TACT Fostering Bristol & South West's Statement of Purpose (SOP)

Statement of purpose
TACT Fostering Bristol &
South West
I.
TACT Fostering Bristol & South West – 32-34 Hotwell Road, Hotwells, Bristol BS8 4UD
0117 927 7725 – bristol@tactcare.org.uk – www.tactcare.org.uk/FosteringBristolSouthWest
Registered charity numbers: England & Wales 1018963. Scotland SC 039052.
TACT is also a limited company by guarantee: company registration number: 2779751.
Cover picture: ©TACT. TACT Fostering Bristol & South West Foster Carers, Samina and Amjad at TACT Carers & Young People’s Awards Ceremony

I. Introduction
The statement of purpose is designed to inform you about the values, and structure of TACT,
some information about the recruitment, assessment and training of our carers, and details of
staff and placements. The statement is a legal requirement and the issues referred to, laid
down in regulation.
1. Organisational history
Established in 1993, formally known as The Adolescent & Children’s Trust (TACT), TACT is a
charity and an independent fostering agency (IFA). TACT’s headquarter is based in Hither
Green, London. It includes the corporate functions of finance, human resources, children’s
service and quality, external affairs and marketing. It is also the office of the Chief
Executive, Kevin Williams and Executive Directors of Finance and Corporate Affairs,
Children’s Services & Quality and External Affairs. (See page 10 for TACT management
structure).
TACT operates through three countries: England, Scotland and Wales.
The other area offices are in East London, Bristol (covering Bristol & South West), Neath
(covering East and West and recently Mid/North Wales), Liverpool (covering North West),
Birmingham (covering West Midlands), Kettering (covering East Midlands), Leeds (covering
Yorkshire) and Edinburgh (covering Scotland).
TACT is governed by a Board of Trustees, and includes people with a wide range of
experiences, including child care, education, legal and financial. The operation of the Board
and the charity is governed by its Memorandum of Articles and Association.
2. Local office history
The Bristol office was opened in 2003. The Area Manager for Bristol is Elaine Graham.
Social work staff are supported by an administrative team. Bristol is an area office and
covers Bristol, Bath & North East Somerset, Gloucestershire, South Gloucestershire,
Somerset, North Somerset, Wiltshire and Swindon.
II. TACT’s charitable objectives are:
To relieve children and young people who, by reasons of their circumstances, have
need of foster, adoptive or substitute care by placing children in foster homes or
adoptive placements and by training foster or adoptive parents to deal with the
needs of the children in their care.
Otherwise to promote the care and upbringing and establishment in life of children in
need thereof including by promotion of their health, development and education
attainment and particularly children in foster or adoptive care.
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III. TACT’s Aims and Objectives
1. Vision, Mission and Values:
a. Vision – Together we are creating a world where every young person is raised
by people who care; where communities flourish because we help young people
build lives full of opportunity and choice.
b. Mission – We are harnessing the strength of families, carers, communities and
organisations to unconditionally support and encourage children and young
people to achieve their full potential.
c. Values
Aspirational – by helping others to grow, we grow ourselves.
Passionate – we are determined to keep improving what we do.
We will ambitiously pursue the best outcomes for everyone we work with.
Engaged – we want to listen well and respond quickly to the people we work
with – children and young people, their birth families, carers, our staff and
supporters.
Fair and Equitable – we will be open and transparent, communicating what
we do and why we do it, based on equality and respect for all.
Beyond Profit – we will make every decision based on what is best for children
and young people. We will deliver excellent services as efficiently as possible in
order to continually invest in the people we work with.
2. Fostering standards
Our standards of care are measured and monitored against the National Minimum
Standards for Fostering Services and the UK National Standards for Foster Care, and the
CWDC Training Support and Development Standards for Foster Care.
All staff and foster carers are provided with a set of standards based on these national
standards.
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3. TACT believes:
All children have the right to a permanent family in which they are able
to grow and develop as unique individuals.
Every child in care should benefit from a specially designed care plan
to address their specific needs.
All children have the right to be involved in planning their own futures.
All children should take with them memories of a positive experience
of their time in care when they leave.
Individuals with parental responsibility have the right to be involved
in making decision about their child/ren’s future.
Proper use must be made of the theory and considerable body
of professional knowledge which is available relating to child care
and child development.
