Statement of Purpose - The FCA · 02.Statement of purpose Introduction ... specialist awards and...

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Statement of Purpose Cymru Issue Date August 2018 We’re part of the Core Assets Group

Transcript of Statement of Purpose - The FCA · 02.Statement of purpose Introduction ... specialist awards and...

Page 1: Statement of Purpose - The FCA · 02.Statement of purpose Introduction ... specialist awards and experience related to working with children and young people in foster care. Other

Statement of Purpose Cymru Issue Date August 2018

We’re part of the Core Assets Group

Page 2: Statement of Purpose - The FCA · 02.Statement of purpose Introduction ... specialist awards and experience related to working with children and young people in foster care. Other

Introduction

Foster Care Associates (FCA) Statement of Purpose is available to:

• Any person working for FCA.

• Our foster carers and prospective foster carers.

• Children and young people who are placed with our fostercarers and the parents and families of any such child/youngperson.

• Local authorities and health and social care trusts.

• Colleagues from other social care agencies.

• The general public.

Our Statement of Purpose has been developed to meet the requirements arising from:

• The Care Standards Act 2000.

• The Children Act 1989 and the Children and YoungPersons Act 2008.

• The Fostering Services Regulations (England 2011;Wales 2003).

• The National Minimum Standards for FosteringServices (England and Wales).

FCA - Part of the Core Assets GroupJim Cockburn and Jan Rees OBE began the Core Assets story in 1994 setting up Foster Care Associates (FCA) in the Midlands as an independent fostering agency, one of the earliest in England.

The humble beginnings in Bromsgrove sowed the seed for today’s international Core Assets Group, a social care organisation that holds onto the best of public, private and third sector values.

The group has included a training consultancy and resourcing company, social care services for children and an adoption agency. The group has also embarked on a unique partnership with Oxford University to establish the Rees Centre for Research in Fostering and Education. Most recently the group has been providing funding and support along with UNICEF to enable the development of a small charity, Foster Care India - aiming to raise awareness of foster care in the local community, support local families with accessing resources and education, recruiting foster carers and placing children.

Passionate about Realising Potentialwe remain true to our founders' belief in quality care for children and families.

Ambition for Children we want children to have a sense of belonging and security within a family environment.

People Matter we believe the every person counts and is accountable.

Safe Change we appreciate the need for change and work with pace and creativity.

Building Communities we believe we can achieve more by working together.

Introduction 2.

FCA - Part of the Core Assets Group 2.

Aims and objectives 3.

FCA Central Organisational Chart 4.

Management structure 5.

Our staff 6.

FCA Regional Organisational Chart 7.

Services we provide 9.

Recruiting and assessing foster carers 14.

Reviews of foster carers 15.

Training and Support 16.

Quality Assurance & Safeguarding 18.

Useful Contact Details 19.

Contents

02. Statement of purpose

IntroductionThis document outlines the way Foster Care Associates operates as an independent fostering agency.

We hope this document is clear and can be understood by children and young people, foster carers and staff. We welcome any comments about how we might improve the content or format. See contact details on back page.

The FCA Children’s Guide and the FCA Young Person Guide contain a summary of this statement of purpose.

"What underpins Core Assets’ vision, mission and values is a fundamental belief that it is important to give as many vulnerable and challenging children as possible the chance to safely flourish and achieve within their own communities and in family based placements.”

Jim Cockburn Founder Owner

Our Mission - to provide quality care in a family setting.

Our Vision - to make a positive and lasting difference for children and families.

Our Values - we work hard to achieve our vision by following clear values. Our values apply to everything we do, whenever we do it and include the following:

Our Mission, Vision and Values

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Notes: Correct as of 1st May 2018.

