Fostering Outcomes Statement of Purpose

Fostering Outcomes Statement of Purpose

Statement of Purpose

Fostering Outcomes Ltd is an independent fostering agency providing a range of services for looked after children. The Agency is run in accordance with all current legislation including the Children Act 1989, The Children Act 2004, the Care Standards Act 2000, Fostering Services Regulations 2011 and the Fostering Services National Minimum Standards 2011. It is registered and regulated by Ofsted, registration number SC069007.

The Registered Manager of the Agency is Rob Brennan, Dipsw and Cert in Management (Open University). Rob has a great deal of child care experience gained from the residential care and fostering sectors as well as from the regulatory field, where he worked for CSCI.

The address of the Agency is:-

Brooklands House

5 Willow Grove

Chislehurst

BR7 5BN

Tel: - 020 8325 1122

Fax: - 020 8090 3767

Email: -

Web: - www.fosteringoutcomes.org

Aims and Objectives, Principles and Standards

The aims of the Agency are to assist the placing authorities in meeting their requirements to improve the well being of children in relation to the Five Outcomes for Children. These are:-

Physical and mental health and emotional well being

Protection from Harm and neglect

Education training and recreation

The contribution made by them to society

Social and economical well being

[Sec 10, Children Act 2004]

Improving the above outcomes will be achieved by:-

·  Placing the child at the centre of all services provided.

·  Providing clear procedural guidance for Staff and Foster Parents which defines the Agency’s services standards in a simple manner.

·  Consulting with service users and care receivers.

·  Recruiting foster parents and staff from a diversity of cultures and background to reflect the needs of service users.

·  Providing a service which is based on equal opportunities and is inclusive through valuing diversity.

·  Working in true partnership with all significant persons involved with the young person.

·  A commitment to ongoing training for Staff and Foster Parents.

·  Providing the highest quality support to Foster Parents.

The detailed service standards of the Agency are contained within the Agency’s policy and procedure documents; these are available on request.

It is the Agency’s belief that the best outcomes for children will be achieved by making the best matches between the Foster Parent and child thus taking into account their values, ethnicity, culture and skills marrying them with the specific needs of each child.

The Agency will continually strive to improve the services it offers and will not accept anything other than the highest standards. An integral part of the quality review and quality improvement process involves care experienced young people providing input, via consultation, involvement and activities throughout the design, implementation and delivery of the agencies operations.

Range of services provide

Assessment Placements

Family Assessment Placements

Respite Placements

Bridging Placements

Pre-Adoption Placements

Long term placements

Permanent Placements

Emergency placements

Remand Placements

Unaccompanied Minor Placements

Parent and child Arrangements

Disability Placements

Management Structure

Directors

The main function of the Directors will be to ensure that the quality assurance standards of the Agency are maintained and to be responsible for the general strategic decisions of the Agency. The three positions are Finance, Operations and Commercial Development. The Directors form the primary element of the Senior Management Team and decisions relating to the strategic direction of the company will be influenced by the recommendations of the Senior Management Team.

The Registered Manager

The Registered Manager is responsible for the day to day running of the Agency, ensuring that all Foster Parents are properly supported, that the outcomes for children are met through the implementation of the company’s policies and procedures and is responsible for specific areas of legislation under the Fostering Services Regulations 2011. The Registered Manager is accountable to and reports to the Directors.

The Fostering Manager

The Fostering Manger is directly responsible to the Registered Manager and is also responsible for the day to day running of the Region, supervising social workers and freelance staff. She/he is responsible for Training and Support Groups and recruitment of new Foster Parents.

The Foster Panel Chairs/Foster Panels

This is a role independent of the Agency. The Chair ensures the proper and fit running of the Fostering Panel and as a result of the Panels functions will advise the Agency on quality assurance and service standards issues. The role of the Panel is to make a recommendation on the approval of new Foster Parent applicants, to make a recommendation on the statutory review of Foster Parents, to make a recommendation on the deregistration of Foster Parents and to act as part of the appeal process on complaints against the Agency or any of its representatives.

Assessing Social Workers

These are qualified Social Workers who undertake thorough assessments on prospective Foster Parents using An appropriate assessment tool that meets the requirements as set out in schedule 3 of the Fostering Service Regulations 2011. They may be employed on a freelance or full time basis dependent on the needs of the Agency and they are line managed by the Fostering Manager and or the Assistant Manager.

Supervising Social Workers

These are qualified Social Workers who are responsible for the direct implementation of the Agency’s standards of service through supporting the Foster Parents and monitoring the progress of any child in placement. These Social Workers undertake on-call and duty functions to ensure that all Foster Parents are fully supported 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They are employed on a full or part time basis and are line managed by the Fostering Manager. Supervising Social Workers will attend all meetings involving the child and Foster Parent to ensure that the Foster Parent is being fully supported and that the child’s needs are being met.

Fostering Outcomes currently employs thirteen qualified and fostering service experienced Social Workers and four Administrative Officers. The Agency is currently recruiting additional qualified Social Workers.

Numbers of Carers

The Agency currently has 127 approved Foster Parents with 43 new Foster Parents in assessment.

Process for Recruiting

Prospective Foster Parents are recruited through a number of methods e.g. advertising in local press or radio advertisements. Other Foster Parents may be recruited through recommendations of existing Foster Parents or staff employed by the Agency.

Applicants will be recruited from a diversity of ethnicities, geographical locations and personal backgrounds to ensure that the Agency can offer the best possible match against the needs of any child referred to the Agency. Candidates will not be discriminated against on grounds of age, religion, gender, race or disability. However, prospective Foster Carers must be able to meet the needs of any possible child placed within their preferred placement categories.

