Behind the Inspection Rating: Alpha masters good matching

Michelle* encapsulates why Alpha Plus Fostering has just got its third "outstanding" Ofsted rating in a row. She entered one of their placements aged 10 after a childhood marred by drugs, alcohol, abuse and neglect. This summer she got 11 A* to B grade GCSEs and is now set on going to university.

"She has got a career in mind and will go to university and do well," says Christine Clynch, registered manager of Alpha Plus. "Michelle's an example of what we do well in the agency: offer stability. We have that because we make sure the match is right at the beginning, so the young person can stay long-term with the carer they first go to if that's appropriate."

Matching is one of the agency's big strengths says Ofsted and for Alpha Plus, matching is not just for today. "Matching's not about just the there and then, it's about what's in the future for that child and can we make positive outcomes," says Clynch.

The basis for good matches is strong carer assessments, she adds. "We have an extremely thorough process. We take our time and do good-quality training prior to the assessment. A good assessment is the basis for matching."

To help the children it places thrive, Alpha Plus runs multiple activities for its foster families, including carers' birth children, such as its summer celebration of what they have achieved. The agency also provides training for fostered children as well as carers.

The idea for the workshops came from Alpha Plus's foster children's forum and the agency now holds workshops on topics like friendship, bullying and finance matters. Some are just for young people, others for them and their carers. It can be a tough sell to the young people at first but once they try a workshop they see the benefits. One recent workshop was a drama-based session on avoiding sexual exploitation. It's a subject that Alpha Plus and its carers have been dealing with first-hand through child sexual exploitation (CSE) foster placements.

"CSE placements are different," says Clynch. "The children coming to us are pretty damaged by their experiences and it's often difficult to break the cycle when they are already in that situation. It's a very difficult, tense and intense way of working. We have to be careful about what they've got and where they go. Foster carers are with them 24 hours and that's very difficult with teenagers."

Such placements are extremely demanding, and only appropriate for the most resilient of carers and those without any other children at home. "It's not an easy task when the young people are returning home under the influence (of drugs or alcohol) or when they are disclosing what they have been through," says Clynch. "The carers need good-quality training and support."

Being a smallto medium-sized fostering agency helps in providing that support, she adds, because it means their social workers know each child well and can have regular meetings to discuss children's needs, foster carers' concerns and support.

Alpha Plus might have only made its first CSE placement less than 18 months ago but there are already success stories," says Clynch. "Our first has finished her exams and got an apprenticeship, which I think is a pretty successful outcome."

*Name has been changed

FACT FILE

• Description: Alpha Plus Fostering is an independent fostering agency founded in 2000 that provides foster placements for looked-after children in the North West of England. The agency has 14 staff and offers mainstream and specialist fostering, including parent-and-child placements and placements for children who have been sexually exploited. It became part of the National Fostering Agency Group in 2009. Alpha Plus Fostering's latest Ofsted rating is its third consecutive "outstanding" grade from the inspectorate.
• Number of children: 109 children in 88 fostering households
• Ofsted inspection number: SC069335

HELPFUL HINTS

• Demand always changes. A constant foster carer recruitment drive is crucial to being able to supply suitable placements when they are needed. "We do it all year round because the needs of local authorities changes throughout the year," says Alpha Plus's registered manager Christine Clynch. "I also meet regularly with commissioners to look at what their current needs are, which informs the recruitment strategy."
• Bigger can be better. Alpha Plus kept its identity and values after becoming part of the National Fostering Agency Group and that makes for a better service. "They kept what we stand for and the ethos but put in HR and finance frameworks," says Clynch. "Keeping that identity is important - that's why it works. So now we're allowed to focus purely on the fostering."
• Use play therapy. Alpha Plus has a play therapist for situations where a placement is at risk of breakdown. "What we've found to be successful is having her go in with the supervising social worker to devise the strategy we need to use and to work alongside the local authority and child and adolescent mental health professionals," says Clynch.