Aims and objectives FCA Central Organisational Chart

CEO UK

FCA Managing Director Director of

Operations

FCA Operational

Director

Head of Carer Recruitment

Commercial Manager

FCA Registered Managers

Carer Recruitment

and assessment

Out of Hours

Head of Carer Retention

FCA Quality Assurance and Safeguarding

FCA learning and development

Head ofFCA

Placements

Participation Lead

Business Change and

CommunicationsHR Finance Information and

Performance IT Property

Status and constitutionFCA, an independent fostering agency, is a private limited company registered under the Companies Act 1985 (company number 4322806). We began operating in 1994 and have consistently grown and evolved

to meet the needs of looked after children and young people in the UK.

In accordance with the Companies Acts 1985 and 1989, we produce a Memorandum of Association and

Articles of Association. Copies of these are available to the government commissions, which regulate independent fostering agencies and children’s social care throughout the UK.

Our primary aim is to give children and young people the opportunity to achieve their full potential and to live fulfilling lives in the community.

We work in partnership with local authorities/health and social care trusts, to offer community based services within national frameworks, designed to meet a wide range of needs. We provide intensive, locally based support to our foster carers, children/young people and their families via multidisciplinary teams of childcare professionals.

Our objectives:

• To provide a child-centredand inclusive partnershipbased approach whichembraces children/youngpeople, their families, fostercarers, local authority/healthand social care trusts andother agency colleagues.

• To do everything possible toachieve a stable placement,free from disruption, where achild/young person’s needs areunderstood and met.

• To respect and promote theracial, cultural, religious andlinguistic backgrounds of children/young people.

• To consider fully the genderand sexuality of fostered children/young people when makingplacement decisions.

• To meet the needs of disabledchildren and young peopleincluding those with physical/learning disabilities, Autism/ADHD,sensory impairment, and thosewho have complex health needsand are life limited - also thosethat present with challengingbehaviours due to their disabilities.

• To recruit foster carers from a widerange of backgrounds so that wecan offer appropriate placementsfor children/young people.

• To provide 24 hour support for ourfoster carers and children/youngpeople, 7 days a week.

• To provide ongoing training anddevelopment of our foster carers.

• To provide a workforce ofmanagers, practitionersand support staff who areappropriately qualified andregistered with their professionalregulatory councils, as well asbeing supported in continuousprofessional development.

Aims and objectives

FCA offers high quality family placements and related support services to children and young people who are looked after by local authorities/health and social care trusts.

04. Statement of purpose03. Statement of purpose

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Managers and Social Workers

• All Registered Managers areprofessionally qualified in line withthe requirements of regulationsand National Minimum Standards.

• All social workers and theirFostering Service Managersare professionally qualified andregistered individually with one ofthe four UK Social Care Councils.Some have post qualifyingspecialist awards and experiencerelated to working with childrenand young people in foster care.

Other Staff

• A considerable number ofpeople work for our organisationon an independent, self-employedbasis across a variety of roles. Thismay include workers who supportyoung people and encourageparticipation, education staff,therapists and independentfostering panel members. All ourstaff have appropriate experienceand qualifications and have accessto supervision and linemanagement.

Pre-Employment Checks

• Required checks and enquiries arecompleted for all staff to ensurethat the welfare of children andyoung people is safeguarded. Forall staff including casual and self-employed staff verification of anynecessary formal qualifications isobtained.

Insurance Cover

• All staff who undertake workfor us on a permanent, casual andself-employed basis,are covered by appropriateprofessional indemnity and publicliability insurance.

The Board of Directors is supported by a Senior Management Team which meets weekly to direct and monitor the performance of the company’s activities, business planning and policy development. This team is supported by the Registered Manager and heads of service.

The Registered Manager reports monthly to the Managing Director. Additional meetings take place periodically throughout the year to monitor performance,

coordinate service developments and implement strategies for problem solving.

The Leader of each FCA region is the Registered Manager of the fostering service in accordance with Care Standards Legislation. They have management responsibility for service delivery within their defined geographical regions/countries. The Managing Director ensures that the Registered Managers receive effective ongoing supervision of their work.

The strategic direction, service development and performance of FCA is monitored by the FCA Board of Directors who meet monthly.

