Sparks Fostering

Inspection report template for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Sparks Fostering 1 Sparks Fostering Flat B4107, 9 Owen Street, Manchester, M15 4UG

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Registered provider: Social Work Enterprise Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this independent fostering agency

The agency registered with Ofsted in February 2023.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

The agency offers a range of foster placements, including respite, long-term, short term and parent and child arrangements.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

At the time of this monitoring visit, the agency was providing placements for 4 children and had 4 approved fostering households.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

The agency’s staff team is comprised of a responsible individual, registered manager, one supervising social worker and one family support worker.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

Date of previous inspection: 16 September 2024

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was undertaken in response to concerns notified to Ofsted regarding the agency’s management of incidents involving children. The purpose of the visit was to gain assurance that appropriate and timely actions had been taken by the manager and that children were being cared for safely. The manager engaged openly and cooperatively throughout the visit and provided relevant documentation. However, the monitoring visit identified shortfalls in risk management, matching, oversight and the level of support provided to foster carers.

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This monitoring visit

Risk assessments and matching processes are not sufficiently robust. One child with complex needs was placed with newly approved carers without full consideration of the known risks relating to the child’s behaviour. Key information about the child’s history, vulnerabilities and escalating behaviours was not consistently reflected in planning and documents. Matching documentation lacked essential detail and did Inspection report template for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Sparks Fostering 2 not clearly demonstrate how the carers’ skills and experience aligned with the child’s identified needs. The agency had known the child for a significant period as they had previously been placed with other carers registered with the agency for five months. Despite this, the agency’s knowledge of the child’s needs and reasons for their previous placement breaking down were not used to inform decision making. As a

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This monitoring visit

result, the carers were placed in a situation for which they were not adequately prepared to manage, increasing the potential risk to both the child and fostering household.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have failed to provide appropriate strategies to support carers in meeting the needs of children in their care. On one occasion, the registered manager advised carers to use restrictive practices in leaving the child in their garden which did not reflect child centred or nurturing care. Whilst leaders have attempted to strengthen guidance for carers following this incident, it still does not provide a clear policy for acceptable measures of control, restraint and discipline. Records regarding the incident do not demonstrate that alternative options were fully explored or that consideration was given to the emotional impact on the child. The practice had neither been risk assessed or authorised by the placing local authority.

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This monitoring visit

Care planning is not effective. Plans were not updated when the child moved to the new placement and carers were not provided with clear guidance on how to respond to known risks. This contributed to inconsistent decision ‑ making during the incident and limited the agency’s ability to ensure safe day to day care.

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This monitoring visit

The agency did not ensure that the carers completed additional training or were prepared to meet the child’s identified needs. Despite holding detailed information about the child’s escalating behaviour, no child ‑ specific or behaviour management training had been completed by the carers. While the carers believed during their assessment that they were able to meet a range of needs, they were not fully equipped to respond to the level of complexity presented. This had the potential to adversely impact the quality and safety of care provided.

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This monitoring visit

The decision to use the carers as a temporary holding placement following the child’s previous placement ending did not demonstrate child ‑ centred practice or effective oversight. The carers were due to take on the care of two additional sibling children imminently, yet there is no evidence that consideration was given to the impact of the incident on the carers’ emotional capacity, the safety and wellbeing of their own child or the suitability of the forthcoming placement. This lack of consideration increased the potential for adverse outcomes for several children.

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This monitoring visit

At the time of the monitoring visit the agency were, rightly, investigating issues arising from the shortfall in care provided to children placed with foster carers after a previous unsuccessful placement. The second placement also ended with the carers giving immediate notice. This raises concerns regarding the carers capacity to provide safe and appropriate care, and the agency’s oversight and the effectiveness Inspection report template for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Sparks Fostering 3 of the support arrangements in place for carers where concerns about managing placements were already emerging. Inspection report template for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Sparks Fostering 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, 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 fostering service provider must prepare and implement a written policy on acceptable measures of control, restraint and discipline of children placed with foster parents.

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Requirement Due date

The fostering service provider must take all reasonable steps to ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

no child placed with a foster parent is subject to any measure of control, restraint or discipline which is excessive or unreasonable. (Regulation 13 (1)(2)(b)

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that any measure of control or discipline is reasonable and based on child centred practice. 30 June 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when children are leaving the foster family, they are helped to understand the reasons why they are leaving. They should also ensure that children are supported during the transition to their new placement, to independent living or to their parental home. ('Fostering Services: national minimum standards', 11.5)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that prior to the placement of each child, the foster carer is provided with all the information held by the fostering service that they need to carry out their role effectively. The information should be provided in a clear, comprehensive written form and include the support that will be available to the foster carer. The fostering service should follow up with the responsible authority any gaps in the information provided to them about the child or the child's family, which may hinder the foster carer in providing a safe caring environment that meets the child's needs and enables them to keep the child, other children in the fostering household and the foster carers safe. ('Fostering Services: national minimum standards', 15.2) Inspection report template for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Sparks Fostering 5

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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: Sparks Fostering 6

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider: Social Work Enterprise Ltd

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider address: Flat B4107, 9 Owen Street, Manchester, M15 4UG

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Inspectors

Colin Jones, Social Care Inspector Alexandra Pearson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report template for independent fostering agencies - monitoring: Sparks Fostering 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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