A Chester-based fostering agency is celebrating its latest Ofsted Rating, with the effectiveness of its leadership judged as 'Outstanding'.

Not-for-profit agency, Foster Care Matters, has recently received a 'Good' Ofsted rating, with the report highlighting the agency's commitment to providing safe and high quality foster care.

It also cited strong relationships built with foster parents, the positive experiences of children in placement, and the organisation's commitment to ensuring every child feels valued, heard and supported.

Describing the agency as "highly child and family focused", the report outlined how staff support foster carers to provide high "quality nurturing and individualised care to children".

The report added: "Staff support foster carers to use therapeutic parenting techniques for the benefit of children in their care . Foster parents also have access to specialist therapeutic support from the agency's in house therapy service.

"Supervising social workers have an in-depth knowledge of the children and their foster carers. They are in regular contact with foster carers and provide a high level of professional and child centred support."

Feedback from foster parents about the staff and the agency was also overwhelmingly positive, with one foster carer describing the support as "absolutely brilliant".

The effectiveness of leadership at the agency was rated 'Outstanding' with the report specifically outlining the manager as "inspirational, child-centred and highly experienced".

advertisement

It said: "She knows the foster carers and the staff incredibly well and is a strong advocate for them. The manager leads by example and instils a culture of high expectation and ambition.

"She is held in high regard by the foster carers, staff and other professionals."

Karen Palfreyman, registered manager at Foster Care Matters, expressed her delight following the outcome of the inspection.

She said: "We are also proud that Ofsted recognises the dedication and expertise of our staff together with our commitment to our therapeutic training and dedicated support we offer to our families.

"I also want to say a heartfelt thank you to all the families and professionals who spoke to the inspectors during our inspection, your kind words really do mean a lot to everyone here at Foster Care Matters."

Based on Liverpool Road, Chester, Foster Care Matters is part of children's charity Adoption Matters, and covers the whole of the North West and Stoke-on-Trent areas.

The report can be read here. You can find out more about Foster Care Matters here.