The Homefinding & Fostering Agency

Inspection report for independent fostering agency: The Homefinding & Fostering Agency 1 The Homefinding & Fostering Agency Kent Homefinding and Fostering Ltd Maidstone Studios, Vinters Park, Maidstone, Kent ME14 5NZ Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this independent fostering agency

The Homefinding & Fostering Agency is operated by a privately owned limited company.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

A range of placements are provided, with a strong focus on long-term placements for younger children, seeking permanence either through remaining with the same foster carers, moving on to adoption, or being reunited with their birth families.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

At the time of this inspection, 42 fostering households were approved by the agency.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since June 2026.

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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: The Homefinding & Fostering Agency 2

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Summary of findings

Children make good progress from their starting points due to high-quality care. They are kept safe through effective joint working with both internal and external professionals.

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Summary of findings

Dedicated supervising social workers provide appropriate support and supervision for foster carers.

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Summary of findings

Agency leaders ensure that all staff members and foster carers receive training tailored to the specific needs of the children.

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Summary of findings

A diverse group of competent professionals oversees all agency decision-making. The registered manager, who started in January 2026, is successfully leading positive changes at the agency

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This agency builds strong relationships to help children feel a sense of belonging and permanence in their foster homes. Many children benefit from therapeutic input, and the agency is consistent in its application. Overall, the children make good progress, and their daily lives are boosted by nurture and care. Children speak positively about the care that they receive. One child said that their favourite part of living with their foster family is receiving lots of hugs, and this makes them feel good.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Foster families receive appropriate support from the agency. Foster parents say that they are well supported during difficult times. They also say that they enjoy spending time with their allocated supervising social workers, who simultaneously focus on children’s welfare. The children are seen and their welfare is checked on by supervising social workers at least every other visit. One foster parent praised their supervising social worker’s commitment and said that they enjoy the times when they go together to pick up the children from school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress from their starting points in their foster homes. All children are in education and are supported to achieve academically. Children make friends at school and in the wider community. Some children have improved relationships with their siblings since living at their foster home. Children’s health needs are met, and foster parents work closely with health professionals to ensure that children maintain good health. Furthermore, children get to know each other and form relationships within the agency through various social events arranged by the agency.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s wishes and feelings are at the core of the agency’s decisions. Effective tools are created to gather children’s views. These tools are personalised and Inspection report for independent fostering agency: The Homefinding & Fostering Agency 3 adapted to children’s individual needs. For example, different forms are designed for children with processing and speech and language difficulties. The participation officer ensures that children are heard and responded to. One child requested that the foster family has a horse, but because this was not possible, the agency identified for the child a respite family with stables and horses. The agency seeks feedback from the children after organised activities and events.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The agency ensures that the required information is received about the needs of children who are new to the fostering agency. Thorough assessments are carried out, and foster parents’ skills and experiences are matched with children’s needs. Families are well informed about children who are new to the agency. Emphasis is placed by supervising social workers to ensure that the foster home environment is right for children to receive thoughtful nurture on their first night. The agency’s overall approach is based on the foster families being emotionally available for fostering children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The agency ensures that families and children receive the support that they need. When a method of getting additional assessments or services for children is not accessible or is time consuming, the agency directly commissions the correct support. For example, the agency ensures that children access personalised therapy or assessments without unnecessary delay. Foster families also benefit from staff taking children to school if the journey is lengthy or if they must take children to different provisions. Furthermore, the agency employs support workers to work with foster families when this is needed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are well prepared for their futures. The agency ensures that independent living skills are captured in one document for foster families who are supported to complete such learning with children. This includes independence skills related to living a healthy lifestyle, safety in the community, financial management, relationships, self-care and other relevant areas of adulthood. Completion of this work is monitored and is evident in the development of children’s independent living skills.

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

Children are supported to stay safe and are protected from harm. This is because a proactive safeguarding culture is at the core of the agency’s practice and is also filtered to foster families. Additionally, the foster panel provides oversight and learning after any safeguarding concerns are investigated.

