The Children's Family Trust

Inspection report for independent fostering agency: The Children's Family Trust 1 The Children's Family Trust The Children's Family Trust Unit 4, The Briars, Waterberry Drive, Waterlooville PO7 7YH Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this independent fostering agency

The Children's Family Trust is a charitable organisation that operates 5 independent fostering agency services across the UK.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

The South–Central service is based in Waterlooville in Hampshire. It was registered in June 2014. This service provides support to children who need emergency, short- term, long-term and short-break placements, as well as parent and child placements.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

At the time of this inspection, the service had 18 fostering households caring for 18 children, plus 3 young people in staying put arrangements.

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Information about this independent fostering agency

The manager has been registered since September 2023.

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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

Date of last inspection: 15 January 2024

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for independent fostering agency: The Children's Family Trust 2

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Summary of findings

Children receive exceptional care within stable, nurturing foster homes where they develop trusting relationships, grow in confidence and gain a strong sense of belonging. Foster carers have a deep understanding of each child's lived experiences and provide consistent, compassionate and highly individualised care. This enables children to start to understand their emotions, build resilience, make positive progress and achieve strong educational outcomes.

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Summary of findings

Safeguarding practice is robust and proactive. Regular visits from supervising social workers provide effective oversight, ensuring that risks are identified, assessed and managed appropriately. Leaders and staff respond swiftly and effectively to emerging concerns, helping to keep children safe and supported.

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Summary of findings

Leaders are ambitious, experienced and highly effective. They maintain a strong child- centred culture, provide clear strategic direction and continually strive to improve outcomes for children. Their commitment to high standards and positive experiences for children is evident throughout the agency's practice. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: The Children's Family Trust 3

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Outstanding

Children thrive in this agency and benefit from exceptional care that enables them to make strong and sustained progress. They are welcomed into stable, nurturing foster families where they develop trust and confidence. Children consistently describe feeling safe, valued and part of the family, and carers speak with warmth and pride about the children they care for. This supportive atmosphere allows children to feel genuinely valued and heard, creating a deep sense of belonging.

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Outstanding

Foster carers provide thoughtful, consistent care that meets children's individual needs, including those with additional or complex needs. The carers understand children's backgrounds and lived experiences and respond with patience, structure and reassurance. As a result, children are better able to understand and manage their feelings and emotions, build resilience and develop positive relationships

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Outstanding

Children's emotional well-being is promoted through a wide range of activities, hobbies and opportunities to develop friendships. Carers encourage children to broaden their experiences and participate in their communities. A particular strength of the agency is the sense of belonging it creates. Staff and children talk fondly of the agency's holiday, with time spent together around the campfire, over a cup of tea, and having chats as a memorable highlight.

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Outstanding

The agency demonstrates valuable care in supporting children's cultural and identity needs. Carers show genuine curiosity and respect, ensuring children's backgrounds are understood, celebrated and integrated into their family life. This helps children to develop a positive sense of who they are and strengthens their emotional well-being.

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Outstanding

Children's moves into their foster homes are exceptionally well supported. A children's guide and welcome box, that is currently being updated and developed with the participation group, helps children to understand what to expect when they arrive and includes message to them from other children to help ease any worries.

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Outstanding

Matching is carefully considered, taking account of carers' skills, family dynamics and ability to meet children's needs. Children benefit from thoughtful introductions, good preparation and ongoing support, helping them to settle quickly and build secure relationships. This contributes to strong placement stability and positive outcomes, with many children living in long-term placements or staying put arrangements. As a result, children make impressive progress in their education, emotional well-being and self-confidence.

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Outstanding

Education is a significant strength. Foster carers advocate strongly for children and work effectively with professionals to ensure they receive the support they need to engage in learning. Children make significant progress in education, and three young people are currently attending university. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: The Children's Family Trust 4 Children's participation is a notable strength of the agency. Children's views are actively sought, listened to and acted on. Children said that their opinions matter and can influence change. One child said, 'What we say matters. It's good we can say things that need to be better, and they listen and change things.' As a result, children feel heard, respected and empowered.

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Outstanding

Children are encouraged to develop age-appropriate independence skills while enjoying their childhoods and learning how to manage risk safely, developing their confidence to make decisions and prepare for adulthood. One child said, 'If I mess up, I can tell my carer, and they will help me.' When children do move on to live independently, many maintain their relationships with their carer's, reflecting the secure and established bonds they have built.

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Outstanding

Children benefit from strong, enduring relationships. Brothers and sisters are placed together where possible, and many children remain with their carers into adulthood. One young adult said, 'The trust is amazing in what they do for children. Thanks to them, I have had a family life, so many experiences and lots of support around me.' The agency's embedded ethos ensures that children and care-experienced adults continue to receive lifelong connection, support and a sense of belonging.