Every individual involved in TACT’s childcare programmes should benefit from
appropriate training and development opportunities.
All people involved with TACT will receive the best treatment possible, irrespective
of gender, age, disability, marital status, sexuality, race, ethnicity or religion.
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IV. Members of staff at TACT Fostering Bristol & South West
1. Management:
Elaine Graham is the Area Manager and is responsible for all operations and services in
TACT Bristol. Elaine joined TACT in 2003 and has the following qualifications:
Certificate of Qualification in Social Work
Certificate in Advanced Child Care
NVQ Level 5 in Management
Certificate in Welfare Studies
BA (Hons) in Social Science
Certificate in Personnel Practice
Certificate in Training & Development
Elaine qualified in 1991 and has many years experience working within Fostering and
Adoption.
Louise Cox joined TACT in 2007 as a Senior Supervising Social Worker and was
promoted to her current position as a Deputy Area Manager in March 2012. Louise was
qualified in 2005 and has experience of working in children’s healthcare, education and
LA children’s services and has the following qualifications:
BA (Hons) Applied Social Studies
DipSW
2. Senior Supervising Social Workers:
Sara Willcox joined TACT in 2009 as a Senior Supervising Social Worker. Sara qualified in
2006 and has experience of working in a residential unit and with a women’s refuge.
Sara has also been a child and family support worker and was a qualified social worker
for the local authority. Sara has the following qualifications:
BA (Hons) History and Dance
BSc Social Work
Graduate Diploma in Child Care Social Work
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3. Children Resource Worker:
Bristol also has a Child Resource Worker, Julia Brooks who joined TACT in 2005. Julia has
experience of working with families in a neo-natal intensive care unit and worked privately
as a nanny. Julia’s qualifications include:
NNEB
NVQ3 (Acute Child Care)
4. Administration:
The Bristol area is supported by an Administration team made up of:
Michelle Raeburn, who joined TACT in 2003 and is the Admin Manager and has
20 years experience working in administration. Michelle’s qualifications include:
LCCI Certificate in Office Technology
CMI Introduction to Management Certificate Level 3
Jessica Farrow joined TACT in 2006. Jessica is an Administrative Officer and works parttime
(17.5hrs). She has ten years experience working in a nursery. Jessica’s
qualifications include:
NNEB
New Clait Certificate
Rachel Fisher joined TACT in 2009-10. She is a Senior Admin Officer. Rachel started at
TACT as an Administrative Officer, but was promoted to her current position in January
2012. Rachel’s qualifications include:
BA (Hons) History
5. Management structure
See page 10.
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V. TACT Bristol & South West’s fostering service
1. The fostering panel
The fostering panel is a requirement of the fostering regulations and is updated to meet the
criteria set out in the regulations. The panel meets regularly at the Bristol office to consider
each application for approval and to recommend whether or not a person is suitable to act
as a foster parent. It also recommends the terms of approval; reviews the suitability to
continue as carers from time to time; advises the charity on the procedures and their
effectiveness; oversees the conduct of the assessments that are carried out; and gives
advice and makes recommendations on such matters or cases the charity may refer to it.
The panel is chaired by an independent person with many years experience in childcare,
and includes members with a wide and appropriate range of experiences.
Panel members’ names and positions:-
Pete Davies – Panel Chair
Sian Adams – Vice Chair
Brian Cairns – independent member
Tracy Cavalier – independent member
Cathy Eeles – independent member
Clare Putterill – independent member
Helen Underhay – independent member
Mary Griffiths-Jones – Director of Children’s Services – England (South)
2. Current services provided by TACT Fostering Bristol & South West
Fostering to children/young people 0-17 years.
Outreach support services to children and families.
Supervised contact.
Parent and child placements.
Assessments.
Foster carer training.
Support groups.
3. New services currently being planned or developed
N/A
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4. Recruitment, assessment and approval process for foster carers
The following process is followed for any applicants who wish to become approved foster
carers:
a) Initial telephone enquiry from applicant/s. Information and expression of interest form is
sent out.
b) Expression of interest form is returned.
c) Allocated for Initial Visit.
d) Initial Visit carried out and Supervising Social Worker then makes recommendation to
proceed or not. Area Manager makes decision to proceed or not with Form F.
