica with their foster families. Annual events such as summer camps, picnics and trips strengthen relationships between children, foster carers and staff working in the agency. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Lika Family Fostering 3 Children spend time with people who are important to them. Staff and foster carers work tirelessly to keep brothers and sisters living together. One child who is not living with their sisters has regular overnight stays with them and has enjoyed valued time together on a family holiday. Several young people remain living with

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outstanding

their foster carers through staying put arrangements. Children who move to independent living continue to maintain positive relationships with their former foster carers. These enduring and purposeful relationships provide children with a strong sense of permanence and belonging. This in turn helps them to develop the confidence and skills needed for adult life.

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outstanding

Children’s education and future aspirations are given high priority. All school-age children are in education. Children make great progress; their achievements, no matter how small, are recognised and celebrated. Foster carers routinely share children’s successes, milestones and certificates with professionals and family members, building on individual children’s self-esteem.

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outstanding

Children make significant progress in relation to their health and personal development. Some children exceed the expectations of professionals involved in their care. One child who was nonverbal when they moved to live with their foster carers is now communicating with great confidence. Another child, who has complex health needs, has made remarkable physical progress, becoming mobile and no longer requiring oxygen support. These achievements reflect the persistence, skill and advocacy of foster carers, working alongside health professionals.

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outstanding

Children have an extremely positive view about their support and contribute to the staffing and activity arrangements at the agency. Children have input into the design of the children’s guide and interview questions for staff and foster carers. Children help to organise the annual camping trip, which the director and the responsible individual attends.

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outstanding

Recording across the agency is thoughtful and child centred. Children’s records capture not only significant events but also the ordinary experiences that shape childhood. Daily records celebrate children’s achievements, interests and relationships, helping to build meaningful accounts of their lives. Foster carers review record, however children’s plans do not consistently reflect children’s views and contributions. This limits the regulator in being assured that they fully consider children’s views in their care planning.

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outstanding

When children experience uncertainty or difficulties, the staff team and foster carers work relentlessly to maintain stability. When placements come under pressure, the agency responds proactively by bringing together the professional network, increasing support and challenging partner agencies where necessary. This determined approach has enabled children to remain in stable placements despite significant challenges. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Lika Family Fostering 4

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outstanding

Children say that they feel safe living with their foster carers. They have trusting relationships with the people who care for them and know who to speak to if they are worried. Children are confident because they are listened to and their concerns are acted on and taken seriously.

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outstanding

Risks to children are well understood and managed effectively. Individual risk assessments and safer caring plans are kept current and reflective of children’s changing needs. Foster carers receive high-quality training in therapeutic parenting and positive behaviour support. This, alongside regular discussions with their supervising social workers, helps them to understand the impact of trauma and respond sensitively to children’s emotional needs. As a result, children receive consistent, well-planned, trauma-informed care that helps keep them safe.

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outstanding

Safeguarding concerns for children that require external professional intervention are rare. When concerns do arise, they are recognised, reported and responded to promptly. Children receive timely, coordinated support that keeps them safe and reduces the risk of harm.

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outstanding

Children rarely go missing from their foster homes. If they do or if contextual risks outside the home are identified, these are managed promptly. Leaders respond proactively, bringing together the professional network to coordinate plans that reduce harm and maintain placement stability.

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outstanding

Children benefit from the agency’s strong partnership working with placing authorities, local authority designated officers and other professionals such as advocates, youth justice workers and mental health practitioners. Professionals consistently describe communication as timely, open and collaborative. Leaders and managers provide appropriate challenge to partner agencies when necessary to ensure that children receive the support and protection they need, while continuing to support foster carers throughout safeguarding processes.

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outstanding

Strong safeguarding oversight, regular supervision and a highly reflective culture underpin safeguarding practice. Leaders and managers continually review safeguarding activity, learn from incidents and welcome professional challenge to strengthen practice. Foster carers feel well supported to safeguard children effectively, and children are protected by carers and social workers who understand risk, work well together and remain relentlessly focused on their safety and welfare.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers create a culture in which children remain at the centre of every aspect of the agency’s work. Staff, foster carers and external professionals have a consistent view that the agency is authentic in its values and unwavering in its commitment to children. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Lika Family Fostering 5 The agency is led by an experienced and committed registered manager. They are supported by an experienced, stable and dedicated leadership team and supervising social workers. Together, they create a highly child-centred organisation where systemic, relationship-based practice is firmly embedded and consistently informs decision-making.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers develop strong and constructive relationships with placing authorities, host authorities and a wide range of partner agencies. Professionals respect leaders and managers because they combine effective partnership working with confident professional challenge. There are multiple examples where leaders have persistently challenged local authorities to secure services, resources and timely decisions that were in children’s best interests. External professionals described this challenge as constructive, well evidenced and consistently focused on improving outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff feel exceptionally well supported, valued and professionally challenged. Leaders create an open and reflective culture in which learning is prioritised. Fortnightly team meetings and regular supervision provide opportunities for staff to reflect on practice, celebrate success and learn from their experiences. Leaders and managers encourage staff to share ideas, question practice and learn together without fear of blame. This reflective culture strengthens professional curiosity and contributes to continuous improvement across the agency.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Foster carers spoke very positively about their experience. They are respected members of the professional team whose opinions are valued and listened to. Leaders and managers are approachable and accessible and provide clear lines of accountability to ensure that foster carers know where to seek advice and guidance when they need it.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The fostering agency appoints fostering ambassadors who offer support to foster carers. This encourages strong relationships between carers, which is at the heart of the agency’s philosophy.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Training is a significant strength of the fostering agency. Leaders and managers have developed an extensive programme which reflects the agency’s systemic and therapeutic model of care. Prospective foster carers complete an enhanced 5-day preparation programme, extending beyond the standard national programme to include systemic approaches and therapeutic parenting. This provides carers with the foundations for understanding trauma, attachment and relationship-based care before they begin fostering. Ongoing learning is carefully tailored to carers’ experience and development, enabling them to develop their therapeutic skills as they progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Quality assurance arrangements are effective and continually evolve. A new electronic recording system has significantly improved the consistency, quality and accessibility of records, providing managers with stronger oversight of practice and clearer monitoring systems. Records are well organised, allowing for thorough management scrutiny. Leaders and managers recognise that there remains some Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Lika Family Fostering 6 variation in the recording of supervising social worker visits and are committed to embedding the system further to improve this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

External professionals consistently expressed exceptionally high levels of confidence in the fostering agency. The agency decision-maker, independent reviewing officer and panel chair all described leaders as reflective, responsive and committed to continual improvement. They praised the quality of assessments, annual reviews and panel documentation and reported that independent scrutiny is welcomed and acted on.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The combination of stable leadership, highly reflective practice, strong professional relationships and unwavering commitment to children has created a culture where children, foster carers and staff thrive. Leaders continually strive to improve an already high-quality service and ensure that children consistently receive thoughtful, ambitious and individualised care. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Lika Family Fostering 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that opportunities for children to communicate their views on all aspects of their care and support are clearly documented in their plans. (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 26.2)  The registered person should ensure that supervision records clearly record whether the visit took place in person or remotely, who was present and the children’s views. (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 26.2)

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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: Lika Family Fostering 8

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider: Lika Family Fostering Ltd

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider address: Battersea Business Centre, Unit 120, 99–109 Lavender Hill, London SW11 5QL

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Independent fostering agency details

Email address: enquiries@likafamilyfostering.co.uk

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Inspector

Matilda Clode, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for independent fostering agency: Lika Family Fostering 9 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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