Our staff

Correct as of May 2018.

Management structure Our staff05. Statement of purpose

OUR CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERMark Costello joined FCA in 2013, starting as a Registered Manager for the FCA Midlands region. He was promoted to Managing Director in January 2015 and he became CEO in April 2016. Prior to joining FCA Mark was a Registered Manager for another independent agency and he also spent eight years as a Regional Manager for several children’s homes. He is also a qualified primary school teacher. Mark is the Responsible Individual for FCA.

Management structure

06. Statement of purpose

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FCA Regional Organisational Chart FCA Photographic Competition

Responsible Individual

Mark Costello

FCA Cymru Organisational Chart

Assessment Manager

Carer Recruitment

Officer

07. Statement of purpose 08. Statement of purpose

The Welsh LanguageWe are working towards the active offer of the Welsh language. This means that we are working towards being able to offer a full service to children and foster carers in Welsh. Some documents have been translated into Welsh and we have offered Welsh language lessons to children , foster carers and staff. We have a Welsh Language Strategy Group to monitor the progress we are making.

Children's Photographic CompetitionIn 2018 FCA launched the National Photography Competition. The competition was open to all children and young people of FCA aged three years and above.

Photography is a fantastic medium, as it is inclusive and accessible to all, regardless of ability or academic aptitude. The project was inspired by a young person, who has a particular passion for photography and has worked alongside us to provide a young person’s voice in the planning and preparations.

Below is the winner from FCA Cymru North.

MembersPanel

Independent

Therapist Associate

Registered Manager

Anne ArmstrongOperations

Manager

Placements Managers

Office Managers

Senior Therapist

Placements Officers Administrators

FosteringService

Managers

SupervisingSocial

Workers / Support Worker

Education Officer

Education Officer

Associate

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Services we provideServices we provide

• Wherever possible, pre-placement planning isundertaken, including introductions betweenfoster carers and the child(ren). We help youngpeople settle into new placements byproviding welcome booklets. Whereverpossible this is provided in advance of theplacement being made.

• We ensure that the racial, cultural and linguisticneeds of young people are addressed andconsideration is given to their gender andsexuality when making placement decisions.

• We ensure the homes of our foster carers fulfillall health and safety requirements.

• We support fostered children to maintaincontact with friends and family, whereappropriate.

Fostering Placements

Services we provideServices we provide09. Statement of purpose 10. Statement of purpose

All placements are made and monitored in accordance with the Fostering Services Regulations (these vary slightly across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland):

We work closely with Local Authorities and Health and Social Care Trusts to understand their specific needs relating to foster placements in particular areas. We then look to recruit foster carers from a range of backgrounds who are able to provide high quality foster placements for children in the care of Local Authorities and Trusts. We aim to provide the following placement types:

EmergencyMany of our carers can provide unplanned emergency placements for individual children and sibling groups.

Respite / Short breaksWe have a number of carers who provide respite placements either on a regular basis or one off holiday breaks.

Short termShort term placements vary in their duration and are often linked to further assessments of the child and other family members, together with court processes.

Long terms plans can be formulated in short term placements.

BridgingWe are able to provide placements with foster carers who are experienced in bridging children to adoption, permanence or independence. Bridging placements form part of the long term plan for a child and usually last up to 2 years.

Long term / Permanency Placements are available with long term foster carers who can take individual children or sibling groups. Long term placements are matched and ratified in conjunction with the responsible local authority and health care trusts.

Parent and ChildWe are able to provide foster carer placements where young parents receive support and guidance to help develop parenting skills. Foster carers can also assist local authorities with their assessments by providing information relating to parenting capacity/capabilities.

Single PlacementsIf the placing authority requires the child to be the only child or youngest/oldest child in placement this would need to be specified at the referral stage to enable the placement to be matched with vacancies accordingly.

Sibling placementsMany of our foster carers are able to care for large sibling groups which ensures children remain with their brothers and sisters.