Assessment.
e) If the decision is not to proceed, the applicant/s are informed verbally and this is
followed up in writing.
f) If the decision is to proceed to Form F assessment, the case is allocated to a Form F
assessor.
g) All references and checks (CRB etc.) are taken up.
h) Applicant/s must attend Skills to Foster preparation course for fostering.
i) When Form F assessments are completed and all checks and references are returned, it
is taken to the fostering panel for recommendation. Applicant/s are invited to attend
panel.
j) The agency decision maker decides on whether or not to approve. Applicant/s are
informed in writing.
5. Training, support and reviewing process for foster carers
The office in London has an annual training programme and foster carers have an
individual learning and development plan linked to the programme. Foster carers are
supported to attend training through financial packages and childcare arrangements.
Undertaking learning and development is an ongoing requirement for TACT foster carers
and is now being extended to include online courses.
Foster carers are allocated a Supervising Social Worker with a limited caseload of no
more than ten families. Support is offered 24 hours a day, seven days a week via a duty
system of Supervising Social Workers and Social Work Managers. Foster carer support
groups also meet in small geographical areas. Young people who foster are also
supported individually and through groups.
Each foster carer is reviewed annually and the fostering panel or Director of Country
endorses the decision of the Area Manager who overseas the review.
The first review and every seventh review are fully considered by the panel.
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6. Monitoring of fostering service
The fostering service is monitored through provision of formal supervision for all staff
and foster carers, the auditing of case files and supervision records as well as day-to-day
management of the service and support to staff and foster carers. The quality and
effectiveness of the complaints procedures is also regularly monitored and kept
under review.
TACT also undertakes annual reporting of performance indicators based on the outcomes
central to Every Child Matters’ philosophy for improving the life-chances of all children.
TACT has a children’s champion group and staff and looked after children meet together to
discuss and review issues of service delivery.
7. Review of Statement of Purpose
The Statement of Purpose is reviewed on a regular basis at least annually, but more
frequently as and when information changes.
8. Number of approved foster carers
Bristol has 28 approved carers and there are 22 households currently being assessed
as carers.
9. The number of children in placement
There are 28 children and young people in placement. TACT has a clear matching policy
and will only place children with suitable carers who can meet the child or young
person’s needs.
10. The number of complaints and their outcome
There has been one complaint within the last twelve months.
11. Children’s guide
TACT has a guide for children and young people cared for by the charity. It has information
about being in care, what carers can do to help the young person and it tells them what to
do if they are unhappy or wish to complain about something.
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TACT Management structure
Chief Executive
Kevin Williams
ED of Children’s Services & Quality
David Bradley
ED of External Affairs
Gareth Crossman
ED of Finance &
Corporate Affairs
Kingsley Peter
Director of Children's
Services -
SCOTLAND
Lesley Scott
Area Manager
SCOTLAND
Fergus Stewart
Area Manager
WEST MIDLANDS
Bev Pickering
Area Managers
EAST MIDLANDS
Barbara Taylor
Belinda Clarke
Director of Children's
Services (England North)
Jan Rutherford
Area Manager
NORTH WEST
Cath Carmichael
Area Manager
YORKSHIRE
Lisa Condor
Director of Children's Services
(England South)
Mary Griffith-Jones
Area Manager
BRISTOL & SW
Elaine Graham
Area Managers
LONDON & SE
Beverley Crisp
EAST LONDON
Angie Hanson
Director of Children's
Services - WALES
Dot Jones
Area Managers
WALES
Chris Morgan
Mike Anthony
Assistant Director of
Children's Services -
ADOPTION
Elizabeth Webb
Area Manager —
Adoption
Erica Peltier
HR Manager
Daniella Black
Finance & Budget
Manager
Colin Arundell
Learning &
Development
Manager
Martin Clarke
Contracts &
Partnerships
Manager
Andy Pallas
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TACT Fostering Bristol & South West
Area Manager
Elaine Graham
Deputy Area Manager
Louise Cox
Supervising Social Workers
David Britten
Suzanne McGladdery
Jenny Thorpe
Sara Willcox
Children’s Resource Workers
Julia Brooks
Admin Manager
Michelle Raeburn
Senior Admin Officer
Rachel Fisher
Admin Officer
Jessica Farrow
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