ACS are rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted for a Second Time
We received an 'Outstanding' rating from Ofsted in all three categories, with no recommendations. Keep reading to discover the highlights of the report and how we achieved this remarkable milestone for the second time.
Our latest ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted rating demonstrates our ongoing commitment to enhancing the lives of children and young people by nurturing their whole well-being, including their culture, ethnicity and faith.
Mohammed Bashir, registered manager –
“The team and I are incredibly proud of all of our foster parents; without them we couldn’t have achieved this fantastic result. We support children and young people to be nurtured and prioritise faith and culture as this can have a huge impact on their wellbeing.
“Regardless of a child’s age, we support them in education and employment, encourage extra-curricular activities and work hard to ensure that all children feel like they’re part of the family - it’s lovely to see this reflected in our Ofsted report. A huge well done and congratulations to all involved.”
Ofsted Report Highlights
We have been rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted in all three categories, with no recommendations. Read on for the highlights of the report and to learn how we accomplished this incredible achievement for the second time.
Outstanding Training - "The agency has a culture of learning".
“The agency’s training programme has been updated and includes individual pathways for supervising social workers and foster carers that are tailored to their personal needs and those of the children they care for. These pathways run alongside the consistent refreshing of mandatory training.” - ACS Ofsted Report (2024)
We are proud of our commitment to delivering foster care training that prepares and equips foster parents to provide outstanding care.
During our Pre-Approval and Mandatory Training, foster parents learn about attachment theory and how to provide a secure base where children feel like they belong. The report recognises this, highlighting the "exceptional progress" made by children and young people due to the "nurturing and warm care they receive from their foster carers." It also notes that children are "embraced as part of their foster families" and "form safe and secure attachments with their carers".
The report highlights our progress in supporting unaccompanied asylum-seeking children to achieve extraordinary things, such as taking their GCSEs when they couldn't speak English on their arrival to the UK.
We've achieved this by developing cultural-specific training that gives foster parents the skills and knowledge to care for children of various cultures, ethnicities and faiths. The training helps foster parents support children in exploring their heritage so they can form a sense of identity. Topics include:
- Caring for a Child from a Different Ethnicity, Race or Religion
- Cultural Awareness
- Caring for Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children
We additionally provide specialist training focusing on complex issues, such as The Impact of County Lines and Foetal Alcohol Syndrome, alongside Parent and Child training to help foster parents refine their skills.
Outstanding Support for Foster Parents – “It feels like we’re part of a family”
“Foster carers have provided overwhelmingly positive feedback about the support they receive from the agency. One foster carer said that the support provided was ‘excellent’ with another describing the agency as ‘like being part of a family.’” - ACS Ofsted Report (2024)
We are committed to providing outstanding support to foster parents and the children in their care, so they never feel alone on their fostering journey. Our supervising social workers dedicate their time to getting to know foster families. The report commends them for ensuring they “understand children’s needs, wishes and feelings and what support foster carers need to meet these”.
Foster families also receive local support from a team of highly qualified fostering experts, including social workers, managers, trainers and more, who the report says feel "very well supported and spoke highly about the leadership team".
Further support for foster parents that has helped us achieve our 'Outstanding' rating includes:
- Peer group meetings – so foster parents can make connections, share experiences and have more people to lean on.
- Community resources – we have links with local mosques, synagogues, churches and more that provide additional faith and cultural support.
- 24/7 Helpline – we are available to support foster parents; day and night.
- Online resources – from online training courses to fostering news, our online resources make it easier for foster parents to access valuable information.
- Activities and events – from religious festivals to days out, we organise activities and events for foster families to enjoy all year round.
Marva and her husband Lionel have been fostering with us here at ACS for over ten years. Here is what they have to say about the support they receive: “With ACS being a smaller agency and focused on culture, it feels like we’re part of a family, we are well supported, and the social workers are very involved.”
Outstanding Support for Children – “Children feel that they are listened to and that their wishes, views and feelings are heard."
“Children spoke with warmth and confidence about their experiences of living with their foster families. One child said that they felt part of a family, while another child told the inspectors that their foster carer believed in them.” - ACS Ofsted Report (2024)
We are proud that our outstanding support for foster children is recognised in the report. It highlights the passion our foster parents have for the children in their care, saying they "advocate on their behalf to ensure that their voices are heard, and their individual needs are met".
The report also recognises our work to prepare children for independence through our life-skills workshops that teach them how to write their CVs and build interview skills. It also mentions our emphasis on extra-curricular activities that “enrich their quality of life” and our efforts to build self-esteem in children through annual awards for achievements such as tying their shoelaces or attending school.
The support and training we provide to foster parents means children feel safe and able to “trust their foster carers and talk to them about any worries or concerns they may have”. - ACS Ofsted Report (2024)
If you're considering a fostering career and want to join an 'Outstanding' independent, faith-based fostering agency, get in touch today.