Unaccompanied children and young peopleA number of our foster carers have experience of caring for children who arrive in the UK without a family or guardian.

Specialist fosteringProvides placements to children who have complex needs relating to disability, health needs or behaviours that adults can find challenging. These placements usually include enhanced packages of support or additionally purchased services.

RemandRefers to a placement of a young person who has been remanded to the care of the contracting authority or remanded into custody through legal aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012.

Staying put / When I'm ready / Going the extra mileRefers to the arrangements where by young people aged 18 and older that were previously looked after remain living with their former foster carers.

Matching ProcessAll requests for fostering placements are subject to a matching process to ensure that the skills and experience of our foster carers meet the needs of each child/young person placed with us. This includes completion of risk assessments and safer caring plans which are reviewed when necessary and appropriate.

Placement Planning Placement plans are prepared and agreed with service commissioners for each placement which include essential information, care plans and clarity about delegated authority for foster carers in relation to children placed with them.

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Services we provide

To achieve this we have a Participation Framework and Action Plan which sets out what we should be doing and ensure there is accountability for this at all levels. We strive to work in accordance with the following core principles:

• Engaging with children and youngpeople to make a positive andlasting difference to their lives.

• Working with children and youngpeople to help them achieve.

• Consulting, listening and hearingthe voices of children and youngby providing them opportunitiesto participate in decision-makingand influence services.

• Using evidence from participationas the basis for improvingstandards and improvingoutcomes for children and youngpeople.

• Delivering innovative andexcellent opportunities to youngpeople through a well-trained andskilled workforce that have accessto sufficient resources.

We have Participation Ambassadors to be the voice and champion of participation. A good example of participation include the involvement of young people in interviews of staff and in journey to foster training. Children and young people are also consulted about activities and asked to comment on and contribute to revisions of the Young Persons Guide and the Statement of Purpose.

Our supervising social workers will:

• Provide supervision and support tofoster carers in line with regulationsand minimum standards.

• Maintain frequent contact withthe foster carer and children inplacement through placement visitsand telephone calls.

• Make unannounced visits to thefoster home.

• Provide advice, guidance and outof hours support to foster carers ontheir care of children in placement.

• Coordinate other support servicesas appropriate e.g. support workand respite care provision.

• Liaise with other professionalservice providers who may beinvolved and contribute to formalmeetings about care plans forchildren and foster carer reviews.

• Identify and help respond to fostercarers’ training needs.

• Keep careful records of the progressof placements and achievements ofchildren.

• Help foster carers achieve theTraining Support and DevelopmentStandards/ Wales InductionFramework Outcomes or regionalequivalent during the formativestage of their fostering career.

Our supervising social workers have a wide range of experience and many have specific expertise, for example in undertaking life story work, leaving care preparation and undertaking parent and child assessments.

Services we provide

It acknowledges the need for all staff to have a basic understanding that children and young people with histories of trauma, abuse or neglect and/or attachment difficulties often require therapeutic input to promote psychological wellbeing and development.

All staff are committed to this holistic approach to fostering which also acknowledges that every support person involved with the young person holds different information and has different experiences of that young person and that when working together they can create a cohesive full picture of their needs.

All foster carers are supported by FCA social workers and a range of other professionals which may include therapists, support workers and educational staff who are accessible for involvement when needed.

Team Parenting®

Team parenting is FCA’s commitment to a therapeutic way of thinking about traumatized children and their emotional needs.

Services we provide

The underlying principles of Team Parenting• Wrapping services around the carer

and child in placement.

• Strengths and relationship based.

• Every interaction with the child hasthe potential to be therapeutic.

• Focused on creating safe, consistent,secure caring environment.

• Planning and goal setting.

• Coordination and cohesion of services.

• Underpinned by Standards of Practice.

The Components of Team ParentingFCA Team parenting comprises of two key elements – an ethos and a menu of specific therapeutic interventions which are applied as appropriate depending on the level of the young person’s need.