All applicants must complete an initial screening exercise, this starts with a telephone survey to check the applicants availability for the fostering role and basic suitability of their premises e.g. will the foster child have a suitably sized bedroom of their own?

If the Manager continues to assess the application as being suitable following the telephone screening, one of our agency workers will visit the candidates’ home to conduct a home screening visit; where possible, a care experienced young person will be part of this process.

Process for Approving

To become approved by Fostering Outcomes, all candidates must undergo a thorough assessment by a qualified Social Worker. This can be a lengthy process which takes on average three to six months to complete. However, in exceptional circumstances the process can be shorter or longer, but there is never a compromise on the quality of the assessment and the Agency’s duty to secure the welfare of any child placed.

The process will include a detailed assessment of the candidates’ background including their childhood, their educational experiences, their work experiences, their own life experiences, their upbringing, their own parenting experiences, their values and attitudes to diversity and any specific skills they may have e.g. working with disabilities & working with adolescents.

Candidates will be expected to undertake preliminary training prior to approval. Feedback from the training will be used as part of the assessment to provide evidence within the Form F. Exceptions may be made to preliminary training where the candidate can prove appropriate prior learning.

As part of the assessment process candidates, members of their households and significant others must undergo Criminal Records Bureau check at the enhanced level. Certain offences preclude a person from caring for children.

At least six personal references will be sought for each candidate. Other references may be sought from employers, professionals and other statutory agencies known to the candidates. Three of the six referees will be visited to verify the information provided in writing. The Agency uses these references to check the candidate’s skills and experiences against the standards set out by the Children’s Workforce and Development Council.

Other enquires will be made to assist in verifying the candidates suitability. These include:- local authority Social Services checks, a health and safety inspection on the candidates premises and a full medical undertaken by their GP to ensure that candidates are fit for the role of a Foster Parent. The Agency uses An appropriate assessment format to evidence the prospective Foster Parents experiences and skills.

Once the Registered Manager is satisfied that the candidate is fit to become a Foster Parent, the Assessing Social Worker will write a Form F report which will be presented to the Agency’s Fostering Panel. After consideration, the Panel will make a recommendation on the candidates’ application. The recommendation can either be approval, refusal or to defer the recommendation to a later meeting to allow for further evidence to be provided. To assist the Panel in reaching a recommendation all candidates are expected to attend the Panel meeting with their Assessing Social Workers.

Once the Panel has made a recommendation the application is passed to a person in the Agency for the final decision to be made on the application.

Following this all candidates are informed in writing of the outcome of the decision. For Foster Parents who have been approved they will also be sent a Foster Carers Agreement which will detail the terms and conditions of their approval.

Process for Supporting

The Agency recognises that the quality of its services can only be met by having good quality Foster Parents, who are well supported and trained.

The Agency has detailed polices and procedures on the supporting and training of Foster Parents which are available on request. In summary they will have access to:-

·  An ‘on call worker’ 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

·  Regular (monthly) structured supervision from a Social Worker/Social Worker assistant and occasionally a Student Social Worker.

·  Support in meeting the child’s educational needs through their supporting worker.

·  Support from their SSW at professionals meetings.

·  Up to 21 days paid respite in addition to the normal allowances (see policy on allowances).

·  Frequent telephone calls to and from their SSW.

·  Wilful Damage Insurance.

·  Direct access to the Directors.

·  Regular programme of training delivered to meet carers’ needs.

·  Regular support group meetings.

·  Becoming a member of a professional team of carers.

·  Opportunities to be consulted on the function and operation of the Agency.

·  Organised activities for children.

·  Paid respite care.

·  Non contributory Personal Pension

·  Pre and post approval training programme.

·  Financial support that recognises the skills and experiences of the Foster Parents.

·  Assistance in enrolling children in local schools, registering with GPs etc.

·  Additional resources to support any child in placement.

·  Individual membership to Foster Talk.

Fostering Outcomes Ltd recognises that the above items on their own do not necessarily mean that a person feels supported. By the nature of the role, Foster Parents will face demanding and challenging situations. The aim is to equip Foster Parents with the skills to deal with the majority of situations, but safe in the knowledge that support is readily accessible, if it is required.

Process for Reviewing Foster Parents

All Foster Parents must undertake a Foster Parents Review on at least an annual basis or following a significant event or for approval changes. The first Review following their approval will be presented to the Fostering Panel, thereafter Foster Parents will be represented to Panel following a significant event.

The Review will be undertaken by a qualified Social Worker who is not responsible for the direct supervision and support of the Foster Parent. The purpose of the Review is to ensure that the Foster Parents approval remains appropriate.

The Review will include the views of any child who has been or is placed with the carer, any authorities who have placed children with the carers, The child’s Nursery/School/College, their SSWs, the Foster Carers and members of their household, and where appropriate the child’s Parents.

A written report will summarise the Review and make a clear recommendation on the outcome. The report will be submitted to the fostering Panel for a qualified determination or to the registered manager, as appropriate, for recommendation or a final decision on the carers continued terms of agreement.

All Foster Parents will be fully involved in their Reviews and will have the opportunity to comment at any stage of the process.

Number of Children Placed

The Agency currently has 130 children placed. Placements have a wide range of needs from babies through to difficult to place adolescents, sibling groups, unaccompanied minors and Parent and child to name a few.

Meeting Educational Needs

Fostering Outcomes works in Partnership with all Educational agencies to ensure the best outcomes for the children and young people placed.

The Agency’s expectations on support and educational standards are explicit in its Policies. If it becomes difficult to place a young person in mainstream education then Fostering Outcomes will work closely with the Local Authority to ensure together we seek professional alternative educational services using provisions such external independent providers.