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Outstanding

Safeguarding practice is embedded throughout the agency's culture. Children say that they feel safe and know who talk to if they are worried. Children have trusting relationships with carers who understand their vulnerabilities and respond with calm, consistent care. Carers recognise early signs of distress and know how to support children through difficult moments.

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Outstanding

Foster carers demonstrate a strong understanding of safeguarding procedures and risk management. Risk assessments are completed with the care staff and are dynamic and regularly reviewed to reflect children's changing needs. When concerns arise, they are acted on quickly, with clear communication between carers, supervising social workers and placing authorities.

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Outstanding

Foster Carers receive clear support, guidance, and training that help them respond confidently to safeguarding issues. Children benefit from carers who understand how to respond to their individual needs. One carer said, 'Training is exceptional, and there are lots of training sessions put on, and the therapeutic focus is excellent.' There is strong evidence that training is effectively translated into practice, with carers demonstrating increased confidence, knowledge and therapeutic understanding in their day-to-day care of children.

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Outstanding

Staff are highly skilled and use their extensive experience to deliver exceptional support to foster carers, helping carers to keep children safe online and in the community. This commitment to safeguarding is mirrored at every level of the agency, including by the reviewing officer, panel chair and decision-maker, all of Inspection report for independent fostering agency: The Children's Family Trust 5 whom demonstrate outstanding vigilance. Children said they feel safe, listened to and protected.

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Outstanding

Supervising social workers visit children regularly, including making unannounced visits, and ensure children have private time to share their views. Direct work with children is purposeful and well planned. Children receive support to understand risks, stay safe online, manage friendships and make informed choices. This helps children develop the skills they need to keep themselves safe.

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Outstanding

The registered manager maintains strong oversight of safeguarding activity and ensures that staff and carers benefit from up-to-date research and guidance on good practice. This creates a confident workforce that understands children's vulnerabilities and responds with clarity and purpose. Staff use reflective discussions, supervision and learning opportunities to continually strengthen their safeguarding practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager demonstrates exceptional, values-driven leadership and has established a strong child-centred approach throughout the agency. They have created a culture where children's experiences and outcomes are at the heart of decision-making. Carers and staff describe the manager as supportive, approachable and that the agency is like a family, reflecting the strong relationships that underpin the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The agency benefits from a stable, skilled and committed staff team. Supervising social workers have manageable caseloads and provide carers with regular, meaningful support. This contributes to stability and high-quality care for children. Feedback from staff is positive; they report feeling supported and enjoying their roles. Staff retention is strong, with many choosing to stay in the agency because they feel valued and have provided positive feedback about their experience.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Assessments of potential foster carers are timely and informed by a clear understanding of strengths and areas where additional training is required, to help them to provide care in line with the agency's model and approach. The quality assurance process is thorough, meaning that all information presented to the panel has undergone several layers of scrutiny to ensure that all parties are satisfied that it has been thoroughly explored.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Carer retention is exceptionally strong. Many carers have fostered with the agency for many years, and there are few resignations. Carers consistently report feeling valued, respected and exceptionally well supported through meaningful supervision, accessible leadership and high-quality training.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The agency has a strong learning culture. Staff and carers benefit from reflective supervision, training and opportunities to develop their skills. This is complemented by the skilled advice from the therapist within the service. Training is well planned Inspection report for independent fostering agency: The Children's Family Trust 6 and responsive to emerging needs. Audit activity and learning from placement endings directly inform improvements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The fostering panel chair and agency decision-maker provide rigorous oversight of prospective carers. Decisions are timely, well-reasoned and focus on children's best interests. Panel members bring a wide range of experience and are committed to keeping the children's needs at the centre of all decisions. Quality assurance processes are embedded, and the culture clearly places the voice of the child and children's needs at the centre of the agency's work.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders demonstrate strategic clarity and innovation. Recent developments, including strengthened recruitment and matching processes, show a service that is forward-thinking and responsive to the changing needs of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

This is a service where leadership is inspirational, practice is reflective, and children's experiences are consistently prioritised. The agency continues to evolve and improve service provision for children and their carers

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager leads with clarity, integrity and a genuine determination for improving children's lives. That commitment is visible in the confidence of carers and staff, and most importantly in the experiences and progress of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

No requirements or recommendations were made during this inspection. Inspection report for independent fostering agency: The Children's Family Trust 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: The Children's Family Trust 8

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider: The Children's Family Trust

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Independent fostering agency details

Registered provider address: Hanbury Court, Harris Business Park, Hanbury Road, Stoke Prior, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire B60 4DJ

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Independent fostering agency details

Responsible individual: Marina Mulholland

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Independent fostering agency details

Email address: sarah.rockett@thecft.org.uk

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Inspector

Sharron Dormand, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for independent fostering agency: The Children's Family Trust 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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