The ethos is engendered across FCA for all placements. This is aimed at establishing safety and stability for the young person allowing for a positive and attached relationship with their carers.

Specific therapeutic interventions could include:

• Joint therapy sessions – a safe and creative space for carersand children/young people to explore and express difficultthoughts, feelings and behaviours which they may beexperiencing.

• Consultations – to foster carers, socialworkers and other members of staff.

• Training – to foster carers and staff on understanding andmanaging challenging behaviours,attachment difficulties, child development,abuse, trauma, self-esteem and relationships.

Additional services such as individual psychotherapy, specialist assessments, post adoption work and early intervention work can also be requested.

Achieving recovery and resilience for some young people however is a complex therapeutic task which can extend over years. In these complex/specialist cases, further therapeutic interventions may be provided, where there has been an agreement in conjunction with the placing authority that a specific level of input is required to support the placement.

11. Statement of purpose 12. Statement of purpose

Choices and Voices of Young PeopleParticipation is the involvement of children and young people, creating opportunities for consultation and expression, and then using this information to inform practice. This underpins everything we do at FCA.

Social Work ServiceIn addition to the child’s social worker from the local authority/health and social care trust, all our foster carers are supported by an allocated supervising social worker.

Promoting Good OutcomesWe have an outcomes tracker which our social workers complete regularly with our foster carers to evidence the progress our children and young people are making. Children and young people are often involved in this when appropriate.

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Recruiting and assessing foster carers

These include:

• Verification of identity andpersonal history

• Disclosure and Barring Servicechecks on all adult members ofthe household

• Enquiries to Children’s SocialCare Authorities and theirChild Protection Registers

• Enquiries to other agencies asnecessary.

Our recruitment and assessment process takes 4-6 months on average. Every effort is made to ensure there is no avoidable delay.

Recruiting and assessing foster carers

Recruitment:

• We operate a central FosteringAdvice Centre where a dedicatedteam request basic informationfrom potential carers, answerany preliminary queries theymay have about fostering anddistribute literature about the workof the agency.

• An initial visit by a CarerRecruitment Officer takesplace in the home of theprospective carer(s).

Application Process:

• Potential foster carers complete anapplication form, giving detailedinformation about themselves andtheir family and consentto complete necessary checks andenquiries to ascertain theirsuitability to foster.

• Applicants are required to havemedical examinations completedby their GP to ensure that thereare no underlying issues thatmay affect their ability to foster.Reports are made available toour Agency Medical Advisorfor his/her comments.

• Applicants are asked to identify atleast three personal referees whowill provide written references andbe interviewed as part of theassessment process. Referencesfrom external agencies andpersonal references, whichare provided in confidence, cannotbe accessed without the consent ofboth the subject and relevantreferee(s).

Assessment:

• A qualified social worker will carryout an assessment, which requiresfull participation by theapplicant(s). She/he will visit themat their home, generallyon 6-8 occasions, to collectinformation about all members ofthe household and the applicants’experience and skills in relation tofostering. This forms the basis of anassessment report. We use theForm F1 format published byCoram BAAF.

• During the assessment process,applicants are asked tocompile a portfolio of writtenmaterial giving examples ofrelevant experience, skills andcompetence. Our AssessmentManager has an overview ofthe pre-panel process to ensureregulatory compliance and qualitycontrol of the assessment.

• All prospective foster carers attendpreparation training during theirassessment. Our training providesapplicants with information aboutthe responsibilities of being a fostercarer and working with FCA.

• The Form F assessment report isshared with the applicant(s) andthen presented to our FosteringPanel, to assist the decision makingprocess. Applicants are expectedto attend the Panel meeting withtheir assessor.

Fostering Panel:

• The Panel makesrecommendations about thesuitability of applicants to beapproved as foster carerswith FCA.

Approval:

• The Agency Decision Maker(ADM) reads and considers all theassessment information and takingaccount the recommendation ofthe Fostering Panel makes thedecision to approve applicants ornot. The ADM is usually theRegistered Manager but thereis also a second ADM whois a manager in our QualityAssurance and Safeguarding teamwho may assist in makingdecisions about approval orre-approval of foster carers.

