Statement of Purpose

1. Introduction

Embrace Therapeutic Fostering Services Ltd is an independent fostering agency registered with Ofsted under the Care Standards Act 2000 and the Fostering Service Regulations 2011. We were established in January 2022 and operate from our registered office in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, supporting foster families across Staffordshire, Cheshire, Manchester, the West Midlands, East Midlands and Yorkshire.

Our Ofsted URN is 2661954. We were rated Good at our most recent inspection.

2. Aims and objectives

Our principal aim is to provide consistently high-quality, therapeutic foster care to children and young people who have experienced adverse childhood experiences. We work towards this through:

• Recruiting, training, supporting and retaining foster carers of the highest standard
• Matching children to families based on need, not convenience
• Embedding therapeutic principles (DDP and PACE) throughout every aspect of our service
• Working closely with placing local authorities, social workers, schools and health professionals
• Listening to children, young people and foster carers and acting on what they tell us
• Maintaining strong governance, safeguarding and quality assurance processes

3. Our values

Every decision we make is tested against our core values. Children we work with have the fundamental right to:

• A positive, nurturing family life, regarded as individuals and afforded special attention
• Respect and understanding of their cultural, religious and spiritual beliefs
• Fun and a happy childhood with the chance to develop their interests
• Education that enhances life prospects, and prompt attention to all healthcare needs
• To feel safe, loved and understood; to know that someone gets them
• A voice in decisions that affect them, and the right to complain about anything unfair

4. Services we offer

We provide fostering placements for children and young people aged 0 to 18 (with Staying Put arrangements continuing post-18). Our services are tailored to meet the diverse needs of children referred to us by local authorities.

All services include:

• Initial enquiry, home visit and full assessment
• Skills to Foster pre-approval training
• Independent panel review and Agency Decision Maker approval
• Allocation of a dedicated supervising social worker
• 24-hour, 365-day emergency advice line
• Monthly Embrace Each Other therapeutic support groups
• Foster Talk membership
• Ongoing training and continuing professional development
• 1:1 therapeutic support from our in-house therapist

5. Types of care

We offer the following types of fostering placement:

• Short break care: regular planned breaks or holiday placements
• Short-term placements: task-centred work with clear timeframes
• Bridging placements: preparing children for adoption or permanence
• Long-term placements: stability through to leaving care age
• Sibling group placements: keeping brothers and sisters together
• Unaccompanied / sanctuary-seeking children: culturally aware, trauma-informed care
• Solo and enhanced placements: 1:1 care for complex needs
• Specialist fostering: children with disabilities or specific health needs
• Post-18 Staying Put: continuity for young adults

6. Our therapeutic approach

Our therapeutic ethos is Dyadic Developmental Practice (DDP), developed by Dr Dan Hughes. It builds deeper emotional connections between children and carers by drawing on what we know about attachment and developmental trauma.

Carers are supported to channel a consistent parenting approach based on PACE:

• Playful: finding humour and warmth in everyday moments
• Accepting: embracing each child as more than their behaviours or history
• Curious: wondering rather than judging, especially when behaviours are challenging
• Empathic: understanding and sharing feelings to nurture relationships

Our in-house therapist works directly with foster carers, families and children. We continually update our practice in line with the latest therapeutic research.

7. Foster carer support

We believe foster carers are professionals and treat them as such. Our support package includes:

• Supervision visits every 4-6 weeks; co-carers seen at minimum every 3 months
• Unannounced visits twice yearly
• Weekly telephone check-ins between supervisions
• 24/7 emergency support line
• Monthly Embrace Each Other therapeutic groups
• 1:1 access to our therapist on request
• Two annual fun days for carers and children
• Consultation days where carers shape agency policy
• Quarterly newsletter
• Mentor / buddy system for newly approved carers
• Career progression from Level 1 to Level 2
• Foster Talk membership

8. Children's voice

We are committed to ensuring children and young people are heard in every decision that affects them. We achieve this through:

• Regular direct work with children by their carers and supervising social workers
• Children's consultation and feedback at statutory reviews
• Age-appropriate complaints information made available to every child
• Annual children's consultation events
• Independent reviewing officers attending fostering panel
• Independent advocacy for children where appropriate

9. Our staff and structure

Our team includes:

• Board of Directors
• Responsible Individual: Derrell Crump
• Registered Manager / Agency Decision Maker: Jeanette Robertson
• Qualified therapists, supervising social workers, family support worker
• Referrals manager, senior administrator, accounts
• Independent fostering panel with Chair, Vice Chair, Medical Advisor, IRO and panel members

All staff hold relevant qualifications, undergo enhanced DBS checks, and participate in continuing professional development.

10. Working in partnership

We work in close partnership with placing local authorities, attending professionals' meetings, contributing to statutory reviews, and ensuring children's care plans are progressed. We hold membership with Foster Talk.

11. Monitoring and evaluation

We have strong systems for quality assurance:

• Regulation 24 visits by the Responsible Individual
• Regulation 25 quarterly quality assurance reports to the Board
• Annual reviews of every foster carer
• Annual consultation with carers, children and professionals
• Regular safeguarding audits
• Ofsted inspections

12. Complaints procedure

Anyone can make a complaint: children, young people, carers, professionals or members of the public. We aim to acknowledge complaints within 3 working days and resolve them within 28 days. Complaints can be made directly to the Registered Manager. If you remain unhappy with our response, you can contact Ofsted:

Ofsted
Piccadilly Gate, Store Street, Manchester M1 2WD
Telephone: 0300 123 1231
gov.uk/complain-ofsted-childrens-services

13. How to contact us

Embrace Therapeutic Fostering Services Ltd
Mayflower Cottage, Clumber Park,
Worksop, Nottinghamshire S80 3BQ

Telephone: 01909 384429
Registered Manager: Jeanette Robertson, 07534 696 331
Enquiries: enquiries@embracefostering.com
Referrals: referrals@embracefostering.com

Company No: 13362525 | Ofsted URN: 2661954