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

The safeguarding policy has been updated since the last inspection. A clear process for managing allegations is included. A strong message about reporting any concerns without delay is emphasised. There are some minor inconsistencies in records about the safety arrangements for children and foster families after allegations or complaints have been made. Nonetheless, managers ensure that the safeguarding policy is always adhered to. Therefore, the requirement made at the previous inspection is met. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: The Homefinding & Fostering Agency 4 Managers ensure that there is joint working with relevant professionals and report allegations and complaints to designated safeguarding leads. Managers escalate their concerns when they identify the potential risks to children. Furthermore, they ensure that safeguarding cases are thoroughly investigated and the outcomes are

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

shared with families and children, where appropriate.

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

Agency workers and foster families work together to identify children’s risks and vulnerabilities. Children’s behaviour support plans and assessments are concise, clear and informative. Records highlight the therapeutic thinking, are child friendly and written to the child. For instance, one child said that they hurt themselves because their brain tells them to do so. The child is provided with various distraction strategies and is advised to tell his brain that he is busy when the brain tells them to hurt themselves. The approach to prevention methods is effective and reduces children’s vulnerabilities.

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

The use of physical restraint is rare. Only low-level interventions are being used and only when necessary to keep children safe. Carers record and report these appropriately and in a timely manner. There is good follow-up with the carers after physical restraint. Children also are debriefed and there is good evidence of work being done with the children to help them to manage their emotions.

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

Prospective foster parents are provided with relevant information following their initial enquiry to join the agency. The agency’s panel members ensure scrutiny in relation to new foster parents’ suitability, capacity and ability to provide a safe home for children. The foster families are kept informed about the progress of any subsequent application for approval. Furthermore, the new foster parents are allocated the experienced carers for mentoring. This provides an additional layer of safety for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been a change in the leadership team. The new registered manager is experienced in manging fostering agencies. Senior leaders are dedicated to children’s wellbeing at this organisation. They have ensured that the change of managers has been well organised, so children’s welfare and the agency’s function have not been adversely affected. Furthermore, senior leaders are embracing the positive changes brought in by the new registered manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The agency is well staffed. Supervising social workers hold manageable caseloads to ensure high-quality support is provided to families and children. The organisation’s ambitious ethos about what children can achieve is embedded in practice. The majority of supervising social workers have worked at this agency for a long time and are open to sharing ideas with new professionals who join. The training provided to them is good quality and regularly reviewed and developed to ensure that it meets the foster families’ and children’s needs. Supervising social workers say that they enjoy working in this ‘family like’ environment and are complimentary about new registered manager’s proposed changes. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: The Homefinding & Fostering Agency 5 The foster families are well supported. They receive good-quality, reflective and timely supervision. All foster carers are up to date with the training that is deemed

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

necessary by the organisation. Furthermore, additional training is focused on carers’ understanding of trauma. The agency invests in carers and staff, who receive virtual reality training that supports a sound understanding of trauma and promotes reflection on their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The fostering panel consists of members who bring a variety of different expertise to the agency. This enhances scrutiny, promotes a safe culture and provides good- quality assurance. The panel process is strong and effective. Annual reports are rigorous in their review of any business that is brought to the panel. This reflects the quality of the work that has been done in the past year and sets the actions for further developments. Assessments on prospective foster families’ suitability are carefully examined by agency decision-makers. Furthermore, recruitment procedures and vetting practice is of a high standard for agency workers. This reduces the risk of unsuitable people having access to children. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: The Homefinding & Fostering Agency 6

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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: The Homefinding & Fostering Agency 7

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider: Kent Homefinding and Fostering Ltd

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider address: Maidstone Studios, Vinters Park, Maidstone, Kent ME14 5NZ

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Independent fostering agency details

Email address: duty@homefindingandfostering.co.uk

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Inspectors

Sonata Brisley, Social Care Inspector Vevene Muhammad, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for independent fostering agency: The Homefinding & Fostering Agency 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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