• Applicants are informed verballyand in writing about the agencydecision. All information obtainedabout prospective foster carers isheld on file and some sections areavailable to view on request.

• Applicants are informed of theirright to appeal in accordance withthe regulations applyingin the jurisdiction in which they areresiding.

We welcome enquiries from foster carers who wish to transfer from other agencies and aim to make the process as quick and smooth as possible.

Recent research has shown that the majority of looked after young people want to attend a mainstream school and gain nationally recognised qualifications. FCA has a proud record with regard to high levels of school attendance and good exam results.

Education Lead We have a designated Lead Member of Staff for education who keeps up to date with regard to regulations, best practice guidance and research about educational outcomes for young people in foster care. They take the lead on disseminating information and in promoting improvements in practice in the region.

Core task It is a core task of Foster Carers and Supervising Social Workers to promote the educational outcomes of children and young people placed with them. This is constantly on the agenda in every carer supervision session, at reviews and meetings.

School placements Wherever possible a mainstream school place is sought, depending on the needs of the child/young person. Our staff liaise with local authority/health and social care trust, social workers, schools, educational psychologists, foster carers and the young people themselves to try to ensure appropriate education is found and any funding issues are resolved.

Where young people need intensive support in their education, we help to arrange this by liaising between agencies. We will monitor the young person’s progress and report to review and planning meetings.

Out of school support Not all school placements run smoothly and sometimes young people have to wait for appropriate provision to be allocated to them. If a young person is out of school for any length of time, our staff can help to arrange some alternative education.

We believe that it is every child and young person’s right to receive a good education that can help them to achieve their full potential.

Education Support

Services we provide 14. Statement of purpose13. Statement of purpose

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Journey to Foster

All our foster carers complete the Journey to Foster; pre-approval preparation and assessment training course during their assessment. This includes: the role of a foster carer, working together, understanding children and young people, safer caring, promoting resilience and successful outcomes, transitions - moving on. Following their approval, ongoing training and development is provided to.

Induction

We have an on-line induction course which looks at the key areas to equip foster carers with the necessary skills and confidence to take their first child/young person.

Other required trainingOn completion of this course we expect all foster carers to complete more specific training in safeguarding, emergency first aid, medication and health care, health and safety in the home, managing challenging behaviour and safer caring.

Additional training

We have a wide range of other courses available for foster carers to further develop their knowledge and skills in particular for those who may have specialist placements or to meet specific needs of particular children.

These include:

• Child sexual exploitation

• Working with children withdisabilities

• Identifying those at risk ofradicalisation

• Safeguarding againstradicalisation

• Parent and child

• Long term fostering.

All our training is mapped to regulations and national minimum standards and includes cross reference to the Training Support and Development Standards in England and the Induction Framework Outcomes in Wales.

Foster carers are encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning and demonstrate ongoing personal and professional development.

Reviews of foster carersWe have a detailed procedure for completing reviews of foster carers which reflects statute law, regulations, national minimum standards and good practice guidance.

In addition to the requirements to conduct annual reviews, we also undertake additional reviews when appropriate (e.g. following a serious complaint or incident or; where a change of terms of approval is proposed).

Our review procedure focuses on core competencies for foster carers including the Training Support and Development Standards in England and Induction Framework Outcomes in Wales.

Recruiting and assessing foster carers Training and support15. Statement of purpose 16. Statement of purpose

Training and supportTraining provided for foster carersWe are committed to providing ongoing quality training that is accessible and relevant to all of our foster carers.

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Support for foster carersThe support package we offer values the work of our foster carers and the positive contribution they make to the lives of children/young people. We recognise that appropriate support for the families who foster is vitally important to ensure a successful placement.

