Quality Assurance
Quality Assurance Schematic - Residential
Quality Assurance Schematic - Family Placement
Quality Assurance
There are an extensive range of Quality Assurance systems in place albeit we are continually developing and refining the process. In essence those systems are:
Supervision
Within Family Care Associates and families@familycare there is strong culture of supervision which is also clearly defined within our procedures and guidance. In the case of families@familycare all carers receive formal supervision as do all staff throughout the organisation e.g. Carers, Family Placement Support Workers, Social Workers and Registered Managers.
Audits are also undertaken to ensure compliance. In addition to formal supervision there is of course frequent informal supervision, the content of which is brought into the formal supervision process. With particular reference to informal supervision it should be noted that all carers have contact numbers out of normal working hours for a variety of experienced staff should they require advice and/or support. These include contact numbers for Family Placement Support Workers, Social Workers, Registered Manager, Responsible Individual and the Group Business Manager who is also a qualified Social Worker with thirty years' experience in the social care sector, including family placement, child protection, EDT etc.
Core Groups
Both Family Care Associates and families@familycare operate a well established Core Group system that is geared to ensuring good communication between all adults and professionals working with the young person and further ensuring that defined plans are being adhered to and where work is 'stuck', that refined plans are made to get 'unstuck'.
Review of Arrangements
It goes without saying that the Review mechanism convened under the auspices of the Children Act and the accompanying regulations is, in itself, an important element of the quality control mechanisms.
Support to Carers and staff
To a degree this subject has been addressed above in respect of both carers and staff. Support is offered to carers, their children and indeed the 'looked after child' as is required and appropriate. We offer support well in excess of the minimum standard given that we believe that high standards of support are directly linked to the success of the placement outcome and indeed educational, health and life skills outcomes for the young people. Whilst such levels of support are by their nature expensive and attract a cost, we argue that such 'costs' present 'best value' to all concerned in the medium and long term.
With regard to staff support, again staff have contact numbers for all senior managers who are available to them 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. As stated, there is a clear supervision policy that offers support in addition to a high standard of training. Informal supervision is always available. Within the Company overall there is a wide range of expertise that can be called upon and we have a range of consultants and contacts that can be called upon as and when is required.
Report of the Registered Manager
The Registered Manager is required to compile a monthly report to the Responsible Individual/Group Operations Manager. This aids the supervision process but in addition feeds the complaints monitoring system and monitoring of 'critical incidents'.
Independent Sampling
We are moving to establish a sampling system, by an independent person, of activities occurring in foster homes that will mirror the Regulation 33 visits that are undertaken in respect of residential children's homes. We believe that we have an excellent system of Regulation 33 visits with high quality documentation. This provides an excellent template, which we propose to adapt to family placements.
