ISP Sussex

Inspection report for independent fostering agency: ISP Sussex 1 ISP Sussex 3, Albourne Court, Henfield Road, Albourne, West Sussex BN6 9FF Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this independent fostering agency

This privately owned agency provides a range of fostering services including emergency, short-term, long-term and parent and child placements. At the time of this inspection, the agency was providing care for 60 children across 50 fostering households.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

The company is part of a much larger organisation, Polaris Community, which owns a range of children’s services, including several independent fostering agencies.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

There are two further offices connected to the registered office in Sussex, located in Battle, and Hampshire.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

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

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Summary of findings

Children receive individualised care from foster carers who know them well and are ambitious for their futures. Effective relationships within the agency and positive partnership working help children make progress, including in education and in maintaining important family relationships. Foster carers benefit from regular supervision, training and support. The fostering panel functions effectively to provide independent scrutiny. Safeguarding practice is generally sound, with staff responding appropriately to risks and concerns. However, one allegation was not managed in line with procedures and some notifications to Ofsted were delayed. In addition, some identified training and development needs for foster carers had not been addressed promptly. Quality assurance processes for prospective foster carer assessments require strengthening, although managers have begun to take action to improve these. Overall, children experience positive outcomes and receive good-

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Summary of findings

quality care. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: ISP Sussex 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and foster carers know children well. They strive to provide stability for children and are aspirational for them. Secure relationships with foster carers support children to develop a sense of belonging and make progress. Early consideration of staying put arrangements is embedded and helps ensure that children have the right support as they move into adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children, including those with complex needs, receive effective support. Strong relationships between carers and supervising social workers, alongside effective partnership working, help carers meet children’s needs. Additional support from fostering advisers, therapists and reflective practice groups strengthens carers’ resilience, understanding and capacity to support children through difficulties.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Carers and staff understand the importance of education and learning. They work effectively with education colleagues to promote children’s engagement and to navigate barriers. Experienced education advisers provide an additional layer of support and advocacy when needed. Consequently, most children make good progress in education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Matching processes take account of children’s needs and circumstances. Staff work with local authorities to gather relevant information, support carers to understand children’s needs and consider the needs and views of children already living in the household. Planned introductions are arranged whenever possible, helping children experience positive moves.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy positive experiences with their foster families. Their individual interests and hobbies are promoted, such as gardening, playing golf or attending Guides. Children benefit from family holidays and trips with their foster carers as well as events organised by the agency. These opportunities help children to develop confidence and strengthen their sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to maintain important relationships. Foster carers and agency staff work flexibly with families and professionals to promote family time arrangements that reflect children’s wishes and feelings. Sensitive communication with children’s birth families helps to ensure that family time is a positive experience for children.

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

Staff and foster carers understand their safeguarding responsibilities and the individual vulnerabilities of children. Foster carers know how to respond to concerns. They are guided by risk assessment and safety plans that are clear, up to date and, where appropriate, informed by children’s views. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: ISP Sussex 4 When safeguarding concerns arise, such as children being missing from home, carers report them promptly and staff respond quickly to provide advice and guidance. Staff consult closely with relevant professionals to agree actions required and challenge if they are concerned about the response of partner agencies. Management oversight promotes partnership working, helps ensure that risks are managed appropriately and that children receive the right support.

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

Most allegations of harm are followed up appropriately with prompt referrals to relevant agencies and effective safety planning alongside investigations. However, one allegation was poorly recorded, and managers could not demonstrate that it had been followed up in line with agency procedures.

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

Managers take suitable action to address concerns about standards of care. Timely investigations are progressed and, where appropriate, early reviews of carers’ suitability to foster are arranged. Managers ensure that referrals are made to the Disclosure and Barring Service when required to support wider safeguarding. This helps to ensure that children are cared for by suitable, safe people.

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

The agency works to prevent unplanned endings for children. Staff engage quickly with carers and professionals to identify support that may help sustain children’s care arrangements. The manager ensures that learning from unplanned endings is reviewed and discussed across the agency. However, identified training and development needs for carers are not always followed up promptly, resulting in missed opportunities to strengthen practice.

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

Notifications made to Ofsted about safeguarding issues are appropriate and most are timely. However, some notifications about serious concerns were delayed. This has not impacted on the safety of children, but has impaired the regulator’s ability to monitor the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The service is led by an experienced and committed registered manager. They are aspirational for children and the agency and have clear plans for improvement. The manager’s approach underpins a child-centred culture.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Foster carers are well supported. They report that their supervising social workers and other staff are available and responsive and are ‘always there when you need them’. Supervision, reflective practice groups, and involvement of specialist staff such as fostering advisers, therapists and education advisers provide a sound multi- disciplinary structure of support in line with the ethos of the agency.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from regular supervision, training and opportunities for reflection. The manager uses team meetings constructively to bolster staff support and aid practice development. This promotes a positive and supportive culture.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A broad range of training is available to foster carers. Mandatory and core training is supplemented by additional learning opportunities through the agency’s learning Inspection report for independent fostering agency: ISP Sussex 5 platform. While most carers are up to date with training requirements, some are overdue for refresher training in the key areas of de-escalation and safer caring.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The fostering panel and agency decision-maker provide effective scrutiny of foster carer assessments and reviews. Panel members bring relevant professional and lived experience to their roles and demonstrate appropriate challenge and professional curiosity.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Quality assurance arrangements for prospective foster carer assessments require strengthening. This was highlighted by one recent assessment where the panel requested additional information on two occasions before they were able to make an informed recommendation, resulting in delays and anxiety for the applicant. Managers responded positively to feedback from the panel about this. They have begun to implement improvements, but it is too early to see the impact of these.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff, carers and managers understand the importance of working relationships with other professionals involved in children’s lives. They maintain effective working relationships with other professionals who provided positive feedback about the agency. This helps children to benefit from co-ordinated support. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: ISP Sussex 6

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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 within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

If any of the events listed in column 1 of the table in Schedule 7 takes place in relation to a fostering agency, the registered person must without delay notify the persons or bodies indi- cated in respect of the event in column 2 of the table. (Regulation 36 (1))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, they must ensure that any serious complaint about a foster carer is reported to Ofsted without delay.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the previous inspection and is re-stated. 24 September

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all allegations against people that work with children or members of the fostering household are reported by the fostering service to the local authority designated officer and that a clear and comprehensive summary is recorded of any allegation made, how it was followed up and the decisions reached. (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 22.6 and 22.7)  The registered person should ensure that foster carers are supported to undertake training and development that is appropriate to their developmental needs and experience. This relates to completing mandatory training and to identify training and development needs arising from challenges such as unplanned endings. (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 20.5)  The registered person should ensure that the written report on the person’s suitability to be approved as a foster carer sets out clearly all the information that

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Recommendations

the fostering panel and decision-maker need in order to make an objective approval decision. They should ensure that reports are countersigned and dated by the fostering team manager or a team manager of another of the provider’s fostering teams. (‘Fostering services: national minimum standards’, 13.7) Inspection report for independent fostering agency: ISP Sussex 7

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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: ISP Sussex 8

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider address: Malvern View, Saxon Business Park, Hanbury Road, Stoke Prior, Bromsgrove B60 4AD

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Independent fostering agency details

Email address: sussex@ispchildcare.org.uk

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Inspectors

Jacob Robson, Social Care Inspector Miquette Novella, Ofsted Inspector Inspection report for independent fostering agency: ISP Sussex 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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