Carer Voice We work alongside our foster carers to develop our fostering provision. This means that we have carer representative roles in each region and local and national carer forums. The voice of foster carers is central to the continuous improvements of the service we provide. We encourage feedback at all levels, this includes consultation for carer reviews and other more anonymous surveys.

Training and support

Quality Assurance & SafeguardingService improvement

We have a designated National Quality Assurance and Safeguarding Team. This ensures that safeguarding is given the highest priority and that improving quality is constantly on the agenda.

Representation and complaints procedure

• All children/young people placedwith our foster carers are informed ofthe Representation and ComplaintsProcedure on commencement ofplacement by their supervisingsocial worker.

• Leaflets and posters about thecomplaints process are availablewhich are accessible to the wide agerange of children and young peopleplaced with us.

• All foster carers, staff andplacing local authorities/healthand social care trusts are

provided with information about our Representation and Complaints Procedure.

Complaints and compliments

• All complaints are taken seriouslyand investigated in accordancewith our complaints procedure.

• We always work to improve practicefollowing any complaints.

• A summary of complaint outcomesand their impact upon servicedelivery are collated nationally andreported to the FCA Board.

• Local Complaints analysis isincluded in our regional annualreview of the quality of careprovided by the agency.

• A record of all complimentsreceived is also maintained.

External inspection

As a registered provider of social care we have regular inspections of our agency. We welcome inspections as a means of monitoring the service we provide and encouraging us to strive for best outcomes for the children placed with our foster carers. Inspection reports are publicly available through the relevant inspectorate website which can be accessed via the FCA website.

They are also available from the relevant regional office or from the Quality Assurance and Safeguarding Team based in Bromsgrove (see useful contact addresses).

We promote a culture of continuous improvement, giving careful attention to feedback about services offered by any individuals or organisations with whom we come into contact.

Quality assurance & Safeguarding

All of our foster carers have access to the following:

• Access to a member of staff 24hours a day, 7 days per week, 365days a year.

• Supervision and support froma qualified and experiencedsupervising social worker.

• Regular visits and frequenttelephone contact from asupervising social worker.

• Regular support group meetings.

• Access to a legal advice helplineand specialist independentsupport scheme.

• A level of financial support thatvalues the skills of foster carers.

• Organised activities for children/young people.

• Membership of FosterTalk. Thisoffers free legal advice, legalexpenses insurance, advice ontax and personal finance issues,a regular specialist magazine andpreferential pricing arrangements

on hundreds of lifestyle products and services.

• Corporate membership ofthe Fostering Network andCORAM BAAF.

• A respite package , usually up to 14nights, which meets the needs ofboth the child and the foster carer.

17. Statement of purpose 18. Statement of purpose

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We maintain a wide range of publications about the services we provide to children and young people, foster carers and commissioning authorities. These provide both a national and local focus and include:

• Printed information for childrenplaced with our foster carers.

• Summaries of surveys, projects,consultation events and otheroriginal research conducted withour customers, foster carers andservice users.

• Publicity materials describingspecific projects/services.

• Current charges/terms for allservice provision.

0800 434 [email protected]

19. Statement of purpose

Useful contact detailsFCA Central Services, Malvern View, Saxon Business Park, Hanbury Road, Stoke Prior, Bromsgrove, Worcs B60 4AD.T: 01527 556 480

Please contact your local FCA office.

Care Inspectorate Wales

Welsh Government Office Rhydycar Business Park Merthyr Tydfil CF 48 1UZ

T: 0300 7900126

[email protected] or [email protected] or go to www.careinspectorate.wales

Children’s Commissioner for Wales

Oystermouth House Phoenix Way Llansamlet Swansea SA7 9FS

T: 01792 765600

www.childcomwales.org.uk [email protected]

FCA Cymru Registered Office

North Wales Business ParkUnit 5510AbergeleLL22 8LJ

T: 01745 823814

Anne Armstrong (Registered Manager) E: [email protected]

Local Office

Castle Bailey HousePhoenix WayEnterprise ParkSwanseaSA7 9FS

T: 01792 315800