In it’s first 6 years of operation CSC has assisted over 35 Fostering Agencies in the private and local authority sectors. We have also developed a fostering database specifically designed to meet regulatory requirements and evidence practice. Here’s a brief summary of a few of those projects……..
Intuitivecare.net
Having run an agency with over 250 service users across registrations in England and Wales, I was always frustrated with the existing fostering databases and felt they did little to promote safeguarding, good practice and evidence compliance. We have seen the very same frustrations and vulnerabilities I experienced with our CSC customers and felt there had to be a better way. Intuitivecare was born. Since going live we have seen steady growth of agencies transferring to us from their existing systems and new agencies choosing Intuitivecare instead of the ‘market leaders’.
We’re also getting great feedback from our agencies and their inspectors.
Project Everest pt1
CSC were required to assist in an appeal to Ofsted following an inspection which resulted in the agency being issued with a Sec 17 Notice of Cancellation of Registration following an ‘Inadequate’ inspection.
Outcome
Very quickly CSC assessed that the agency had been treated unfairly by the Inspector and the correct procedures had not been followed by Ofsted. CSC advised on the strategy and format of the appeal which resulted in the Sec 17 Notice being withdrawn by Ofsted prior to the formal court proceedings commencing.
Project Everest pt2
CSC were always confident of being successful with the appeal, but such was the speed of success, advised on an appeal against the underlying inspection which, by this stage, had been published.
Outcome
Ofsted withdrew the report in question and the agency we reinstated with their original ‘Good’ grade pending reinspection.
Testimony: “We will always be indebted to CSC who advised us through a time of rebuilding at our agency. They were professional, extremely knowledgeable of the sector and gave us effective practical solutions in how best to drive the business forward.”
Project Sahara
CSC were tasked to undertake an assessment of the compliance, standards and quality of service provided by an agency for sale on behalf of the purchasing client.
Outcome
Through a two day site visit CSC found major failings in the systems, procedures and operation of the business. In all 34 statutory breaches were found. However, CSC saw the potential of the business and recommended it’s purchase. The Due Diligence report provided by CSC was used to help negotiate the purchase & create a management action plan to satisfy Ofsted in the following inspection and help prevent the issue of an Sec 17 Notice.
Project Sargasso
CSC were tasked by a Local Authority Children’s Trust to undertake a full Diagnostic on their Fostering Service. This followed two previous Ofsted inspections which had both rated the service as ‘Inadequate’ and ‘Requires Improvement’. Due to a lack of detail and guidance from Ofsted during and after their inspection, the Trust required the diagnostic to independently establish; the level of improvements since the last inspections, to provide detailed reasons why the service was failing and to help prepare for the expected re-inspection due within 2 months.
Outcome
The Trust required this piece of work to be completed as quickly as possible. Two associates were tasked on the Diagnostic and it was completed within 2 weeks. Verbal feedback on the findings was provided to the senior managers on the last day. The Diagnostic found key failings in the service provision, but was also able to provide a context around those failings and make recommendations for improvements and change in the Trusts systems and structure. CSCs recommendations have been used to form the basis of a management improvement plan.
Ofsted announced their intention to inspect the service the following week whilst the diagnostic was taking place. Subsequent to the Diagnostic, and the Ofsted Inspection, CSC have also provided advice to the Trust on their strategy for communicating with Ofsted.
Project Atlantic
CSC were tasked to undertake a general health check of an agency which had be graded as ‘Requires Improvement’ in it’s previous inspection. A new inspection was due at any time and the owners wanted an external opinion on the likely outcome of the forthcoming inspection.
Outcome
CSC found a number of statutory breaches which, if discovered by Ofsted, would lead to the agency likely being graded as ‘Inadequate’ for Safeguarding and Leadership and Management. The agency particularly had issues with events notifications and Sched 6/NMS 25 monitoring. The expected Ofsted inspection was undertaken within two months of the health check. However, due to the issues being identified ahead of the inspection there was sufficient time to rectify them. The agency received a ‘Good’ from Ofsted.
CSC were engage following the health check to help create a more robust system of monitoring and notification including new policies, new Charms set up and tracking tools.
Testimony: CSC’s audit was thorough and their clear outcomes and recommendations where beneficial to the agency and helped us prepare for the inspection.
Project Titanic
CSC were engaged to advise in a very complex situation following the breakdown of relationships within an agency which led to Ofsted issuing of a Sec 17 Notice of Cancellation of Registration.
Outcome
Even though the Sec 17 process was well underway and Ofsted were undertaking frequent monitoring visits, it was CSCs firm belief that the agency could be saved. CSC advised on a management plan and actions to be taken which would stop the Sec 17 process, but sadly indecision and disagreement between the agency’s owners meant that none of the advice was adhered to. Due to this CSC suggested that any further spending on their services would be money wasted. The agency was dissolved via an asset sale which released a small fraction of its true worth had it be sold as a going concern.
Project Pacific
CSC were commissioned by the owners of an agency to help in the preparations for sale, provide oversight of compliance, which had previously been criticised by Ofsted, and provide Agency Decision Making services.
Outcome
CSC put in place a new procedure and system for notifications, monitoring and reporting which led to easier annual Data Set and Sched 6 reporting. Through the process of compliance monitoring and decision making, areas of vulnerability were identified and rectified.
Although the owners expected the start of the sale process to commence 2 years post commissioning CSC, we identified that their required exit conditions would be met substantially earlier. The sale completed within a year. During the sale CSC acted as advisors to the owners/agency and assisted in producing data/evidence for the due diligence process. We also supported the owners in person at key meetings during the sale. The sale process was made significantly easier due to the compliance work being undertaken by CSC. Without it, there would have been a strong likelihood of the sale failing or the equity released being adversely affected.