PAC

Adoption Support Agency The New

Inspection Framework

10th Sept 2012

PAC(formerly Post Adoption

Centre)• Independent Adoption Support Agency

since 1986

• Pilot for First Inspection Regime in April 2006 under CSCI after registering as an Adoption Support Agency: - overall rating ‘good’

• Last inspected in 2011 (www.ofsted.gov.uk SC066981): overall rating ‘outstanding’

Inspection Framework• Inspection framework in line with

Adoption Agencies and reasonable in its consistency

• Areas of work the inspection covers are considered reasonable

• Appreciative of ‘conduct during inspection section’

• Inspection helped to focus on obligations and sharpen practice

Notice Period• 10 days framework manageable as process

less cumbersome but will present difficulties for smaller agencies.

• For small, part-time organisations, 10 days’ notice can mean only 6 days and organising consultations will suffer accordingly

• How much flexibility will there be in setting timescales- could small agencies have 20 days like single person agencies?

Data Sets• Agencies are required to send back

data set information and inspection timetable.

• Confusion about data set requirements for the type of agency

• Perceived as easier to do as the forms are much more user friendly than before

Data Sets• ASA returned information as an

encrypted document – Ofsted unable to open it

• ASA needs to check that the information has been received to ensure timescales are kept to - Ofsted expectations when this happens?

Adult v Children Work • Training in adoption support work in

relation to adopted adults/birth relatives• Adult files often not checked, only

children and families• Measurement of Outcomes especially

for adopted adults and birth relatives • Is the focus of Inspection on children

and family work outcomes?

Making Judgements• Outstanding: – ‘inspector does not

mark to outstanding’• Ground rules: is there an area of

practice that will ensure it is impossible to achieve ‘outstanding’ if not met e.g. diversity

• How are the judgements of the inspectors ‘quality assured’?

• Registration certificates- issue annually

Small Agencies- Registration

• As a single Counsellor/Psychotherapist the amount of adoption work undertaken varies considerably

• Only one service user may be affected by adoption.Is registration still required?

• Providers working outside the Law-Ofsted’s role?

• No directory of Reg. ASAs available from Ofsted

Small Agencies• Small independent ASA – single person

would welcome some distinction at inspection between their agency and a large agency.

• Have always had to prepare everything as if a large agency and most of the venue/staff/ H and S requirements seem irrelevant yet have to be in place

Small Agencies-Evidence• Agencies that are not solely an

Adoption Support Agency, can be working across adoption, fostering, residential care and birth families

• This can mean that the amount of relevant evidence that can be supplied varies from time to time and is often very small

Agency Management• Qualification of manager of small

organisation – judged against the same management standards as large orgs

• Advice may be needed for smaller agencies to evidence leadership and management development to meet requirements

• Evidence of investment in training/ development may be difficult for small agencies

Service User Feedback• Specialist agencies working on

therapeutic support for adoptive families, or with the professional network around adoption cases, will provide the opportunity for feedback, but it may only be professionals who respond-not the families.

• How is this viewed by the Inspectors in respect of evidence for the evaluation?

Service User Feedback• Agencies that generally work with

parents and carers, and not directly with children would not seek feedback from the children regarding this as inappropriate, given the intimate nature of the work undertaken with the adults.

• How is this viewed by the Inspectors?

Online questionnaires• More information about how online

feedback will be shared with agencies so that they can address any issues raised and have a right of reply.

• Online may not be accessible to many elderly or disabled people, or people who have issues using computers. They will therefore only provide a partial view of an agency –how is this viewed by Ofsted?

Online Questionnaires• Electronic questionnaires seem generic

and not applicable to some ASA’s work • Questions seem child focused• If contractors were asked specific

questions that they would not necessarily know the answer too would this be regarded a negative for the inspection process?

Safeguarding• Safeguarding - Inspection will be

looking for follow through from clear case recording, signed and dated to a central record and appropriate reporting of issues. Agencies need to evidence that safeguarding training has taken place.

• How is safeguarding approached if the agency only works with adults not children?

Diversity• Diversity – Inspectors have placed a

strong emphasis on this• Necessary to balance needs of

accessibility to a service and the cost of doing so e.g. having a clear policy that leaflets are produced in different languages on a case by case basis; evidencing that work has taken place would this be deemed as acceptable?

Diversity cont.• Diversity in recruitment is considered• Inspectors need to be considering this

widely, e.g. if the recruitment process is equal opportunities and open, agencies can only choose to employ from the applicants that come forward.

• Is action taken by agencies to encourage diversity taken account of in inspection, if not reflected in outcome?

Contractual issues• Curtailments on services are fairly

universal in the current economic climate. Providers have little influence over the contract specifications that are advertised, but have to deliver services within their constraints to stay in business. Will Ofsted inspectors be inspecting commissioners for the quality of the contracts they offer for adoption support services?